| From | Message |
Chris
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/26/2004
23:32:03
|
 Subject: RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
I just bought my first Dakota! - '02 SLT Plus, 4x4, 4.7L auto tranny, exten cab with only 13K miles. I LOVE everything about this truck *BUT*, the MPG stinks. I travel 16 miles one way to work. Half is 4 lane 65 MPH hiway, the other two lane with mostly 45 MPH speed limit. I've behaved myself with it for the first two weeks to see what kind of gas mileage it was gonna do. I'm only getting 13.6~13.8 MPG out of it. I hate to see what it'll get if I get in the throttle once in a while. From this thread, it looks like a tonneau might be in my near future. What other mods can you guys recommend that are proven to help MPG?
Thanks for any help!
|
sethco1
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/30/2004
11:14:35
|  RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
A lot of us have put on throttle spacers, cold air intakes, and dual exhaust and really haven't heard of any jump in gas milage. I have heard a lot about tonneau covers and they seem to be getting a range of 2.5 to 5 mpg better. I think this would be your best bet right now. everything cost money get something that will help you save it now, and you can add the other stuff later for show. good luck
|
RAMDAKOTA
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/30/2004
15:10:48
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
I too have owned an older (81 F350) truck that had a bigger engine (400ci)and weighed about the same as the Dakota got better milleage.
Also, I would like ask if those that say they don't use A/C much are using any of the two positions just above the A/C. Although, they aren't marked A/C they do engage the pump. Defrost might also do the same actually but I'm not sure about that.
|
Mark Smith
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2004
14:16:16
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
I bet you have low gearing, like a 3.91:1 ratio...They pull great, but the highway r.p.m.'s are too high to get any decent mileage.
My Dakota gets 19 MPG on the highway doing 70 at 2300 rpm with 3.91:1 gears. My 320 horsepower Mustang gets 27 MPG doing 70 at 1700 rpm with crappy 2.73:1 gears.
These are two extremes examples, just to show you how differential gears play an important role in your truck's performance.
|
RAMDAKOTA
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2004
15:47:01
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
There are a lot of items that say they will help gas mileage. It is difficult at best to dertermine what really works, without buying it and trying it. It is really improtant to do a lot of research if you don't "really know" how an engine reacts to things that are done to it.
Obviously, keeping your foot out of it will do some good as far as MPG goes.
One of the best ways to improve an engines efficency is to have it tuned properly. Factory settings are general and don't produce the best state of tune for all the engines that the settings are applied to. The factory settings are done in a way to meet all customers needs in a vehicle. Towing, hauling heavy loads and everyday driving are taken into account. A dyno tune is the best way to acquire the ideal state of tune. Dynos are not readilly available to everyone of course. Because, I use my truck for all of the above reasons I went with a after-market ECU programmer. I went with Superchips. Their model had the three programs that I liked: High Performance, Towing, and 87 octane tune. I haven't tried the 87 tune. I have noticed about a 2MPG increace using the other 2 settings. However, I haven't tried to actually tow my boat yet so I don't know if there is any increase there. Anyway, when they tune an engine typically the timming is advanced and more fuel is put in. Somewhere around 13 parts air to one part fuel is ideal with newer engines. I doubt Superchips or Hypertech are making the mixture that rich. They are probably set around 14 to 1 maybe a little lower. You should make your own guess at what they do after reading the article below about tunning. Stock is usually set around 14.7 to 1. It sounds like more fuel is going to be used but if they do a good job of tuning less throttle will be required to move the vehicle than with the stock settings. Supechips says they tune every 200rpm. This article has some good information about tunning for performance.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0402_tune/
The next modification that will improve efficency is increaced spark. Using a one step cooler plug (shorter tip) and increasing the gap with hotter coil will provide the best all around result. You need to have the hotter coil to provide more voltage efficently to jump the larger gap. I haven't tried this on my truck yet. But, I have wittnessed this on several vehicles. and know it to be true. Just leaving you plugs in to long will increase the gap and the mileage will increase accordingly.
here is some useful information about spark plugs. You will notice that after-market companies like MSD always state better mpg and not hp as a benefit of their system. The gap of the spark-plugs must be increased to get the best results. A complete system like MSD's is better than just a coil and larger gap but it's not going to make a huge difference on a mostly stock engine.
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/spark_plugs/techtips.asp?nav=31000&country=US
A free flowing intake filter will help as well but it is not necessary to go for the absolute best system out there. Just putting in a drop in K&N will help.
Skinner tires also provide better milleage but are not a very popular modification. It probably explains why people on this board are getting better mileage than others. Some 4X4 Dakotas don't have the 31X10.5-15 tires on them. There are 2 smaller tire sizes that Dakotas come with but I can't remember what they are right now.
My goal is to get 20MPG on the highway. I have a 5.2 4X4 CC with a canopy that weighs 4800lbs with a full tank of gas and me (250lbs) in it. My window sticker says 13cty 16hwy. I had to get the Superchips just to get 13.5cty which the truck says I'm getting with the towing program. The truck was getting 10.5-11.5cty before. I haven't done a complete test for hwy mileage. I have seen as much as 18mpg on 50-70mph trips. Not that great but closer to my goal and better than the 15.5 I was getting before. I believe that with the spark increase and free flowing air-filter I will be able to reach my goal.
I would stay away from things like the "Tornado" or a "throttle-body spacer" they might increase mpg due to air turbelence. But, putting a restriction in your air intake will decrease your WOT (Wide Open Throttle) performance no matter what they USED to say on their comercial. There are no 2 ways about that. A Tonneau cover should help as well. But, a full canopy probably weighs too much to help and might be the main reason I wasn't getting even the factory claimed mpg numbers.
|
BUT
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2004
15:51:42
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
Mark Smith, is your truck a RC,EC, or a QC? 4x4 or 4x2? What motor trans do you have? Year of truck ,mileage?
|
RAMDAKOTA
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2004
15:52:08
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
Well, yes my truck does have 3.9 gears. But, my F350 had 4.56 gears and a four speed with first being granny gear because of the 4.56 diff. It would start off in third gear but I always used second from a dead stop.
|
ben
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/10/2004
19:21:11
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
I am working on buying (waiting for banks answer) a 99 r/t this is a fast truck its got all kinds of mods done to it(i dont know all of them) such as 3 1/2 inch pipes all the way back and i get 10 mpg right now. Its hurtin the wallet but the pride and power this truck is showing me is awsome. I would like to increase the horses and the mpg. i dont have a cover for it yet but i will be getting one if i am able to buy the truck.
|
JD Leddon
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/01/2004
05:00:55
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
It doesn't matter if your in the gas or not on a Dakota. They still get the same Milage. My V-6 Dakota gets the same milage as my V-8 did. And it doesn't matter about being out or in the throttle. But the milage will get a little better on the highway.
|
What
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/02/2004
09:35:35
| RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
JD Lennon,
I'll agree that some V6s & some V8s get the same mpg, especially with the heavier quad cabs 'cuz that little sixer has to work so hard. BUT, to say that "it doesn't matter about being out or in the throttle" is just wrong! I certainly does matter. If you're easy on the gas you'll get much better mpgs than if you romp it and wind up your rpms every time you take off from a stoplight. Try it, you'll see.
|
Dakota King
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/12/2004
17:11:46
|  RE: Gas Mileage - HELP!!
IP: Logged
Message:
You guys should try a bottle or two of the lucas fuel stabalizer not sure exact mpg increase but I got an extra 100+ km compared to what I am used to
|
| | <<Oringinal Post <<Previous Page P 2 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
