I just bought a used 2000 dodge ram with the 318 engine and electronic 4 speed overdrive automatic transmission.

What kind of gas mileage is realistic for this truck, it is obviously a 1/2 ton and a short bed.

I made two trips to good ole mom over Christmas but did not keep good numbers but a rough guess-timate came to about 12.5 miles per gallon, maybe 14...

Will these trucks do better than that? Is my overdrive kicking in? I did get stuck in a jam up on the DC Beltway so that threw my numbers off I am sure.

Any help appreciated!

Thanks again you'all

 

I have a '99 4x4 with extended cab, short bed, 318. I average about 10-14 city (usually worse in the winter when I haul sand bags around and drive in 4-wheel drive). I have gotten as good as 19 when it was highway only.

Here are a few things I have noticed about my gas mileage:

-accelerate with ease as much as possible (honestly, this is the one thing I found works the best for good gas mileage, but it makes driving boring).

-open your tailgate when on the highway. It allows air to flow smoother across and out of the bed. Some people will disagree with this, but I tested it on my usual drive to work, and it did make a slight difference for me.

-don't drive around with unnecessary loads if possible (i.e. winter weight when it's not icy, toppers, heavy tool boxes, etc...). The lighter you are, the better gas mileage you'll get.

-an air intake system might help it breath better, and a cat-back exhaust is usually good for 1 or 2 mpg improvement (though your hp will likely also increase a little, so you'll need to resist the urge to step on it at every light).

-nonstock tire sizes (mainly bigger tires) negatively impact mpg and performance. Changing your diff gears will bring your performance back around, but decreases your gas mileage on the top end.

Good luck.

 

I have a '99 Sport, extended cab short bed 4x4..and i am averaging summer time about 14mpg city, and winter time about 12mpg city. Usually going to and from school on the interstate i get about 16-17 on the interstate, but thats going about 80mph the whole way. I recently visited a buddy over at Purdue, and it the roads to get there were all country highways and i cruised for about 2 hours and 55mph in sunny, 70* weather and i got 22.8mpg. And in response to the last post about driving with your tailgate down, make sure its not illegal where u are driving at, i got pulled over recently and lectured on how it was illegal in the state of indiana to drive with your tailgate down cause someone could rear end you and it would go through their windshield, and the guy threatned to give me a big ticket and all.

 

Thanks very much for the replies.

I am wondering if my overdrive is kicking in?????

When I hit 60 mph, I am churning 1600 rpm's. Is this about correct? Does this indicate I hit overdrive? I guess I could count the shifts...


I am going to change to synthetic oil real soon and hope to get a mile per on that (maybe) and perhaps will remove tailgate for normal city driving without a load.

MAN! I like this truck! After over ten years in a Ford F250 this little Dodge drives like some luxury sedan!

 

Oh yea... forgot

Tires and everything is original.

I am wondering, can you get better gear ratio in rear end for better gas mileage? This rig was put together for towing, did Dodge offer different rear end differentials in this truck? Maybe I got the power ratio rather than the high mileage ratio???

(I don't know a dang thing about Dodge's, but I is a larnin... LOL)

 

i higher rear end ration will give u better performance but worse gas milage but u can swap that..so yes.....the 5.9..2x4..3.55 rear end ratio can get 17 mph highway city combined..w/ about 300lbs in the bed..but gotta resist getting on it

 

I get 17-18 mpg mixed city/highway (highway is always at 85+ too).

 

Driving with the tailgate down is bad for you truck. The bed was designed for the tailgate up and if you have it down for a long time you will actually see the top of the bed where the tailgate latches will bow inward. If you look at the physics side of haiving the tailgate up, when you hit a certain speed, depends on the day due to weather condition, the bed fills up with air and all the extra air will just float above the bed due to difference in air pressure. If you get a cover for you bed then you don't have to worry about this.

The best way to get good gas milage is to drive like an old woman. You could run a can of fuel system cleaner. Also how many miles do you have on it? You could need to change your cap and rotor on the distibuter. You might need new plugs and wire. New air filter might help too. There are a million different things you can do to get better gas milage. Look at my sig and you can see the mods I have done to my jeep. I get 20mph on the highway and it is always in 4 wheel drive. If i drive at 45mph and set the cruise then i am getting 26-28mpg, that is sick for a V8 and an all wheel drive SUV. Doing some basic service work to your rig should get you some better gas milage.

 

Sorry to disagree with you, but I have never in my life heard of this, or ever seen it. I grew up in the country were many ranchers remove their tailgates all together in order to tow fifth wheel trailers, ease of use around the ranch, etc... I have never seen or heard of the bed rails bowing because the tail gate was removed (there are definetly ways to bow your bed rails, but I seriously doubt this is one of them). The tail gate is not at all designed to hold the side of the bed up as you suggest. They are designed to be self supporting. That is why the tail gate freely latches and opens/closes. If it was required to hold up the sides of the bed, it would be a perminent fixture, not latchable and removeable.

I agree, a bed cover is probably a better solution in the end anyway. If you get in an accident with your tailgate down, it is not only more dangerous for a car that might rear end you, but it will also cause more $$$ damage to your own vehicle then if a car hit you in the bumper area.

 

I am amazed at the gas mileage you all are getting. I have a '99 1500 sport 2x4 with the 318. I have always used Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Even when new the best I ever got on the highway was 16mpg. Average was 14. Now that it is older and I drive more mixed city, highway I average around 12 mpg. Even after a recent tune up (new plugs, wires, injectors cleaned) the MPG did not change. Plus, my mpg seemed to go down with the addition of a Flowmaster exhaust, and eventually a K+N intake. Maybe I just got a lame truck.

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