The best mod so far is not stepping on the gas as hard. It was the hardest mod to keep installed. With close to 400 HP it is hard to have a light foot..... Greg
-
TDR Magazine subscribers receive more than the magazine! You also gain additional forum privileges!
Details here: TDR Privileges
Subscribe to TDR Magazine here: https://www.tdr-online.com/
What are the best Mileage increasing mods
- Thread starter Blownaway
- Start Date
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies To the point: Click this link and check out the Front Page News story(ies) where we are tracking the introduction of the 2025 Ram HD trucks.
Thanks, TDR Staff
- Status
Besides Jack Rabbit starts. SPEED is the number one influence on your trucks mpg. I have been driving diesel pickups for 12 years and 800K miles with every performance upgrade available on all of the makes I have owned... . Ford's and Cummins.
Amsoil will never give you 3mpg. It would be factory fill if it would... . Any manufacturer would love to sell you 3 mpg more just on synthetics. I have run synthetics front to back ( Amsoil) for 8 years and have never been able to attribute more than . 5mpg when using it everplace you can put it. Chips/ boxes/ moderate injectors can yield about 1 mpg on average if you can keep your foot out of it. Exhaust and air filter improvements may give you another . 5 mpg on a really generous day.
Keeping the RPM's around 2K or lower is your best bet and always will be. The truck below will get 17mpg with no wind at 2K... . about 68-69mph. If I kick it up to 2. 2-2. 3K at 75 mph the mileage falls to 15. 5. 80mph will get me 14. This is all with calm winds. A strond headwind... . 15-20mph will take 1. 5-2mpg away from it. The same wind behind me picks up 1 mpg.
I have had some type of fiberglass lid/ shell on all of my trucks. It is on 90% of the time. When it is off the trucks have never got a significant decrease in mileage.
I would do the standard upgrades that most of us do... a little exhaust, filter and fueling work and maybe synthetics after 15K on the engine..... the rest of the truck can get synthetics now. All of these mods make the truck more enjoyable to drive and can prolong its life a little bit. If all the conditions are perfect your truck may see 2mpg with all of the mods installed... . if you keep your SPEED down. If you don't, you will not see anything at all. Don't get caught up in the 3 mpg for synthetics, 2-4 for injectors and a box, 1-2 more for exhaust and and a little intake work. This is not reality. If it was, my truck would be producing diesel by now instead of burning it... . CJ
Amsoil will never give you 3mpg. It would be factory fill if it would... . Any manufacturer would love to sell you 3 mpg more just on synthetics. I have run synthetics front to back ( Amsoil) for 8 years and have never been able to attribute more than . 5mpg when using it everplace you can put it. Chips/ boxes/ moderate injectors can yield about 1 mpg on average if you can keep your foot out of it. Exhaust and air filter improvements may give you another . 5 mpg on a really generous day.
Keeping the RPM's around 2K or lower is your best bet and always will be. The truck below will get 17mpg with no wind at 2K... . about 68-69mph. If I kick it up to 2. 2-2. 3K at 75 mph the mileage falls to 15. 5. 80mph will get me 14. This is all with calm winds. A strond headwind... . 15-20mph will take 1. 5-2mpg away from it. The same wind behind me picks up 1 mpg.
I have had some type of fiberglass lid/ shell on all of my trucks. It is on 90% of the time. When it is off the trucks have never got a significant decrease in mileage.
I would do the standard upgrades that most of us do... a little exhaust, filter and fueling work and maybe synthetics after 15K on the engine..... the rest of the truck can get synthetics now. All of these mods make the truck more enjoyable to drive and can prolong its life a little bit. If all the conditions are perfect your truck may see 2mpg with all of the mods installed... . if you keep your SPEED down. If you don't, you will not see anything at all. Don't get caught up in the 3 mpg for synthetics, 2-4 for injectors and a box, 1-2 more for exhaust and and a little intake work. This is not reality. If it was, my truck would be producing diesel by now instead of burning it... . CJ
Good post, CobraJet
Dean
Dean
My Dad built the manufacturing plant in Conyers, GA. for LEER truck covers. He ran their Speciality Products division for about 4 years. I myself worked there for about 3 years , a tonneau cover will increase your mileage, a heavier fiberglass cover saves on aerodynamics but the added weight subtracts. After that just drop your tailgate and you immeadiately start saving!! LEER spent a lot of time on these studies took them almost a year. My only suggestion is as many, is a good box and watch your foot! I have a size 15 that is going to be hard!!!
Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh, Cobrajet they don't factory fill that great cummins engine with synthetic (amsoil or otherwise) because the rings wouldn't seat properly if they did. That's why you have to break it in on dino oil. Second factor is cost----no way on that one. As for mile per gallon increase, I've seen at least 2 mpg increase on every auto/truck I've put it in (amsoil). I haven't bought my truck yet but my dad has it in the engine/auto transmission in his '02 24v and has been very happy with the results. Both the Honda Odysseys I've had went from right at 19. 5 mpg new to maybe 20. 5 after break in to around 22. 5-24 depending on driving conditions after Amsoil in engine/transmission. I don't see any reason why a 5. 9 Cummins couldn't roughly equal that kind of improvement with a good break in and a quality synthetic oil.
Originally posted by Blownaway
Right, you can never add up all the claimed horsepower gains from all the bolt-on eitherLike the ricers think... . 15hp for the K&N, 25hp for the big exhaust tip, 5hp for the wing, etc. etc. Oo.
You mean to tell me that all of the big jap stickers don't really add 10 HP?
I will never buy 2mpg on Amsoil or any other type of synthetic. I have run it for years and that claim has never panned out. I have had it Mazda minivans, Expeditions, Tributes, Suburbans, and now a new V8 4Runner. All of these vehicles have never gone up more than . 5 mpg. I ran it in a 93 Cummins, 96PSD, 99PSD. 01 Cummins and the current 03 Cummins. All a generous . 5mpg. I have several friends and 9 employees who I purchase Amsoil for... . all going into diesel trucks..... all of the big three makes. None of them see more than . 5 after the change... . usually around 10K. Diesels can continue to get better mileage up to 50-60K miles... mine have, but this should not solely be attributed to synthetics.
There are a slew of new vehicles which come from the factory with synthetics in the crankcase. I have never owned a vehicle that stated in the owners manual to let the rings seat before adding synthetics. They all say they are just fine if they meet the API and are the right viscocity.
There is a definite cost associated with synthetics but at 2mpg that cost goes to the way side. On most of our diesels that is a 10-15% increase on oil alone!!! That far outweighs any cost issue. All I am saying is that I have never seen that type of increase and personally do not know anyone that has... . CJ
There are a slew of new vehicles which come from the factory with synthetics in the crankcase. I have never owned a vehicle that stated in the owners manual to let the rings seat before adding synthetics. They all say they are just fine if they meet the API and are the right viscocity.
There is a definite cost associated with synthetics but at 2mpg that cost goes to the way side. On most of our diesels that is a 10-15% increase on oil alone!!! That far outweighs any cost issue. All I am saying is that I have never seen that type of increase and personally do not know anyone that has... . CJ
Kudos to CobraJet for interjecting some common sense into the aftermarket add-on hype. If it hasn't already been mentioned, I would add: check your tire pressure religiously, put the proper tires on the rig, and keep the air filter clean.
The biggest influence is keeping the five little piggys from going "Whee, whee, whee... all the way home".
The best mod I did to my CTDs was to get about 20K on them. This resulted in a noticable mpg improvement.
I'm no rocket scientist, but IMHO toppers create aerodynamic turbulance=drag. Thus a tonneau or tailgate down or gone should give a teeny weeny improvement. Personally, I prefer flatbeds so I don't have to worry about a horse trailer smacking the side rails or pulverizing the chinsy (however you spell it) sheet metal sides and bed. "Honey, don't use that feather duster on the truck, you'll cave it in. "
geeezzz
As far as synthethics go: The official Cummins FAQ states:
"Is it OK to use synthetic oil with my Cummins engine?
Cummins recommends that you not use synthetic motor oil during the break-in period of 5000-20,000 miles, based on the type of driving, to allow proper seating of the piston rings. Beyond that mileage it is OK to use synthetic oil. "
Here in WY, the sweet thing about synthetics is the cold weather benefits (the snow also helps keep 2WDs from polluting the scenery) . Albeit, they get better mpgs.
Finally, except for trying to frig that dowel every 24K and the fuel filter set up, I sure miss the beautiful simplicity, power, and fuel economy of my 12v. This is one important factoid which brought me into the cummins fold. Every model year CD cranks the HP up a notch and the mpgs go farther south. Wait until we are blessed with the EGR.
The biggest influence is keeping the five little piggys from going "Whee, whee, whee... all the way home".
The best mod I did to my CTDs was to get about 20K on them. This resulted in a noticable mpg improvement.
I'm no rocket scientist, but IMHO toppers create aerodynamic turbulance=drag. Thus a tonneau or tailgate down or gone should give a teeny weeny improvement. Personally, I prefer flatbeds so I don't have to worry about a horse trailer smacking the side rails or pulverizing the chinsy (however you spell it) sheet metal sides and bed. "Honey, don't use that feather duster on the truck, you'll cave it in. "
geeezzzAs far as synthethics go: The official Cummins FAQ states:
"Is it OK to use synthetic oil with my Cummins engine?
