Why does my mileage suck goats?

[$BANKS$rupted]

It also seems the "dreaded auto" gets better milage than the straight shift.

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99' 2500 2wd SLT Auto LWB Quadcab "BANKS STINGER PLUS" (TURBO BACK 4"-STAINLESS EXHAUST, QUICK TURBO HOUSING, OTTOMIND COMPUTER,K&N FILTER, PYRO-BOOST & TRANS-TEMP GUAGES), 275hp RV INJECTORS,PROTORQUE CONVERTER, TRANSGO SHIFTKIT, AIRLIFT "SUPER DUTY", CENTURY "ELITE" CAP (LIMO BLACK ON WINDOWS),BEDRUG, SHELF-IT,PIONEER "PREMIER" CD W\CD CONTOLLER,YAMAHA PASSIVE EQ, ALPINE 200 WATT 4-CHANNEL AMP, POLK SPEAKERS, PUNCH 45 "STRAPPED MONO" (90WATTS) ON 12" BAZOOKA TUBE

 

[John Berger]

Last tank - 508. 4 miles, 29. 9 gallons = 17 mpg. Best I've ever done just driving around town. I have 47,802 miles on the truck and just went to Amsoil 15W40 at 45K. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a new trend.

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1999 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab 5 spd; 4:10 LSD rear; Mag-Hytec diff. cover; US Gear EGT and Boost gauges. Amsoil foam air filter and synthetics from nose to tail.
Cummins Power, don't leave home without it

 

[B. Gill]

rob,i have never gotten less than 17 and the way i calculate is i top the tank off and then look how many miles i have travelled and divide by the gallons consumed that i know when i fill the tank next time that gives you the excat MPG i dont look for avarage at the computer at all
hope you get better mileage than you are
hang in there you dont have a pig for a truck
i love my cummins
bob

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1968 Mercedes 200d, 1983-Mercedes 300sd, 1986-Mercedes 300sdl, 2000-ram2500 Patriot Blue with 32000 miles.

 

[Wheaties]

DaveB wrote:<strong>
For reasons unbeknownst to me and many others, 3500s do not get the MPG that the 2500s do.
There seem to be some exceptions, but for the most part, if you look all thru the archives on this
site, take comparable 3500s vs 2500s... same year, same engine, same trans, same axle(s), and
similar driving habits, and the 3500s seem to be pigs. Strange. </strong>

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but having 50% more rubber to the road is a good reason to have lower mileage. One of the suggestions during the energy crises of the 70's and 80's was to run skinnier tires at higher pressure, less traction and a rougher ride, but better mileage!

Rubber deforms as it makes contact with the road and a byproduct of this is to generate heat. This means a significant amount of energy is lost just heating up the tires and road. Skinnier tires means less rubber to deform and higher pressure means less deformation.

Matt

[This message has been edited by mwheaton (edited 03-18-2001). ]

[This message has been edited by mwheaton (edited 03-18-2001). ]

 

[Richard W Gee]

Ok I was getting horrable mileage to 14. 5 max on freway unloaded. Went the rounds with the dealer several times kepted a log on my mileage and fule ecconomy it also was unchallenable. I also kept the fuel reciepts. put a little program to gether with excell and wa la look at this mr. Dealer Anyway The truck was Flashed last fall and no help to fuel economy it accually got worse. took i back in last month had it checked for Turbo leaks at the same time I had them change my oil and filter. They Flased it again TSB # 18-015-00 Guess what I just returned from two trips 360 miles one way ea. The last one from Salt Lake to Bosie ID. 15. 5 going in a Blisered Snow Storm Wet and Slushy roads High cross winds, the wiper blades didn't even want to touch the window. Coming back a slight tail wind but mostly calm 17. 9 mph. Moral of the Story Don't Give Up keep seeing your dealer and get loader each and every time have your facts straight proper documentation and defenceable issues. Another note did you know that DC does not show a Fuel economy Quote on the Sicker! Check this one out.

Originally posted by RobG:
I was talking about this in a thread about my aftermarket fuel tank (which got moved to the Towing area), but my fuel mileage is really awful. It's been awful since I got the truck, and I'm getting annoyed.


Unloaded, commuting, I get between 13. 5 and 14. 25 mpg, and that's adjusting for a 4% odometer error caused by the 19. 5" wheels and tires. Today, I drove from here in the Bay Area, to Bakersfield and back. Unloaded, on the way down, running 80 mph with the cruise on, I averaged 14. 23 mpg. On the way back, running at 75 mph with the cruise on, I got my highest ever of 14. 57 mpg. Still absolutely pathetic.


With my camper loaded, driving normally (without cruise, going with traffic), I get 10 mpg. With the cruise set at 65, I got 12. 3 or thereabouts. Hardly stellar.


The truck has 6000 miles on it as of today, and I've done at least 1000 miles worth of load-carrying since I got it.


Is it realistic to think that the mileage is going to suck this badly until I hit around 20k? I just don't really see it going up more than maybe two more points, which is where it SHOULD be now, I think.


I'm starting to think it's time to unplug the EZ and start complaining to the dealer.


