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Spencer
Dodge Dakota
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8/12/2004
17:42:57
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 Subject: Save Gas
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i have a 2000 dakota sport V8..i was wonderin what i could do to save gas like aftermarket parts or anything.
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dkota_rt
Dodge Dakota
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8/12/2004
18:49:12
| RE: Save Gas
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Buy a rubber bump stop($5) from Autozone and place under your gas pedal. Works great on saving gas, but is a bitch for performance.
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Kevin
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
01:54:06
|  RE: Save Gas
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I have a 2002 4.7, I put premium in it and got 22mpg, i usually get 18mpg with regular. Everybody tells me it was just a fluke, so i am testing again as we speak...
Kevin
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
04:07:29
| RE: Save Gas
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One thing you have to remember is that DC spent millions to eek out every last bit of economy, wwithout comprimising performance too much. They made a big deal last year out of spending something like $10 million to make a 5% improvement!
I havn't found anything that's worth the time or expense to install simply for the sake of economy. But your driving habits will have a huge impact. Drive it easy and keep the speed reasonable, and that's as good as it gets.
So, just accept that your truck is a blast to drive, will do just about anything you ask it to, and gets crappy mileage. Oh well.
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greyDAK
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
09:33:08
| RE: Save Gas
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I like the idea of easing off the pedal. With all the "mods" I have done to my Dak, I have been able to inch my mileage up to about 27 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway.
No kidding, I have a 98 3.9l standard cab, with a short box, 2 wheel drive and manual transmission. I put on the cold air filter, high flow cat back exhaust, platinum plugs, V8 TB and home made traction bars. I like to chirp the wheels when I take off from a light, and at least once a week like to open her up and get it to bark into second.
I fill up the tank very irregularly (but always before it hits half way). By resetting the trip odometer after each fill (costs on average about 40 bucks CDN to fill it half way) I watch to see how far I can go on 1/8th tank. Inevitably it always hits aroun 200 kilometers (that is about 120 miles) - and that is city driving. On the highway, I easily get 800 kilometers (about 480 miles) and often closer to 900 kilometers (I have the 22 gallon tank).
When I compare it to my wife's Honda, the Dak is far superior for economy.
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hybrid
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
10:26:06
| RE: Save Gas
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Being that the gas gauge isn't the most accurate, your method of calculating fuel economy isn't very accurate either.The easiest and most accurate way to calculate mpg is to fill up completely (let the pump stop for you) reset your trip odometer and drive..when you go to fill up again devide how much fuel you add to the tank by how many miles you drove.
The first half of my tank always seems to last longer then the second half, in reality it's the same. You have to consider thermal expansion from the daytime heat will effect your gas gauge (say you really have just over 1/2 a tank when in reality you have exactly 1/2 a tank. I've driven to work 3 days and accoding to the gauge used about 1/4 of a tank, then the next day it drops from 3/4th of a tank down to 1/2 a tank (I doubt I used 1/4 driving the same distance...
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Ken
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
11:59:35
| RE: Save Gas
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Actually, there is quite a bit you can do to save gas. You have to remember that DC also takes into account longetivity of the engine, ease of use, etc. My 97 CC SLT 5.2L started out at 16.5 MPG *MAX* on the highway when I first bought it with 53K on it. Now, I can squeak in 20mpg on the highway. My daily driving went from 15mpg to 16.5 mpg. So my city driving MPG is now what my old highway MPG use to be.
Mods are listed with the highway mileage effected:
CAI - Went from 16.5 to 18.0
Gibson Cat-back - From 18.0 to 18.5
Hyptertech PCM & soft tonneau - from 18.5 to 19-19.5
The rest of my mods were put on pretty close together, never got to test MPG individally, but these make up the other .5-1mpg:
Positive Performance Headers
F&B 50mm TB
M-1 Intake Manifold
1.7 Crower Rockers
I could probably average 18mpg on my daily drive (mix city/hwy), but I like to gun it while in the city. so I'm around 16-16.5, depending on how much sitting and gunning it I do)
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ScojoDak
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
12:07:00
| RE: Save Gas
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Don't forget a tonneu cover. At least 2+ mpg increase!
