Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum and dodge in general.
I just bought a 1999 5.2 conversion van that is only getting 12 miles to the gallon and when I hook my bass boat up to it weighing in at a awesome load of 1400 pounds it struggles just to maintain 50 on small grades.

air filter is new
new plugs and wires
the cat was broken and i have since cleaned it out intending to place a new one soon but this made no difference at all.
NO ENGINE LIGHTS
coil looks good (no signs of cracks ect.)
runs smooth other wise.

please help!!!

 

Have you tried downshifting? I honestly don't even know what that means, putting it in first or second gear, since it is an automatic but figured I would ask. I towed a small U haul trailer with bedroom dresser, night stand and double size mattress and box springs and had no problem but I have noticed after the tune up I did half of and had a shop do the other half that on a slight incline, I hear a real slight clicking noise that sounds like it is coming from just under the steering wheel or in the gas pedal area. At first it was if the cruise control is on but now it's either way but stops as long as I let off the gas.
I pretty much never run it over 63 or 64. I had a Ford right before this van that had a nasty front end wobble over 62 so I got used to that speed and honestly, the van feels like it is doing way more.
I still haven't checked what kind of mileage I get to a tee but I have punched the odo at the exact mark on the gauge and then found that I got X amount to how much ever that amounts to.

 

Thank you for getting back to me
I have tried down shifting or that is to see if all auto gears are present and that are.
on a incline it down shifts twice just to pull the hill and barely hold speed

 

It does this without you putting the shifter onto 1 or 2?? Wow. The only shifting thing mine does is take awhile to go into 2nd or 3rd when it's coldish. I'm not gonna fix what ain't broke so I just do what it takes to get it to go on and shift (which is back off the gas pedal) and continue on down the road.
Is your conversion package real nice or just so so? Mine had been treated well by the past owners for the most part. Was shocked the dazzling mood lighting all still works both on the ceiling and in the windows.
Mine came with a VHS player in one cubby hole and the TV in the middle but doesn't play and I never got around to switching it for a DVD player and tv combo but gas also went up and other things took place of us getting to make the trips I had intended to so all it does is take two different people to work in two different parts of town, LOL.

 

ya my package is the mark III very nice ans super well kept up tv vcr the works just missing the umph.

and frankly the hill that challenges it like that I dont think should even make it down shift at all it did not even phase my f-150

 

like the other guy that posted --- your engine needs a compression test.
Also, does the van 'get out of it own way?.' If it doesn't you could have a dead cylinder or a clogged cat.

Good luck

PS 12 MPG is about right for the crap *** ethanol gas we use now...

 

I would say weigh your van at a private truck stop, many of those Conversions add 2k+in weight on a 2500 frame.

A 318 or even a 360 can only pull so much weigh your van with the boat then you know what your pulling.

Best Regards