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What can i do to make gas mileage and maybe horse power better?
- Thread starter alw357
- Start date
Unfortunately you can't have both for the most part. Today's cars are tuned and built for gas mileage due to CAFE regulations. To increase horsepower you can increase displacement (bigger engine, bore out current engine,etc...), increase air in and out (intake, intake manifold, exhaust, headers), and tune the engine. Most of these things will not help gas mileage. The best way to do that is stay out of the gas. Probably the best you're gonna do with your setup and gas mileage is keep it tuned up, the fuel system clean, and keep your foot out of the gas.
As someone who used to spend a lot of time and effort getting more 'omph' out of Mopars, the biggest bang for the buck is a good tuner.
These days manufacturers are pretty efficient, but given that you have a fuel-injected engine, your 2001-era ECU program is probably leaving a lot of HP (which translates into MPG) on the table.
It looks like Hypertech is the only one that has you covered for the gas version of the 2500. The other companies I've worked a lot with were DiabloSport and BullyDog, but they only seem to do the diesel flavors.
An ECU tune can make a huge improvement in performance, but before shell out a couple hundred for a tuner, definitely spend some time on their support forums and see if they do a good job. There are a lot of fly-by night companies around, and even the good ones sometimes come out with a 'bad' tune. Hypertech is a name-brand company though, so I'm sure they do a good job.
Once you have the new tune installed, you can typically adjust it to take advantage of things like an air intake or less restrictive exhaust. Doing those things without adjusting the ECU in a Mopar gas-engine is typically pretty pointless.
The key here is to get more HP (or work) out of the truck using the same amount of gas, since that means you also get the same amount of work out for less gas.
All the other things mentioned will also help with this some, things like keeping the weight to a minimum and the tires filled to the right pressure. But a good tune will blow all that away for increasing engine efficiency, which translates to both HP and MPG. It's a couple hundred bucks that you can get back in less than a year though fuel savings.
These days manufacturers are pretty efficient, but given that you have a fuel-injected engine, your 2001-era ECU program is probably leaving a lot of HP (which translates into MPG) on the table.
It looks like Hypertech is the only one that has you covered for the gas version of the 2500. The other companies I've worked a lot with were DiabloSport and BullyDog, but they only seem to do the diesel flavors.
An ECU tune can make a huge improvement in performance, but before shell out a couple hundred for a tuner, definitely spend some time on their support forums and see if they do a good job. There are a lot of fly-by night companies around, and even the good ones sometimes come out with a 'bad' tune. Hypertech is a name-brand company though, so I'm sure they do a good job.
Once you have the new tune installed, you can typically adjust it to take advantage of things like an air intake or less restrictive exhaust. Doing those things without adjusting the ECU in a Mopar gas-engine is typically pretty pointless.
The key here is to get more HP (or work) out of the truck using the same amount of gas, since that means you also get the same amount of work out for less gas.
All the other things mentioned will also help with this some, things like keeping the weight to a minimum and the tires filled to the right pressure. But a good tune will blow all that away for increasing engine efficiency, which translates to both HP and MPG. It's a couple hundred bucks that you can get back in less than a year though fuel savings.
In more ways than one but, we live and learn. I miss that old truck.
Ive been struggling with this issue also about getting better MPG with my truck (05 f150 4 door fx4 5.4l)
I gained about 3-4mpg by putting a aftermarket air intake (Banks), the most updated programming for my truck, and being very easy with the gas pedal.
but just so ya know if you take it easy on the gas and baby it, you will get a lot of build up in your cats and exhaust. so what I do, about once a month when getting on the interstate I goose it pretty good to clean em out lol. probably not the most scientific way, but I think it helps.
ive been thinking about selling/trading it since I paid it off to get a car with better gas mileage. but being 6 foot 4 250lbs I just cant find a car im comfortable in lol. ive been thinking of getting a beater car to drive just to work, but I want reliable in a work vehicle and a beater wont cut it. if I could find my exact truck, just in a 2wd v6 version I think I would be happy. but I don't think it would be to hard to find anyone to do that trade lol.
I gained about 3-4mpg by putting a aftermarket air intake (Banks), the most updated programming for my truck, and being very easy with the gas pedal.
but just so ya know if you take it easy on the gas and baby it, you will get a lot of build up in your cats and exhaust. so what I do, about once a month when getting on the interstate I goose it pretty good to clean em out lol. probably not the most scientific way, but I think it helps.
ive been thinking about selling/trading it since I paid it off to get a car with better gas mileage. but being 6 foot 4 250lbs I just cant find a car im comfortable in lol. ive been thinking of getting a beater car to drive just to work, but I want reliable in a work vehicle and a beater wont cut it. if I could find my exact truck, just in a 2wd v6 version I think I would be happy. but I don't think it would be to hard to find anyone to do that trade lol.
Alan have owned two of these trucks ,tune up,high flow air filter,and getting a smaller truck is the only way to improve gas mileage,not trying to be a smart ass but 11/12 mpg is the best your going to get, these trucks are gas pigs, heavy and under powered even with the 5.9 not really good for daily commuting, I was a ASE cert and worked for dodge while ago,the thinner the tire/higher profile will help a bit as well,but if you have big tires and wheels ...good luck...Brad