Rob

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[Richard W Gee]

By the way here are my Figures Notice the change when Flashed for the Second time. on 2/9/01
Hope this is help Sorry if it is long!

Fuel Flow For 1999 Dodge Quade Cab Diesel
#DIV/0!
Date Beginning Odometer Ending Odometer Miles Traveled Gallons of Fuel Miles per Gallon
15527
9/3/2000 15527 16074 547 51. 089 10. 70680577 Towing
9/10/2000 16074 16266 192 13. 848 13. 86481802 City
9/17/2000 16266 16535 269 24. 331 11. 05585467 Towing and City
9/20/2000 16535 16859 324 26. 335 12. 3030188 Towing and City
9/29/2000 16859 17185 326 22. 993 14. 17822816 Highway
10/6/2000 17185 17451 266 16. 038 16. 58560918 Highway
10/21/2000 17451 17772 321 22. 7336 14. 12006897 Highway
11/7/2000 17772 18151 379 25. 764 14. 71044869 Highway
11/17/2000 18151 18504 353 25. 28 13. 96360759 Highway
11/30/2000 18504 18828 324 23. 064 14. 04786681 Highway
12/11/2000 18828 19171 343 24. 119 14. 22115345 Highway
12/22/2000 19171 19554 383 26. 924 14. 22522656 Highway
12/31/2000 19554 19846 292 20. 253 14. 41761714 Highway
1/5/2001 19846 20022 176 13. 014 13. 52389734 Highway/Town
1/16/2001 20022 20400 378 25. 768 14. 66935734 Highway/Town
2/9/2001 20400 20757 357 25. 236 14. 14645744 Reflashed Truck TSB
2/16/2001 20757 21014 257 17. 86 14. 38969765 Highway/Town
2/18/2001 21014 21345 331 19. 917 16. 61896872 To St. George Ut
2/18/2001 21345 21649 304 17. 087 17. 79130333 Return From St. G Ut.
2/28/2001 21649 22055 406 26. 5 15. 32075472 Highway/Town
3/4/2001 22055 22168 113 8. 314 13. 59153236 Highway/Town
3/8/2001 22168 22318 150 9. 997 15. 00450135 Highway/Town
3/9/2001 22318 22682 364 23. 9 15. 23012552 SL. to Bosie Snow/Wind
3/9/2001 22682 23036 354 19. 75 17. 92405063 Rtrn. Slt/Wind-Calm
23036 -23036 #DIV/0!
0 0 #DIV/0!
Total 530. 1146

 

[PatD]

Ron, getting about the same mpg and it has been depressing at times. Out of the box the truck was getting 14. 0, put the Va box on it and it went up to 14. 3, took the box off and had the dodge tech tweek the turbo (on the side) and the mpg went down to 13. 7 but power was up to almost the VA level. Put the Va back on and am now getting 14. 2!! New with the VA on and pulling 8300lbs to Phoenix from Colo springs Co I was getting 12. 5. Maybe it will go up soon, 12500 on the truck now but just bought a new 48 ft trailer so the towing going to take a BIG slide!

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Y2k Patriot Blue, 3500 Quad-cab 4X4,5 spd LSD, grey leather w/them heated seats, Burlwood dash treatment, Factory bedliner, B&W flip-over gooseneck hitch, Mag-tech rearend cover, Pacbrake,VA box, DeeZee stainless steel running boards,3D carbon fiber look bug shield,and one of them big 5 inch exhaust tip, still an empty canvas.

 

[PRout]

If your truck is running good, the mileage should be good also. They both go hand in hand unless you have a leak.

Just got back from a trip, and for the first time I took it easy on the pedal. Was fully loaded 17,000lbs total, kept it between 55-60, and only pushed the pedal enough to keep 55 over the grades (no more).

Got 13. 22 mph calc'd w/ calibrated odo.
Unloaded, normally get 17. 5 city driving and not babying it. Best mph seen is 19. 9 unloaded hwy.

Are you sure your odometer is reading correct?

Sorry if I missed something here, didnt read all the posts.

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2k, 30k miles, QC, SB, 4x, 6sp, 3. 54, 285/75r16 bfg/at, stock air cleaner (reliable), silencer ring "in" (runs better), Sunnybrook 28' fiver, 16,780 lbs. 18mpg (unloaded), 12-14 mpg (loaded). VA, DD1's, PS Boost module & elbow, BD brake... also, Nitrous Oxide piped direct into the block (stealth - to keep the warranty), 10 gallon per minute fuel pump, ECM right out of Don Garlit's Top Fueler (he gave it to me) (for letting him ride in my truck), Super Modified DD1 Injectors ("Hand Honed" with a 1/4" reamer & my 12v Makita). More BOMBING to come. .

 

[DaveN]

Well I'll throw my two cents in here... . #ad


I drive about 30 miles to work one way, all about 55 mph and most of it is flat and straight. Some days I can get 22 or 23 (according to the computer) some days I get 17. I've noticed that I can get about 2~3 mpg better if I **don't** use the cruise (assuming level ground). At 75~80 mph, I get anywhere from 14 to 18. I currently have about 5000 miles on it, average mpg has improved by about three since the day I got it.