Cummins recommends that you not use synthetic motor oil during the break-in period of 5000-20,000 miles, based on the type of driving, to allow proper seating of the piston rings. Beyond that mileage it is OK to use synthetic oil. "
Here in WY, the sweet thing about synthetics is the cold weather benefits (the snow also helps keep 2WDs from polluting the scenery)
. Albeit, they get better mpgs. Finally, except for trying to frig that dowel every 24K and the fuel filter set up, I sure miss the beautiful simplicity, power, and fuel economy of my 12v. This is one important factoid which brought me into the cummins fold. Every model year CD cranks the HP up a notch and the mpgs go farther south. Wait until we are blessed with the EGR.
Last edited:
Yes I did see an increase of 3MPG after I replaced all fluids to sythetics at one time(with the exception of the rear end). I agree with much of what is on this thread, however I also know what I have seen.
MPG on Dodge Cummins seems to have varied greatly with identically equiped truck over the years. With all the people on this site being cummins fans, I will bet that most know someone who has had a truck that just couldn't get the higher milage and others who always did with the same truck that your driving. Especially on the 1G and 2G trucks. Yes driving habits must be important.
Most of us use our truck in the same way day after day and week after week. Me, I drive 10 miles, non stop, to work, five days a week. I usually jump around town for lunch five days a week. Then on weekends I hook on to a huge load of hay, and travel about 220 plus mile to Lubbock or Midland- drop the hay an come back empty. I usually do this Sat and Sun. If I am not hualing hay I will go out of town and still put miles about 300 miles on the truck.
Maybe the way I drive (which is conservative) and my lifestyle makes the sythetics more beneficial. I know that I was only getting a max of 13. 7 MPG before ( I think I made 14. 1 once) - normal was 13. 4 - now I am getting 16. 6 to 16. 3 consistently. Of coarse this is just with my truck - no load, no trailer. Fully loaded, I have not seen any certain increase in MPG from any mod(that I have done) on my 02 or 03, that I am willing to talk about, yet. Keeping my foot out of it is critical. But, grossing 38k on a run that climbs in elevation - 6. 6 to 7. 3 MPG has many factors that change it. Getting 10 to 12 pulling a 7600lb trailer coming home seems to be the same after sythetics as well - exept for the fact that it normally seems to be to the higher side of that range. Maybe all the cold 10 mile runs to work every morning was robbing my MPG and the sythetic helped me more than someone who travels more or less. Either way, they save me money.
By the way, I go out my way to get these MPG figures. Fuel up at the beginning of each leg of a trip and then when I get back to town so that it is almost exactly the same conditions - except for mother nature.
Sorry for being long - but when someone says I am not living in "reality", I like to defend myself.
MPG on Dodge Cummins seems to have varied greatly with identically equiped truck over the years. With all the people on this site being cummins fans, I will bet that most know someone who has had a truck that just couldn't get the higher milage and others who always did with the same truck that your driving. Especially on the 1G and 2G trucks. Yes driving habits must be important.
Most of us use our truck in the same way day after day and week after week. Me, I drive 10 miles, non stop, to work, five days a week. I usually jump around town for lunch five days a week. Then on weekends I hook on to a huge load of hay, and travel about 220 plus mile to Lubbock or Midland- drop the hay an come back empty. I usually do this Sat and Sun. If I am not hualing hay I will go out of town and still put miles about 300 miles on the truck.
Maybe the way I drive (which is conservative) and my lifestyle makes the sythetics more beneficial. I know that I was only getting a max of 13. 7 MPG before ( I think I made 14. 1 once) - normal was 13. 4 - now I am getting 16. 6 to 16. 3 consistently. Of coarse this is just with my truck - no load, no trailer. Fully loaded, I have not seen any certain increase in MPG from any mod(that I have done) on my 02 or 03, that I am willing to talk about, yet. Keeping my foot out of it is critical. But, grossing 38k on a run that climbs in elevation - 6. 6 to 7. 3 MPG has many factors that change it. Getting 10 to 12 pulling a 7600lb trailer coming home seems to be the same after sythetics as well - exept for the fact that it normally seems to be to the higher side of that range. Maybe all the cold 10 mile runs to work every morning was robbing my MPG and the sythetic helped me more than someone who travels more or less. Either way, they save me money.
By the way, I go out my way to get these MPG figures. Fuel up at the beginning of each leg of a trip and then when I get back to town so that it is almost exactly the same conditions - except for mother nature.
Sorry for being long - but when someone says I am not living in "reality", I like to defend myself.
draymorrris
I am not trying to be critical, just stating what I have have seen over many years of synthetics. I drive the same truck you do and would have shot it in the head if it was averaging 13. 4 empty..... past the first few fill ups. Mine sat around 16 at 70 for a long time than has slowly climbed to 17 with the mods and mileage under its belt. I would tend to think something else may have been going on with yours. It just doesn't make a lot of sense for oil alone to increase a trucks fuel mileage by 25%... 13. 4 to 16. 5.
