First time truck owner. Didn't want the big engine, so I settled for the basic "basic" truck. RAM ST 6 Speed V6 3.7L. I am breaking the sucker in so I havent tried to speed. Some things I wanted to know. What can I do it to make it better. What exhaust can put it to make it sound decent? I want bolt ons, no soldering. I have argent wheels, but that can wait until the tire thread is low. So far I am getting 18 mpg with half city/half hwy. I hope it gets better after the break in, it is a v6 and guzzling like a v8 and I am not even going over 65mph. Anyway, any suggestions will be appreciated unless you bash for getting a smaller engine [>:]

 

Nothing wrong with a basic V6 truck, but I'm afraid you will be disappointed if your expecting to get much better than 18 when driving half city/half hwy. That's great MPG even for the V6. As for making the truck better, you might want to indicate more specifically what you want. Appearance, functionality, performance, economy, etc.

 

I am getting a bedliner installed today and also eventually side tubular step bars. I have been looking for exhaust for it, like double pipe, but bolt on and I have no found any. Also sound, I see these boxes that fit in under the back seat. I dont know how loud they can be since there is so little room for the sound to bounce. Are those auto lock/unlock mods good for the doors? I am thinking about those also. Another thing, and maybe this is the wrong forum, but I am noticing that my transmission is hard at shifting and I can hear them shift if I put my window down. Is this normal for a new truck with 6M transmission? A friend of mine also mentioned that the A/C should be colder than what it is blowing now. Could it be that I dont have tints on the window? Hell, I dont know. Thanks for all the info, I am new at trucks so please bear with me.

 

Congrats on your new truck. MPG sounds on par to what the other V6 are getting. There are some intake and exhaust mods you can do. Just do a search and you'll find plenty.

 

I have the 4.7 v8 and am probablly getting similar mpg,i also notice that my ac does'nt blow near as cold as my wifes car and the 95 f150 i had previous to my dodge.
I had a problem with mine before with the ac blowing warmish air and i brought it back to the dealer under warrante and they replaced the ac fan,its better now but i still have to turn the ac up nearly max,while my wifes car its on low and it would freeze you and my old ford was the same.keep it low or it would freeze you.My buddy has a 2004 5.7 and it seems the same as mine,has to be up high to notice a difference.Don't get me wrong,i'm not complaining,i love my dodge and i'll roll down all my windows and let air in before i
even think about changing my truck.F#@k AC ,I love getting my arm sunburned : -)

 

Don't complain.. We 5.7 Hemi owners are averaging in the 12's to 14's.. LOL [sm=gears.gif]

Congrats on the new truck. To improve your MPG, there are mod's like CAI's (cold-air intakes) tonneau covers and alot of exhaust's, all of which have been discussed heavily on this board already.. Each mod, in and of itself, may improve your average MPG by 1 or 2 but don't expect phenomenal gains.. Keep in mind, you're in a truck now so the "20-something" MPG range is a coveted-yet-often-unattained goal..

A rule of thumb: Almost anything that will increase your torque and/or horsepower will also improve your overall MPG.. More torque/horsepower means the engine doesn't have to work as hard to move the truck.. Happy Hunting..

 

Thanks for the responses. I dont want to do anything that may void my warranty, so any engine mods would probably happen after the warranty expires. Another thing I wanted to ask was the breaking period. The guy at the dealer told me that these trucks dont need it. But I read the manual and it says 300 miles before regular driving. What period did you guys wait?

 

Man, only have 600 miles on it and the tranny is making a rattling noise. It also hits like a bump when shifting gears. What the hell man? is this normal? is this the breaking period? I have been reading horror stories about people with their trucks. I mean, there is always the possibility of a bad seed. Dammit man, I hope its not me. [:'(]

 

good luck with your new truck i had that to its probly because its new and is being broken in thats my guess anyone else you can fill him in if any other things you may know