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grimm
Dodge Dakota
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11/16/2004
14:03:47
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 Subject: Saving gas
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i have a 5.2L in my 98 and i'm looking for some suggestions on getting a little better gas mileage. any opinions are appreciated...thanks
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ha
Dodge Dakota
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11/16/2004
22:26:07
| RE: Saving gas
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get a V6 or stop driving it.
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Thumper
Dodge Dakota
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11/16/2004
22:41:45
| RE: Saving gas
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why do u people get a v8 when u know its going get crappy gas mileage? get a v4...lol...v8 bad gas mileage...4 and 6...better
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Atlantic Blue
Dodge Dakota
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11/16/2004
23:19:00
| RE: Saving gas
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The V6 Daks are just as bad and in some cases worse than the V8s.
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jasonsdakota
Dodge Dakota
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11/16/2004
23:51:06
| RE: Saving gas
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grim, how bout getting an iat adjuster, and an air/fuel guage. get one that can not just cause resistance to increase but to decrease also. increasing the resistance will make computer think it's colder and lower the air fuel ratio.
decreasing will make computer think it's warmer and take out fuel by raising the air fuel ratio. then on the highway you can achieve better economy and no risk to your engine cause it doesn't produce alot of horsepower at highway speeds. be careful and don't lean it too much. it can cause warmer temps. some programmers have a fuel economy setting that does this same thing, diablo i think it's called. just a crazy idea, hope it helps
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Mikes99Dakota
GenI
11/16/2004
23:58:44
| RE: Saving gas
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In my 3.9 I got an average 15-15.5 mpg wwith
half city and half highway and my v8 gets an
average of about 14.2-14.8 mpg with the
same conditions from before and with TONS
more power. You want gas mileage get a
neon or some other economy car. You will not
get much more out of that truck and the key to
gas mileage is that right pedal.
Mike
1999 RC Auto 5.2L
Flowmaster 40 series, Homemade CAI, Shift Kit
Track Times: 60' - 2.188
1/8 - 9.75 @72 mph
1/4 -15.42 @ 89 mph
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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11/18/2004
07:04:56
|  RE: Saving gas
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Sorry to say grimm but none of the V8's are gas
sippers.
Only way I save gas with my 02 4X4 4.7 Sport is I
clean it all up in the spring, cover it and let it
set. I then uncover my 79 AMC and drive it all
summer.
In the fall, I switch again plus pull a 26' camper
to the U.P. or Mi. for a two week vacation.
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MightyQuynh
Dodge Dakota
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11/18/2004
07:58:06
| RE: Saving gas
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All you guys are right. the v6 i think is alittle underpowered for the dakota. not to say you cant do anything to help it out, but my 97 i got 15mpg v6/3.9 and my 2000 4.7 i get about 15mpg, i run it with 33/12.50's and a topper but added a couple of things also to help. anyways, if you're a penny pincher, the dakota isnt gonna help you there. This is what helps alittle on my truck:
gibson custom exhaust, coldair intake, change my oil every 2500m, all synthetic fluids, make sure i have good spark, and good plugs.
Other than my other problems i've posted on the board i take extremely good care of my truck, but i also beat the crap out of it offroad, and when done, go through and check everything out again. Like Mikes99Dakota said also, the right pedal is the key!
Later Folks,
MightyQuynh
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93dak4x4
Dodge Dakota
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11/18/2004
14:39:20
| RE: Saving gas
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trust me a V6 is not the way to go guys, my 3.9 nets me 16-17 on the highway. keep the 318, im transplanting soon.
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FastDak
Dodge Dakota
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11/18/2004
18:01:49
| RE: Saving gas
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It cost me an additional 500.00 bucks for a V8 when I bought my truck. It kicks ass when I step on the pedal. Yes the mileage ain't the best, but it's worth it when I hook up a chain and pull those 4 bangers or V6's all over the parking lot!
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grimm
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
11:51:50
| RE: Saving gas
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thanks. i'm willing to sacrifice gas for the power of a v8. i was just looking for any simple things that might help.
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HSKR
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
13:51:39
| RE: Saving gas
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First off, the IAT adjuster has no effect on long term gas mileage, unless you drive everywhere at WOT. The PCM will do what it came with timing and fuel curves to maintain a pre-set A/F ratio no matter what type of adjusters you have on the truck. Once you are crusing down the road, the sensors that have the most impact on a/f are the O2 sensors.