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Ken
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
13:05:22
| RE: Save Gas
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It's on there with the hypertech, but didn't save me 2mpg! .5 mpg at best.
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MileageMaster
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
13:10:38
| RE: Save Gas
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My truck doesn't even burn any gas when it has a full tank. My gas gauge doesn't even move from the full mark for the first 70 to 80 miles. Then it starts burn gas until it gets to 1/2 tank. After a half tank all of a sudden my fuel mileage plummits and I get horrible mileage. I think the extra weight in the fuel tank triggers the computer to go into economy mode. I'm going to make sure my truck is full all the time so it won't burn gas.
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greyDAK
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
13:37:11
| RE: Save Gas
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True, my method of measuring gas mileage isnt perfect and yes I do notice that the guage moves at different speeds depending if its full or half full or whatever. Bottom line is that I still get phenomenal mileage regardless. And I spend a lot less time at the pump than my wife does (actually she gets me to get her gas!). On the highway is where I see it the most. Probably due to the constant speeds that I drive at and the terrain is relatively flat. I cant complain, thats for sure!
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Kevin
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
13:38:22
| RE: Save Gas
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Hey,
If you want more gas milage, Try This...Fill your tank up all the way with regular, let it get to half of tank and fill it up again then divide the miles traveled by gallons it took to fill up. Then try mid-grade...and premuim, if you get good results with mid grade. I got 18mpg with regular, 20mpg with mid and 22mpg with premium(but i messed up, i think it is more,i am retesting)
Here is the math for my truck(22 Gallon Gas Tank)
mid grade=+2mpg better then regular
+2mpg=+44 extra miles per tank
+44EMPT=2 Gallons of gas
2gallons of gas(1.79x2)=3.58
3.58 minus the cost of mid(+.10gallon)2.20
Cost saved by using mid grade=You Save...$1.38
Thats probably not going to brake the bank but hey mid grade is just better fuel for(for me) less money. The higher the octane the more pure the fuel. Oh i have noticed that my truck warms up a little bit faster and seems not to jump as high on the rpm's unless i really hit it...(ex. when i am passing people on the interstate it used to jump when i went to pass somebody, now it doesnt hardly go over 2rpm.
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99bludak
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
14:06:56
| RE: Save Gas
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2rpm, man you must get good gas mileage only revving 2rpms ;)
Just kidding, had to take the jab!
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Kevin
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
14:10:38
|  RE: Save Gas
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When you are on the interstate what rpm's are you traveling? This is going 75 and passing people.
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hybrid
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
14:54:45
| RE: Save Gas
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Hey kevin, You may want to retest your mpg because higher octane fuel will not give you better economy or power (I know you didn't mention power but for some reason people tend to think higher octane = more power)...The lowest octane actuall burns better and creates a more complete combustion thus a more efficient engine. Octane resists ignition, thats what it's needed for high hp or booted motors, it prevents pinging/ and pre-ignition.It takes longer for it to combust. I'd recomend saving your money that you spend on the premium fuel for something else.
A more complete combustion = a less wasted energy.
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Kevin
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
15:12:30
|  RE: Save Gas
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That is the opposite of what my tests have concluded, and the opposite of what everybody has told me. I've been told that it burns hotter and more complete. Which is why they use it in your BMW's and higher end cars. In all reality i am saving my money. 1.38 every time i fill up. Thanks for the advice though. i am re-testing right now.I will post it when i get to half a tank
Kevin
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Martin
GenII
8/13/2004
19:58:55
| RE: Save Gas
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Kevin if you only burned 1/2 a tank of mid grade then put the premium in wont that drop the octane of the premium gas to some ware in between the the two? So you don't get an accutate evaluation of the premium gas.
<<<
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Kevin
Dodge Dakota
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8/13/2004
21:09:37
|  RE: Save Gas
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My fault...i didnt type what i meant...What i did was i filled up with regular let it burn to half a tank and did it again to see what my mpg was...then i let it go to E, then filled it with mid-grade, let it go till half a tank twice...the same with premium. Yeah if you did it the way i typed it in would mess up your results because you wouldnt get the octane grade that you put in. My Bad(But if you do it like that so far it has worked)
Kevin
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hybrid
Dodge Dakota
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8/14/2004
00:33:41
| RE: Save Gas
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Kevin.
