| From | Message |
Ryan
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/01/2008
10:18:26
|
 Subject: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
Message:
I have:
2002 club cab v6
-superchips, set at 91 tow program
-180 t stat
-cold air intake
-fastman TB
-1.7 HS RR
-All MSD ingnition
-NGK plugs @ .047
-cat back exhaust
I recently took a 500 mile trip and got 20.5 MPG.
On average I get 18 mpg. I hoped to get
better "everyday" MPG with all these mods. I
live in California so the weather is not an
issue. Any suggestions?
|
daddio
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/01/2008
11:04:21
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
check tire inflation and alignment, driving habits and synthetic fluids.
my practically stock (V8 TB, underive crank pulley and CPS mod) '00 QC 3.9 5spd, 3.55:1 and 235/75/15 tires gets 23 hwy and about 18 city. only 500 mile trip i took with 4 adults and about 500 lbs of luggage got 24mpg.
|
ConcertBb
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/01/2008
12:37:01
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
I'm told the 180 stat will use more gas. Tells the computer it's still cold and feeds more gas. Good for power, not MPG's.
|
daddio
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/01/2008
12:54:21
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
ConcertBb, you're right. so does the IAT mod. tried them both the performance difference wasn't worth the drop in mileage to me. my truck does what i need.
|
god
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/01/2008
21:15:23
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
is it a 4x4
|
wadak
GenIII
5/01/2008
23:35:50
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
Ryan,
Daddio had alot of good suggestions.
You did't specify what your transmission was automatic or stick.
Try gapping you NGKs out to .055 inches.
How fast do you drive on the freeway? Driver faster than 65 wlll casue your mileage to go down.
Try inflating your tires to 35psi.
Synthetics oils in the differential, and engine, using sythetic transmission fluids will help.
I have a clubcab v6 with many modifications the best I have getting around town is 19 at best. The last freeway trip was at a steady 60 to 65 mph and the mpg came out to 23.
Wadak
92 and 97 Daks both with many mods.
|
Ryan
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/02/2008
03:27:35
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
-It's an Auto trans
-Dino oil
-Tire pressure is 32
-I tend to drive 70 mph on the FRWY and I put
my foot in it every now and then on the street.
I've thought about changing out to synth. I'll
check the color on my plugs again, but I had
them at .055 before and they were a little
lean. Maybe I'll goto .050 first. I'll also try
going to 35 psi tomorrow. I'll run 2 tanks and
see where I'm at.
Thanks!
|
Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/02/2008
08:06:55
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
"-Tire pressure is 32
-I tend to drive 70 mph on the FRWY and I put
my foot in it every now and then on the street."
There are your answers. Switch the thermostat back to 195F, inflate tires to 35 psi, and take it easy. What do you want, performance or gas mileage? They don't always go hand-in-hand. I get 20-21 mpg highway with my 92 Dakota CC 4WD, with no mods.
|
Relf
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/02/2008
20:00:57
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
You might want to change your COLD air intake to a "HOT from the Exhaust header" air intake instead, along with the good suggestions from the previous posts.
Relf.
|
Mike98
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/05/2008
22:00:52
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
It's true that mods *can* help mileage, but in general the more I mess with my truck the more the mileage goes down. You really need to know what you're doing to get results like some of the others on this site -- or have better luck than I do! I get 18 average (mostly hwy) with my 3.9 2wd auto, and have gotten used to it, but I used to get 21 before the mods.
Most of your mods are designed to get more air into (and out of) the engine. With more air comes more gas. Now when you "put your foot into it" you're using more gas. To see better gas mileage from a modded engine, you actually have to take your foot OUT of it. Not as much fun...
Plus, although my true highway mileage is still sometimes as high as 22mpg, I've found that the modded engine runs VERY rich when cold, so my mileage during warm-up is very bad, and lowers my overall mileage considerably. Short trip mileage seems to be as low as 12mpg, much worse than for the stock motor.
|
J and J Auto
GenII
5/06/2008
02:07:14
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
o2 sensor ngk.com no substitute for a junk sensor
like a bosch or others sold by parts houses
get those plugs gaped to .055 with the msd you
are losing a lot right there
the 180 thermo in cold areas is a bad idea get
a reg stant 195 it will run 185 and will not hurt
gas mileage the full flow 180's begain to open
around 160 165 and peak 170 175 not good the org
thermo is a metered flow design that is why the
reg stants work so well 195
check these things out
my 95 4x4 with a hotter cam and all the mods and
bolt ons gets 22 to 24mpg summer 20 21 winter
hell my 79 lincoln 400 gets over 20mpg 22 23 all
highway
Larry
J&J Auto
|
DakotaDog
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/14/2008
11:58:12
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
Here's a cool mod I found looking back through these forums: completely remove the clutch fan and rely only on the A/C electric fan, or sub in an electric fan. If you live in a northern climate, it's a freebie if you can manage to just use the A/C fan.
