I own a 2002 Ram 1500 slt 4x4 with the 360 v8. I believe it has the towing package. I'm getting 9.0mpg and i live in the country and go on roads that are 50mph or more. My exhaust has been changed from stock it has the cherry bomb exhaust and it smells like gas when I have it running in the drive way. Is this the right mileage for this truck or is something wrong. I thought maybe the back pressure is off but the check engine light isn't on. Any ideas. Is it hard to change out the gears in this truck?

 

Well I just joined so take this for what its worth but that horrible mileage for any truck. The Cummings 444 in my dump truck get 5 to 6 mpg loaded!

Your too rich...that's why your smelling gas and getting horrible mileage...lean it out and you will improve.

I know nothing of Dodges( just bought my first one) so I don't know if your normally aspirated, throttle body, fuel injected or what, but some one will.

 

Anyone know how to lean it out?

 

Could be running rich, but my bet is your plenum gasket is blown (do a search in the second gen Ram section since the 360 V8 is more common in 2nd Gens)...

 

The 360 gets ridonkulously low gas mileage in and of itself, no? Especially in the big 3rd gen trucks?

 

Yes the 5.9L V8 does get terrible mileage but 9 mpg at essentially highway speeds is especially bad so something is definitely wrong and running rich sounds about right since it would cause a use of more fuel.

 

I forgot that I actually own another Dodge...My 24' Tioga Motor home.

Its a 1980 big block 440 pushing tons of evil aero-dynamic eating hidious sheet metal down the highway and over mountain pases...it gets 8mpg on average.

Yes! you have something wrong.

 

I have the same truck but QC (if you dont have QC). I have dual mangaflow exhaust and k&n high flow filter. I usually get about 11-12 mpg. Sometimes 10mpg when I drive like a champ.

 

You guys have to remember that the 5.2 (318) and 5.9 (360) Magnum engines were designed in the late '60s when gas mileage was an afterthought. Yes these engines received a few modern updates (aluminum heads, EFI, etc.) over the years but are down at the core 30+ year old designs when they were discontinued in '02/'03.

That said, my 2nd Gen RCSB 5.9 4x4, lifted with 35" tires and only basically a re-done exhaust for mods got about 9 mpg around town and about 12 on the interstate, so I'd say you have an issue or two going on. Could be just a matter of needing a tune-up, but I'd still check the plenum gasket...

 

so the blown intake gasket drops the map reading and the ecm increases fuel trim; thinking the engine underload?