It's proven that the higher the octane the more resitant to burn it is (less combustable).
Coming from someone whe runs 110 actane in their RACE car i can attest to the the fact that it burns SLOWER and less complete. Have you ever run race gas? Have you ever pulled your plugs after running race gas?
Sure it burns hotter, but it also is less combustable.
I'll try to pull up some links on actane for you, showing you and everybody else why it's a waste of money to run 92-93 octane in a vehicle tuned to run on 87 octane.
I'm not trying to be an ass, but your tests don't hold a candle to actuality, and scientific facts. Octane resists. Thats why when you have pinging the first thing you try is higher octane, because it resists pre-ignition (pinging)...Knock, etc.
http://greennature.com/article347.html
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Greg
Dodge Dakota
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8/14/2004
00:45:35
| RE: Save Gas
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I hate to be the one to point this out hybrid, but the higher octane will give you better mileage... I have known this test to have been conducted in a lot of different vehicles and motors in general from the VW's, trucks "ford, chevy, and dodge", cars, and even mowers... Every engine will show different results with the different octane levels, such as some will show more with mid vs premium, or some will show more mpg with premium vs mid... In any of the case the regular will show the lease of all...
AND your statement about power and fuel burn is only partially right...
The lower the octane the quicker or less heat it takes to ignite it and it will burn very fast...
Higher octane fuels burn much slower and purer all throughout the motion of the piston as it is going down through it's power stroke...
In other words the lower octane fuel will completely burn up right as the spark plug fires = one large burst of energy exerted... The higher octane will burn at a constant slower speed = energy being exerted all throughout the downward movement of the piston on the power stroke = using the energy exerted from the fuel burn more accurately and effecienter...
BUT there are border lines on the octane creating more power... The lower octane fuel will ussually create more power in the upper rpm levels which is why race car drivers will get better track qualifying times using the lower octane fuels = the quicker burning lower octane fuel burns the fastest = being able to turn the motor over faster in higher rpm's...
BUT like I also pointed out sometimes the mid will give more fuel mileage in some engines like my brother gets 23mpg out of his gt mustang out of the mid and only 20/21 out of the premium and only 18/19 on average out of the regular... I personally ussually get 23/24 out of mid and premium, so I use the mid, but the best mileage I ever have gotten was out of the premium and the was 27... BUT that doesn't necessarily mean I am going to use premium all of the time, because that mileage was strictly highway and I ussually don't drive much open highway like I was that day... SO I use the mid, because it shows gains on both local driving and highway driving + it doesn't cost all that much more than the regular...
Now back to fuel mileage gains in other perspectives...
Advance timing = crank sensor modification
Set tps to as high as you can without causing fluctualwations on your rpms, but stay under .98 volts
degree and gap spark plugs = has shown signs of 1 mpg increase alone
port match intake = 1 mpg + extra power
cold air intake
synthetic oils "100% = Amsoil, Red Line, Mobil 1, and Royal Purple" Recommend Amsoil's series 2000 0w-30 for best engine protection possible and most mpg gainage
Any of these will help and hope I helped to clear things up a little better with the fuel octane readings...
Oh and since the guy above was mentioning gas tank level to mileage driven, just thought I would include these... I've got a 16 gallon fuel tank and this is how it ussually reads when getting anywhere from 23 to 25 mpg...
80 miles down to F mark
120 - 125 miles to 7/8 mark
155 - 160 miles to 3/4 mark
180 - 190 miles to 1/2 mark
220 miles to 3/8 mark
then 320 to 1/8 mark or where the low fuel light comes on
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hybrid
Dodge Dakota
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8/14/2004
00:47:29
| RE: Save Gas
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http://www.state.mn.us/mn/externalDocs/Commerce/Gasoline_Octane_Facts_102902052227_OctaneFacts.pdf
http://autorepair.about.com/od/generalinfo/a/aa060504a.htm
If you would like more reading material i can provide more. Please take your time reading those two links.....
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