I haven't seen any measurable difference with the tailgate up or down, or with tire air pressure. I generally run unloaded. One time I got 27 on the way to work, but that was because I was tailgating a semi. I wouldn't recommend it for safety reasons (he wasn't real happy with me) but I had to see if drafting works. It does! Also please note that I'm using the computer for all of this, some guys claim that the computer is no good, other swear by it. Again, my . 02

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2001. 5 2500 4WD Auto QC 3. 54 Loaded except Leather

 

[JyRO]

$Banks$rupted - "It also seems the "dreaded auto" gets better milage than the straight shift. " - $Banks$rupted

Are you joking, or was that a typing error? Or are you out of your mind?

MWHeaton - I agree with your post 100%. The 3500s should have roughly 50% more tire friction losses than a 2500. They have more weight, and more drag due to the fenders. They also cost about 50% more to keep tires on and may be impossible to put in the garage. I think 19 mpg should be about max for a 3500 manual transmission, about 17 mpg for a 3500 slushbox.

I don't think I'll ever find a 5th wheel trailer that my 2500 (+ auxillary Rr suspension) can't handle. I may give up a little lateral stability bumper towing, but not as much, if any, with a 5th wheel. Plus I can drive through the ATMs. But, the 3500's look mighty good.

- JyRO

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by Whitmore:
I get 20 to 21 at 68 mph all the time unloaded,I have found that any speed past 70 and my mpg goes down

Are you a 4x2? Do you have LSD? 2500?



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(2) Red 1990 Dodge Spirit RT 2. 2 Turbo cars
1990 Eagle Talon TSI AWD Modified
2001. 5 2500 4x4 on order...

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by Cheska:
the worst it has ever pulled on a tank is 19. 36. That was on the first tank.

Do you have the LSD?


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(2) Red 1990 Dodge Spirit RT 2. 2 Turbo cars
1990 Eagle Talon TSI AWD Modified
2001. 5 2500 4x4 on order...

 

[Cliffman]

RobG,

It took me over 15,000 miles for me to see 17mpg. I too thought I had some sort of problem. I now have 27,000 miles and I'm getting over 17. 5 mph. It just keeps getting better. Give it some time dude, let that bad boy break-in. Just so you know, I dont use the computer to gauge my mileage, I fill-up at the same fuel station and at the same pump.

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2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, Long Bed, 5. 9L HO Cummins Diesel (ETH), 6-Speed HD Manual (DEE) Loven the shift thing (Arrrrrh), 3:54, SLT+, 3. 54 Anti-Spin Axle, Camper Special Group, Trailer Tow Group, 18,000 LB 5th Wheel Hitch, Leather, Sliding Rear Window, BDs E-Brake, Rhino Liner (gray), Velvet ride shackles, cup smoothy, Power Edge box / EZ Box w/elbo, DD Stage III injectors, McLeod Dual Disk Clutch, K&N, SPA Gauges, Jardine Exhaust, 16cm turbo housing. Love the smell of diesel in the morning. Hope your watchen DC cuz every thing you see here is a big lie, Hehe.

[This message has been edited by Cliffman (edited 03-22-2001). ]

 

[WCrovo]

Stock truck with GVW of 18,000 if I stay under 70mph she is thrifty about 12. 5 to 13. 5 over and she gets about 8. 5 to 9. 5. Empty I've gotten up to 23mpg. Conditions and the nut behind the wheel make the biggest diff.

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2001 2500 tow, camper, SWB, ETH/DEE, 3. 54 Bright white,4 wheel discs.

 

[Powder Extreme]

Rob, did you ever get my last email about the fuel tank?

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2001 Quad Cab Dually, ETH, SLT Plus, Isspro Pyro & 50lb Boost, 275 injectors, Banks Power Pack, custom "Scotty style" airbox, amsoil dual bypass, 4" open exhaust in front of duals.

'94 SLT 4x4 V-10, straight pipes and a K&N (can't find anything else

 

[ldg]

Did you know there were two studies done about the tail gate up and down issue and it effects on mpg. I'm sorry I cannot remember where it was I read this but I do remember the results were NADA. In fact in one of the test the tail gate down registered slightly worse mileage but that was only one time out of many. I do remember it was major companies that did this test. Maybe others out there have read it also and can give more information so its just not from someone who read it somewhere and others can also review it.

My mileage has been very good. I normally get 19. 5 to (only once 23. 4) 22 empty on the freeways at 68 to 70 mph. (not with winter fuel though). These are direct figures, no computer. Hauling runs 9. 7, hauling a 36' 5er triple axle @ 12,374 lbs empty to 14. 4 mpg hauling a 24' 5er loaded for vacation. No complaints here. Ecm was reflashed once for stuttering, currently 56,000 miles on her and about 48K of that has been towing.

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Y2K RAM 2500 4X4 QC LWB Patriot Blue 5-Speed 3. 54 LS rear end, Trlr. Tow & Camper Packages, Westin Nerfs, Isspro Boost & Pyro gauges in a dual Pillar mount and DC Mud Flaps. Stock, ALMOST (so there is no mis-understanding, ALMOST refers to my Westin Nerfs & Isspro Gauges).