my dad just recently bought a 2003 regular cab 1500, automatic, w/ the 4.7l, and 3.92's. He just called me and said that he is getting terrible milage (11mpg reading from the computer) he wants to know if there is any chip or programmer that will help w/ the milage. specifically if there is anything that can change the shift points in the transmission. i'm big into the diesel world and am not that familiar w/ the performance upgrades for the gas engines. he is not concerned whatsoever w/ increasing performance. he is only interested in gas milage. thanks for any help guys

jason

 

He could get a Superchips and install the Mileage XS tune, but tuners for gassers ain't what they are for the diesels. The gains in any dept. ain't like you're used to seeing. Unlike the 100HP+ and 5-6 mpgs a good tune on a diesel will yield, your talking 12-20 HP and maybe 2 mpg on a gasser. Hardly justifies the $350 for the tuner, especially if you are only interested in the mpg feature.
First, have him calculate his MPGs by hand, the overhead ain't never right! I've seen it off 5 mpg in both directions.
First of all, the mileage ain't gonna be great anyway, the Hemi actually does just as well if not a little better than the 4.7 in the mpg department, while producing 100HP+ more. But in a RCSB 4x2, especially, he should be seeing 20 mpg on the highway and 14-15 all around anyway.
Clean the throttle body (a huge one), full tune-up with all synthetics, look for cracks in the evap system lines (small ones won't throw a code, but will kill mileage) and maybe a good Sea-Foaming of the crankcase. Probably the only REAL negative of the 4.7 is that it is SUPER prone to sludge build up, again could be a mpg robber and even more may result in total engine failure at some point.

Hopefully, he'll find something that works for his fuel economy here...

 

thanks for the info hammer. he has a regular cab, long bed 4x4 and i told him to hand calculate his milage because the lie-o-meter is never correct. he said that he would do so on the next fill up. i'll also tell him to check all of the things that you mentioned and see if maybe there is a problem in one of those areas. thanks for all your help

jason

 

you know what, i talked to nick at airram after i bought my intake power wire and throttle body spacer.

He recommended easy on the throttle, take the rpm's to 2000, hold until it shifts, then bring it back to 2000, hold till it shifts, follow through the gears. When your on the freeway, when your cruising, you want your rpm's to be right at 2000, give or take 2-400.

I started driving with my tow haul on ALL THE TIME, EVEN ON FREEWAY. but i have the 3.55's. Driving like that, (remember, i have bolt ons) i manage to consistantly get 13-MAYBE 14 in town, and 18- as much as 21 on the freeway. I drive with my tow haul on the freeway, at 70-75, and maintain 2300 rpm.

 

thanks for the tips, i'll pass this along to him too

jason

 

I got the 4.7, 4x4 RCSB. I get 12-13 city / 18-20 highway, according to the overhead.
I got a CAI, cat back duals. I Seafoamed the throttle body via the brake booster vacuum line. Filled the neighborhood with smoke, laughed like a fool. Truck ran a lot better after that. Try the trivial things like that first. Seafoam, maybe change the plugs, air filter. I have to get on it to get up a steady upgrade, but whe nI'm on the downgrade - I barely touch the gas. Just enough to watch the speedo rise. This really milks the gas mileage for all its worth. I was shocked the other day - I was actually getting 22 mpg for awhile!

 

When you guys say seafoam, what do you mean by that?

 

It's that white foamy stuff, you see at the beaches, you take a bucket and fill it up with that foamy salt water and........... NO JUST MESSING! Here:



http://www.seafoamsales.com/

 

hammer, why is everytime i go anywhere on this forum, you show up? are you stalking me? hahaha.

I did a little reading up on it after i left earlier, and it seems like a pretty simple process. a little here, a little there, a quick oil change, and taadaa.

 

you just keep popping up with dumb questions in the sections I'm in the most.

I'm really stalking the chick in your sig......

Just kidding.....

The wife and child I presume?