Hello, Let me start off introducing myself, I have a dodge ram 1500 5.7hemi and I love it but am now worried.

I was driving and my buddy said everytime I got on it (not very hard) liquid came out the tail pipes. He said a decent amount. I noticed it the other day when it was sitting there idleing. And other times it don't do it.
What could that be? could it be the head gasket if so how much to get it checked and worse, how much to get it fixed roughly??

Also this truck is saying it is getting like 11.9 miles a gallon! when I first picked it up it said it was getting like 16 (around there) anything I can do to help it?

Thanks very much!
and also *cough* the gov. YUCK!! hows that come off?

 

*bump*

 

what the liquid smell like?

 

lol...it's water. It's supposed to come out.

 

Since 1981, three-way catalytic converters have been used in vehicle emission control systems in North America and many other countries on roadgoing vehicles. A three-way catalytic converter has three simultaneous tasks:

1. Reduction of nitrogen oxides to nitrogen and oxygen: 2NOx → xO2 + N2
2. Oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide: 2CO + O2 → 2CO2
3. Oxidation of unburnt hydrocarbons (HC) to carbon dioxide and water: CxH2x+2 + 2xO2 → xCO2 + 2xH2O

These three reactions occur most efficiently when the catalytic converter receives exhaust from an engine running slightly above the stoichiometric point. This is between 14.6 and 14.8 parts air to 1 part fuel, by weight, for gasoline. The ratio for LPG, natural gas and ethanol fuels is slightly different, requiring modified fuel system settings when using those fuels. Generally, engines fitted with 3-way catalytic converters are equipped with a computerisedclosed-loop feedbackfuel injection system employing one or more oxygen sensors, though early in the deployment of 3-way converters, carburetors equipped for feedback mixture control were used. When a 3-way catalyst can be used in an open-loop system, NOx reduction efficiency is low. Within a narrow fuel/air ratio band surrounding stoichiometry, conversion of all three pollutants is very complete, sometimes approaching 100%. However, outside of that band, conversion efficiency falls off very rapidly. When there is more oxygen than required, then the system is said to be running lean, and the system is in oxidizing condition. In that case, the converter's two oxidizing reactions (oxidation of CO and hydrocarbons) are favoured, at the expense of the reducing reaction. When there is excessive fuel, then the engine is running rich. The reduction of NOx is favoured, at the expense of CO and HC oxidation.


So basically the byproducts of all the terrible toxins that come from your engine are: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water. The stuff you see dripping from your exhuast is the water. Nothing to be alarmed about, just your catalytic converter doing it's job.

 

Moved thread to 3rd gen section.

 

check out the liquid, if it's water, it's normal.

as far as your mileage going down 4 mpgs, that's usually a sure sign that the throttle body needs a good cleaning. Depending on when your last tune up was, could also use that as well. Also, a sticking EGR valve could contribute to it and won't always generate a CEL...