The good folks at Cleburne Dodge threw in FREE oil changes at 3K miles as part of the negotiations. I bring them Amsoil when I plan on dragging the trailer around. I see my mileage on conventional and with Amsoil quite often... after the trailer is off and before the next change. I don't see much difference at all. The truck has 52K on it now... 11 months old.
I think a lot of people, including myself purchase their trucks and drive them around for a while before adding anything. Once the add-ons are installed all the mileage increases down the road are attributed to these when in fact the truck is still breaking in. It would have seen a lot of the mileage gain on its own. Sorry for the dig... it wasn't meant to be personal... CJ
I am not trying to be critical, just stating what I have have seen over many years of synthetics. I drive the same truck you do and would have shot it in the head if it was averaging 13. 4 empty..... past the first few fill ups. Mine sat around 16 at 70 for a long time than has slowly climbed to 17 with the mods and mileage under its belt. I would tend to think something else may have been going on with yours. It just doesn't make a lot of sense for oil alone to increase a trucks fuel mileage by 25%... 13. 4 to 16. 5.
The good folks at Cleburne Dodge threw in FREE oil changes at 3K miles as part of the negotiations. I bring them Amsoil when I plan on dragging the trailer around. I see my mileage on conventional and with Amsoil quite often... after the trailer is off and before the next change. I don't see much difference at all. The truck has 52K on it now... 11 months old.
I think a lot of people, including myself purchase their trucks and drive them around for a while before adding anything. Once the add-ons are installed all the mileage increases down the road are attributed to these when in fact the truck is still breaking in. It would have seen a lot of the mileage gain on its own. Sorry for the dig... it wasn't meant to be personal... CJ
This mileage thing is wierd that we can all vary this much!!!
I am getting about 17 just tooting around the city and with only 1600 miles on the truck, I was able to coax 24. 4 maintaining 68-70 mph straight freeway... . and this is with winter fuel!!
My 99 got about 21 on the freeway at 70 so this is impressing to me.
Chris
I am getting about 17 just tooting around the city and with only 1600 miles on the truck, I was able to coax 24. 4 maintaining 68-70 mph straight freeway... . and this is with winter fuel!!
My 99 got about 21 on the freeway at 70 so this is impressing to me.
Chris
Not really, Chris. Consider the varied factors involved here; terrain, climate, wind and above all, personal driving habits. It would be wierd if a person had two trucks exactly alike and got the different mileage with each one.
Dean
Cobrajet
No hard feelings.
I agree that it sounds unusual to get the gain that I did, although I posted a thread when it happened and many reponded with similar results. I still think that my driving habits have a lot to do with it, but I am also suspicious of my truck. It seem to have good power on some days and less on others. I beleive the rear end is slowing going out. It also feels like the fan is turning on and off, even when it is cool - unless I am feeling something else. I even noticed it last night coming back from FW - the whole way something seemed to cycle, at first I thought it was the compressor but it continued when I turn the AC off. The temp does not fluctuate so it would make sense that it is not the fan, but the short cycles may not give it enough time to cool the engine. It still seem to get about 16. 5 last night even though I could feel this. i am going to have it "reflashed when I get the chance"
By the way, I ran Delo for the first 35k. I calculated every tank MPG. Some I kept receipts and some I did not. We will see what the future holds.
No hard feelings.
I agree that it sounds unusual to get the gain that I did, although I posted a thread when it happened and many reponded with similar results. I still think that my driving habits have a lot to do with it, but I am also suspicious of my truck. It seem to have good power on some days and less on others. I beleive the rear end is slowing going out. It also feels like the fan is turning on and off, even when it is cool - unless I am feeling something else. I even noticed it last night coming back from FW - the whole way something seemed to cycle, at first I thought it was the compressor but it continued when I turn the AC off. The temp does not fluctuate so it would make sense that it is not the fan, but the short cycles may not give it enough time to cool the engine. It still seem to get about 16. 5 last night even though I could feel this. i am going to have it "reflashed when I get the chance"
By the way, I ran Delo for the first 35k. I calculated every tank MPG. Some I kept receipts and some I did not. We will see what the future holds.
I don't think so, I turned everything off. But thanks.
I saw somewhere that putting the tailgate down does not help at all if not makes it worse, What Do you guys know about that. Think I want a tonneau cover. I will be making some long drives empty looking for some ideas for small mileage upgrades, Also what brands of covers are out there that are worth the couple hundred bucks, do they keep your stuff dry?
I have the MOPAR tonneau cover, not the one from the factory. It has a fabric exterior like on a convertable. It mounts very easily with 6 clamps and the cover itself is held on by a groove in the rails, it is a very good looking and well made item. I think it went for somewhere around $350 and well worth it, imo. I can probably find the part # if you are interested.
Dean
Dean
- Status
Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
Advertising
Turbo Diesel Register
Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
Advertising