As far as improving gas mileage. Do a complete tune up with cap/rotor/plugs/low resistance wire. Don't buy one step colder plugs, stick with the factory replacements, and if you are running a 180 t-stat, put a stock 195 back in. Don't run any higher of an octane gas than you need to. If you can run 87 with no detonation, it will net you better gas mileage than 92. Also, if you have more than 50K miles on your truck, might be time to change the O2 sensors. If you can keep the RPMs below 3K(hard for V-8 owners, but possible) you will also get better gas mileage. Replace the factory air intake with a better flowing one, and a 2bbl M1 will also help increase gas mileage as long as you can keep your foot out of it. A bed cover of some type also helps gas mileage, lowering the tailgate does not. Keep your tires inflated to max PSI for less rolling resistance.
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jasonsdakota
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
15:34:00
| RE: Saving gas
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"First off, the IAT adjuster has no effect on long term gas mileage, unless you drive everywhere at WOT. The PCM will do what it came with timing and fuel curves to maintain a pre-set A/F ratio" -hskr
the pcm does have preset a/f ratios. there is a map of different variables and what the a/f ratio should be with each of the variables. for example
30 degrees = 12.0 to 1 a/f
50 degrees = 13.5 to 1 a/f
70 degrees = 15.0 to 1 a/f
if you had an adjustor you could get more performance by increasing the resistance to the iat, telling your compter it's 30 outside and thus you will have more fuel. if you could decrease the resistance fooling the computer into thinking it's 70 outside, it would run leaner, thus taking fuel out of the pistons. this WOULD increase fuel economy. i have an a/f guage in the mail but not sure if i'm doing this myself as i plan on getting the superchips programmer. but we have different goals. disclaimer:be careful if you decide to lean the mixture cause explosion will run hotter without the fuel and should only be used on the highway when minimal horsepower is needed to move the truck.
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HSKR
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
15:58:30
| RE: Saving gas
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I had an IAT adjuster at one time, back when Bernd was making them. Never did anything to help my truck. I had to turn it all the way down to the coldest setting and then, the only difference I felt was off the line, and after that it was worse. Most of the time I had it turned off. Except for the TPS adjustment and TV cable adjustment, my truck has never taken well to the little "tweaks" like colder plugs, IAT adjuster, MAP relocation. It runs best on 89 octane fuel, stock replacement plugs, and stock t-stat. And even with 2.02 heads/cam/2bbl M1/headers/exhaust/Mopar PCM, I have no noticable detonation.
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jasonsdakota
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
22:14:08
| RE: Saving gas
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well i'll admit hskr is in a better position to advise. don't waste your money unless a couple other people vouch for it cause i was running on theories, not actual personal results. plus, he's got your engine and i talk with 4.7 guys. maybe grimm, iat adjustments just don't make as big a deal as with the 4.7. is the 5.2 multiport injection??
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HSKR
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
23:14:47
| RE: Saving gas
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For some, the IAT adjuster worked good on their R/Ts, but it never did on mine. If your truck is already running rich like mine was, then the IAT adjuster isn't going to do anything to help you. Best thing to do is leave the IAT alone and in the stock location. The fuel tables were written for the IAT being there and reading the air temps from that spot. If you still have the beer barrel maniold, then you relize that by the time the air gets to the sensor, it's already been heated up way past ambient air temp. So to trick your PCM into thinking the motor is getting 50 degree air when it's over 100 degrees outside is just going to make you run pig rich and lose power. All I know is, the IAT adjuster and resistor mod were the hot thing for a while, but you rarely hear about doing that anymore in the R/T community. Usually we just relocate the IAT into the intake tube and plug the hole in the manifold. No gizmo's to go bad, and no resistors to fall out or break.
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Tony
Dodge Dakota
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11/19/2004
23:35:31
| RE: Saving gas
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Some that helped me:
1. Ton-o cover (mis-spelt, I no)
2. Tune up - Brass cap & rotor, bosch +4 plugs, wires,
fuel injector cleaning. Helps if you work in a shop.
3. Properly inflated tires.
4. Good gas - YMMV on this one, but I use 87
octane from Mobil/ X on.
5. Empty bed - get rid of all the dead weight,
but keep the spare - don't know when you'll need it.
6. Electric fan - added HP, & less strain on the water
pump. Good for a 2-3 mpg boost. Again, YMMV.
