Hey guys
Hey new to this forum and had a question for you guys. I have a 2007 Dodge Dakota regular cab truck with 18232 miles on it. Love my truck but i have been noticing that everytime i start it, it seems to be wasting a lot of gas. I know these trucks use a lot of gas but when i start it, it is noticeable in the gauge that it has used a lot of gas. I feel that my truck waste more gas in intialing starting it then it does actually driving it around. I do normal driving around town where it performs fine. In addition about twice a year i drive home from school which is a 7 hour drive and i get awesome mileage on the trip. It is still under warranty (lifetime powertrain and 3 yr or 36,000 miles) so i can take it in but if there is nothing wrong they told me i would be charged a diagonstic fee of a 125 bucks for looking at it. I am a poor college kid so I wanted to see if you guys had any ideas on what might be wrong or if this is pretty normal.

 

My truck always reads a bit low when it first starts up. The gauge can sometimes creep up quite a bit (as much as 1/8 tank) during the first few minutes of driving. It's not the biggest or most accurate fuel gauge ever anyway.

Perhaps it's because when you're driving around, the gas gets agitated in the tank and actually causes the gauge to read a bit full. Or the sending unit has to warm up a bit. It's also colder in the morning, and gasoline expands and contracts considerably with temperature.

Like all modern cars, the Dak's computer and EFI waste no gas in firing up the motor. My engine sounds like it cranks about twice to start, and the startup 'rhythm' is the same every single time.

Unless the truck stinks of gas or cranks without starting, chalk it up to instrumentation.

 

what he said.

 

Is there a chance that where you park, your driveway or parking space is on a downward slant?? If thats the case, then the gas guage will read lower. Once you drive around on level ground for 5 minutes, you will see it correct itself. Even the most mild downward slope will cause the guage to read lower, when starting the truck up.

I park on a slightly downward slope so I know this for a fact.

 

Same here...

I always back my truck up the driveway, and it always reads a little lower...

Then I'm driving around, look at the gauge, and like WTF?! I gained GAS!!! Then remember I was parked on a slant...

 

I pack the fuel tank full, so my guage isn't even worth looking at until about half tank (wher it is now). Skews the computer's mileage off as well...The needle stays pegged for a good 40 miles.

 

my truck fuel gauge goes about 100 miles full then starts to go down rapidly, but nothing crazy i think i can go a little over 300 miles to the tank, highway/town driving....

 

Yeah I can gauge how 'well' im doing by when the needle first moves. 60-80 miles, doin' well. 30 or 40, not so hot. 100+? Must've filled the sucker to the brim.