I know this has been covered on here somewhere but i cant find it. So i'll ask. I have a 1997 1500 4x4 with the 5.2 V8. It has 184,700 miles. When i do all city driving i get anywhere from 11.2 to 11.7 MPG. With mixed highway and city the best i've gotten is 12.7 MPG. I went like 285 miles on that tank. I'm in high school and i cant be blowing all my money on gas. I was wondering if any of you guys have any ideas of how i could get better gas mileage? CAI maybe? It already has a flowmaster 40 series on it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Properly maintain the V8 engine according to the vehicle's manufacturer guidelines. Changing the oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs and other components at regularly scheduled intervals will promote the maximum amount of fuel efficiency, according to fuel-efficiency-tips.com

Step 2
Replace older carbureted V8 fuel systems with a more advanced electronic fuel injection unit available from aftermarket or original manufacturer sources. Electronic fuel injection systems utilize fuel more efficiently than carburetors, according to carjunky.com.

Step 3
Wash and wax the V8 equipped vehicle regularly. Install tonneau covers on trucks in order to promote better aerodynamics.

Step 4
Fill the tires of the vehicle with the recommended amount of air deemed by the car or truck manufacturer. Under inflated tires will cause the V8 engine to work harder, reducing fuel efficiency.

Step 5
Use cruise control when possible. Excessive acceleration and deceleration causes more fuel consumption.

Step 6
Accelerate slowly from stops. Never drive faster than the speed limit and utilize the overdrive transmission setting for normal driving if the vehicle has this option.

Step 7
Use fuel grades recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Using higher premium grades will unnecessarily increase fuel costs with no added benefit

Step 8
Avoid using the air conditioning system whenever possible as this taxes a V8 engine. Keeping the windows rolled up will also reduce drag on the vehicle.

Step 9
Clear the vehicle of any unnecessary items that can substantially increase the weight of the car or truck. Lighter loads will allow the engine to operate easier while driving.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4898459_impr...ize-truck.html info from there.


Maybe you can try this little bugger...

http://www.performancechiptuning.com...aver+Module/3/

If you have money, get you a hypertech tuner, a good friend of mine has one for his 2005 Power wagon an it works good.

Also, you should get a cold air intake kit from spectre or k&n

Maybe some e-fans from FF Dynamics, it will take a lot less stress of the A/C clutch, and give you better mpg, and a gain in power as well...

Hope I helped...

 

Then you probably don't have a lot of money to spend on modifications that might squeeze out a few more feet per gallon -- am I right?

Assuming I am: Learn to drive like you're not in a hurry and have no one to impress, and when approaching a stop get off the gas early. In other words, learn to drive like an old man. This is the first and most important step even if you modify the hell out of the thing to achieve better fuel economy. Your right foot controls how much fuel goes in, so use it wisely.

The author whose copyright you violated probably thinks otherwise. It's better to link than to steal.

 

do what you want

 

No 2nd gen dodge came from the factory with a carb... They're EFI. I don't think any vehicle came from a factory with a carb after 85'. Also i believe most recommend the SCT tuner on this forum which is 275 for canned tunes and 375 for custom.

 

u could gut the cat that helped my gas milage a decent amount but a full-size v8 truck is not going to get great gas milage to began with

 

in addition to driving easy, do the basics - plugs, cap, rotor, front O2 sensor. air up your tires to, or near max psi. just don't go too far where the front end gets dangerously skatey.

i get 13 around town and 15-16-17 on the highway if i stay under 65.

 

Thanks for the help guys..

UnregisteredUser: Thats going to be my experiment for the next few tanks, cause you are right i dont have a lot of money to spend on mods. thanks

 

Depending upon your current habits, you could see a very dramatic decrease in fuel consumption.

The first best (and cheap) modification for those going for mileage is installation of a vacuum gauge. Drive to keep that needle as high as you can and you'll see your mileage go up.

I can't stress enough the importance of avoiding goofy 5h17 like the "Fitch Fuel Catalyst" that will do nothing except empty your already thin wallet. The fuel isn't the problem; the engine and how you use it is. Making the engine more efficient costs money, but how you use it is just a matter of changing your habits. Start with driving habits first, and any drivetrain modifications you make later will be leveraged by those new habits.

Please report back in a few tank-fulls and let us know how you're doing.

 

Just for the record... A tonneau cover has been proven to have no effect on fuel mileage. It's one of those great myths that everyone banked on.

I used to be around that 11-12 mark and as stated, simple maintenance upgrades/repairs did wonders.

The first and most important thing (as stated) is driving habits.

I fooled around with several different plug styles before finding one that worked best for me.

New wires/cap/rotor yadda yadda..

Replace/eliminate catalytic converter

Fuels: Yes, they do play a role. I used to just fill up at any station I could get to and once I started trying different brands, I found that Shell works the best for my truck and my driving style. Every gas station chain uses their own flavor of fuel additives. I am not saying that ALL Shell stations across the nation use the same, but in my area, it is typical to see the chains using the same formulas from the same refinery.

You just have to play around and see what works best for you.