7. K&N FIPK - Don't have data to prove it helped, but
the engine breathes better none the less.
8. Unplug your A/C - I just unplug the power as the
compressor will cycle even when the A/C isn't selected.
Having done a round trip from Lawn Guyland - Sandy Eggo
& back + a round trip to Or-Lan-Dough, My MPG was between
20-21. This is with 99% highway mileage & in the mountains.
I have a 99 CC w/5.2L Magnum. 88,500 miles now. Haven't
checked my mileage lately, as I'm doing ball joints & the
like. Hope this helps.
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Rob C
Dodge Dakota
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11/20/2004
02:54:32
|  RE: Saving gas
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Wow, all those responses and only a few people tried to help you with useable advice. Getting rid of drag and friction are the 2 major boosts to economy and power. Here's something that wasn't mentioned in detail, change all of your fluids to synthetic. That means engine oil, tranny fluid, transfer case and differentials. Free up your intake and exhaust systems with things like K&N FIPK, Fastman TB and the catback of your choice (I like the Dynomax Ultraflo but, there are many quality systems out there), headers will also give you a big power boost and can have a positive effect on mileage. Basically, when it comes to your trucks powertrain, if it moves, lower the friction that impedes it's motion. It'd bet if you get a tonneau cover, do the tune up, keep your tires inflated to spec (hopefully you're not running BIG A$$ TIRES), change all of your fluids to synthetic, install a FIPK and free flowing exhaust. You could possibly get 18-19 MPG average. Also, run fuel injector cleaner an some Marvel Mystery oil in your fuel at least once every oil change to keep your injectors working correctly. A dirty, partially clogged injector will waste fuel by not atomizing the fuel properly so, you have complete combustion. Good luck!
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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11/20/2004
13:59:39
| RE: Saving gas
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Don't forget about weight. Light weight vehicles get better gas mileage.
As you think about changes/improvements for better fuel mileage, be carefull. Keep that all imortant cost:benifit ratio in mind. For example, fiberglass body panels will make an improvement. If we're optimistic, we'll say 4mpg. That saves you 2.7 cents per mile. That saves you a little over $1600 in 60,000 miles. But how much did those fiberglass panels cost you?
Some changes are worthwhile for more than economy, like a good tune up, synthetic fluids, or a bed cover. But some just don't pay off.
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Chris
Dodge Dakota
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11/20/2004
14:29:37
| RE: Saving gas
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i dont see why whenever someone asks how to get better gas mileage, poeple always say get a v6 or a neon. i have a 5.2 and i want to get better mileage, but im not saying i bought the truck to be an economy car. i would definitly rather have a v8 over a v6 or a little car.
i also agree with bob, its not worth spending $500 or more to save 5mpg. i would rather keep my truck the way it is and spend a little more in gas.
one last thing. i realize im late on this but to thumper..... a v4???? lol i hope ur joking.
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Rob C
Dodge Dakota
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11/20/2004
15:50:08
| RE: Saving gas
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People that are chiming in about "You don't want to spend $500 to save $400!" Haven't done the math or taken into consideration the other benefits of some of these mods. For one thing, many modifications that will improve your fuel economy can also improve performance and driveability. The 5.2 & 5.9 engines are easy to get more performance out of but, you have to exercise the necessary discipline to obtain fuel economy benefits from these mods. I've managed to increase my average MPG by about 6 over the last 2.5 years by making modifications that'll improve performance but, will also increase mileage. If I drove around like I was in an autocross race all the time, I'd probably see increased fuel comsumption. Another thing is if you're planning on selling or trading in your truck every 3 or 4 years or you just don't put many miles on your truck annually, I don't think you can benefit much from a slight gain in economy. However, if you're keeping your truck for a while and do put a lot of miles on it, of course it'll be worth it! Look, 60,000 miles @ 14 MPG = $8,786 if you pay $2.05 at the pump but, @ 19 MPG = $6,474. That's a $2,312 difference, money you can be spending on other things you want. I put about 60,000 on my vehicle in 3 years and I don't think I'll be looking for another vehicle until about 2008 when my vehicle will be 8 years old so, the savings are definitely worth it. Plus, I like the extra power I've gained. It's up to you, plain ordinary and a gas hog or personalized with better performance & mileage that'll save you money in the long run. That's the key, if you aren't planning on keeping it very long don't waste your money but, if you are, it's not wasting your money if you do it right.
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