I have a 90 Dodge Truck 318 (5.2L). Its a 2WD. Its getting around 10mpg. It only has about 125k. Runs out great. Is this normal or is there some products that would help the MPG. Any and all thought are welcome.

 

new O2 sensor, cats, something. I get 8 in town and 11 cruising on the freeway and mines an 86 3/4t 4x4 with a lift, big tires, auto, and a 360. You should be getting better.

 

Thanks for the info. New to forum. What does CATS mean?

 

catylitic converters. My truck didn't come with any from the factory since it's a heavy duty (over 8500 gross in 86 didn't require them). They get old, break down, fill up and clog and your exhaust gets all blocked up causing a loss of power. among other things. I'd check O2 sensors first as they too get old and fail, causing incorrect A/F mixtures. You also could have a stuck fuel injector, squirting all the time. How old are the spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor?Air pressure in the tires can also impact fuel economy.

 

Last year I installed flowmaster exhaust and new cats as well. I have the truck 18 months and never did a tune up. Tire pressure is good. I'm going to check the 02 sensor and buy spark plug and go from there. thanks for the input.

I was wondering about aftermarket gimmicks. Does anything else actually work?

(ie KN Filters, spacers, tornado etc....Just to name a few....)

 

For mileage? Dunno. Switching from the stock airbox to my 14x4" open element K&N netted me some power since it can actually breathe now. My friend did a carb spacer on his truck and tinkered with it on the dyno and found that it actually did improve power. The rest of that stuff? Give or take. I think people who spend the money for a Tornado actually drive with a lighter foot to see how much better they can get their fuel economy, and that's where the gains come from. I don't believe most of the gimmicks do anything other than psychological.

 

FYI update on gas mileage. Thanks for the input. I installed a new 02 sensor. Best 50 bucks I ever spent. It looks like I gained 50% in mileage w/o new spark plugs. The dodge looks to get around 15 mpg.
I will be putting in new plugs....

Tony

 

That's awesome. It's amazing how much a bad O2 sensor can screw stuff up. Glad you got it fixed. [sm=groupwave.gif]

 

is there a way to tell if the o2 censor is going bad? because when i bought my pickup i was told the previouse owner got 15-17 mpg on higway and i'm getting about 50% less then that.[>:]

 

A garage ask if my check engine light was on. I told him "no". He said sensors are good. I ask the original question in two forums. They both responded with 02 sensor change. It was the best 50 bucks I ever spent. Gas mileage increased 50%.
I'm not a mechanic but there is no way of telling that I know of

Good Luck Tony