I'm going to try this one in a couple of weeks, but I want to go slow and check out whether any other mods I've made are working. Don't want to shotgun it too much and not know what worked.
2000 QuadCab SLT 3.9L, 91K miles
|
ElmerFudd
GenII
5/14/2008
15:49:58
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
I found the best mod was the 1.7 rockers, then the TB, the electric fan gives you a little more power but it won't do the job in bumper to bumper traffic. All the mods work together with no one mod being the cure all. Follow Larry's advice and it'll be the best it can be.
|
daddio
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/14/2008
16:05:28
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
"the electric fan gives you a little more power but it won't do the job in bumper to bumper traffic" ?
i haven't had that experience with my truck. it's been about 4 yrs since i removed the clutch fan and my truck has never overheated. i have a stock 195 tstat, underdrive crank pulley and live in south louisiana(can you say 95 deg with 98% humidity?) and it's never even gotten close to overheating in traffic.
|
ElmerFudd
GenII
5/14/2008
16:26:36
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
Well, my truck didn't overheat but it almost pegged in Washington DC traffic going to Virginia, had to put on the heater. 95 deg and 98% humidity isn't unique to Louisiana. In August and September that's a cool day here. Just saying my fan couldn't handle it in traffic. If I have to be in traffic like that I want AC all the way. Needless to say I don't commute in my truck.
|
DakotaDog
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/14/2008
18:28:35
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
Well, I'm going to give the fan a try. According to the FSM, the fan detects the heat from the radiator using a bimetallic strip which engages the fan when it's hot. If I'm sitting in traffic, then the fan engages and causes drag on the engine. Stands to reason that the drag must take more gas. A least one person said they got their best decrease in mpg by removing the fan. Doesn't cost anything to try it.
Will also look into the TB mod and the RR's, but if it's going to cost me a lot of money, then I've got to be able to rationalize how it's (a) going to work and (b) going to save me even more than I spent on it. Also have to convince the wife. Haven't tried anything exotic yet. Just the simple stuff first.
Elmer - I live in the DC metro area also and commute in the same traffic. If it get's too hot, I'll just kick my heat on and/or turn on the A/C - which is supposed to make the electric A/C fan to run continuously.
|
ElmerFudd
GenII
5/14/2008
22:05:24
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
I put a toggle switch in so I can put the fan on when I want to from inside the truck. Also tapped into the AC line so it comes on when the air is on. I bought a separate temp sensor and you run the probe through the radiator. With this you can set the temperature that you want the fan to come on at. It all works fine and is less strain on the engine. None of my mods saved enough to justify but I had fun and my truck runs great with a lot more pep. Oh and I never tell my wife what it cost. Larry just about led me through step by step, look at some old posts.
|
Gears
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/17/2008
21:44:08
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
ElmerFudd,
Could you give more detail on how and what to use to wire in the switch and temp sensor. That stuff makes me nervious, I'm color blind.
I took my fan off a few days ago,the elec. aux fan seems to be doing the trick. Unless I sit idling then it'll jump up to 210.
thanks...........Gears
|
geeeez
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/17/2008
23:26:47
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
all this talk of tire inflation
32 psi
35 psi
how about instead of guessing you "read"
the side of the tire!
it's marked on there
going by the "old school" method just doesn't cut it anymore
and reading the owners manual wont help unless you have the exact same tires that came on the truck from the factory
I'm getting 28 mpgs in my truck!
long interstate trips i can even get a bit more!
took the cold air tube off
IAT sensor replaced with a new and its back in the stock location
195 t-stat
and my tires? i run 40 psi
they call for a max of 41
the crank sensor mod and NGK plugs really helped in the increase
along with the oils i run
& i wont mention them!
2WD - 5spd.
|
sumthing else
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/17/2008
23:39:07
|  RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
heres a little food for thought
warm fuel (NOT hot)
and warm air atomize better
and will result in better MPGs
they put hood scoops and cold air induction on muscle cars for higher horsepower not MPGs
|
wowzers
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/18/2008
21:50:38
| RE: Lots of mods - still gettin 18 MPG avg
IP: Logged
Message:
im glad i dont listen to all of you trying this and trying that......larry had done it all...i have all the mods and i get 20 to 26 highway...2 wheel drive
|
| | P 1 Next Page>> |
