How can i get better gas mileage

[farout75]

I am running a 2021 2500, 6.4 with 8 speed and 3.73 gears. I have got just over 20 a couple of times, but the long term average for city, highway etc is about 16 mpg. To get 20 on the highway I have to stay under 65 mpg, go easy on the go pedal and not have a headwind of any kind.

This is headed west through the mountains past Jasper Alberta after filling up in Jasper.

View attachment 494187

I have a 2010 ram 2500 5.7 . I read about guys claiming to get 20+ miles to the gallon which I kind of doubt but is there anything I can do to increase mileage... such as would upgrading to a newer 6 speed trans help?

Those older RAM 2500 just were not made for good mpg. Except it or trade it in on a new 2500 with a 6.4 and an 8 speed trans.

 

[rosco11]

I have a 2010 ram 2500 5.7 . I read about guys claiming to get 20+ miles to the gallon which I kind of doubt but is there anything I can do to increase mileage... such as would upgrading to a newer 6 speed trans help?

Rofl, not buy a 6000 lb truck with a 400+ hp engine? The last thing anyone driving a 2500 should be concerned about is gas millage. And if you made the horrible mistake of getting the 6.4 in a 2500 instead of the Cummins, well, sell it and chose wisely next time. There is a reason Dodge only offered the v10 in a truck for a few years. Most people realized they could get twice the millage and more torque and towing capacity by buying the Cummins so it did not sell very well. And unless you plan on doing a lot of towing, don't get the turbo. More power is the antitheses of fuel economy. Two ends in a tug of war rope.

 

[Dean2]

Those older RAM 2500 just were not made for good mpg. Except it or trade it in on a new 2500 with a 6.4 and an 8 speed trans.

Agree, went from a 1996 V10 to the 2021 6.4, one of the side benefits was a 60% improvement in overall gas mileage. Nothing I could have done to the 96 would have got the mileage up to current values. However, the new truck was $75,000 rigged all in. Even at current gas prices it will take a VERY long time for the gas mileage to amortise the purchase ( Was not actually any part of why I bought the new truck. Main reason I bought it is I wanted the 4 door crewcab and some of the modern amenities. I also wanted a big gas powered rig before they get really hard to come by).

 

[ECONORAM]

When I was driving the motorhome I did quite a bit of reading on the speed vs efficiency thing. There was a guy who worked for NACA. That was before NASA. He did wind tunnel tests and I THINK ( I am going by memory ) he calculated that 48 MPH was the point at which efficiency began to suffer due to parasitic drag. I also THINK I remember that the effect of speed as it increased was not linear but was exponential in nature. Obviously if on a trip no one would drive at 48 MPH. At least I wouldn't. So we search for the sweet spot that yields best efficiency of miles traveled and fuel consumed. Wherever that sweet spot is I am sure varies between individuals. Add a strong headwind or tailwind to your speed over the ground and some pretty wild MPG figures can be experienced. Both positive and negative.

I think I read that same article, or at least part of it. I must have missed the part about 48mph, but that does jive with what I've seen in daily driving. I can get 25-30mpg dawdling along at 45-50mph, but above that it's hard to keep it at 25mpg. My daily commute is 11 miles one-way, 7 of which is a 50mph zone.

 

[Ronald E Shelton]

Just do what the guys you refer to are doing. ( assuming they are driving gasoline powered trucks ) Just tell yourself you are getting 20+ MPG on a routine basis and believe what you tell yourself. What you cannot do is take a long highway trip at 55MPH with a horrendous tailwind and level terrain, compute the fuel mileage for that one trip and call it your overall average for thousands of miles. Good luck with however you decide to handle it.
edit: And don't believe the "Lie-O-Meter

An old adage:
DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK!

 

[Trouble]

Have a 12 1500 hemi bighorn, 20"tires, 6 spd. I keep track of every tank. Dash reads 1 mpg better than actual. Run combo 54 Mile commute back and forth every day so that's 108 total, keep track every tank. Right now with the temps coming up, average an honest 19 to 20pg, drops 1 to 2 mpg in fall and winter. I've found that if I punch the button at 57 mph and let the big dog eat, he's real happy. Also, had to do the cam and lifters last year....definitely helped the mpg. Not gonna kick for fwd, see the Cummins boys blowing by me all the time at 6.50 a gallon. Must be nice to have $ to burn!! Thinking of a mileage tuner, anyone got suggestions??

 

[MikeinSonoma]

I have a 2010 ram 2500 5.7 . I read about guys claiming to get 20+ miles to the gallon which I kind of doubt but is there anything I can do to increase mileage... such as would upgrading to a newer 6 speed trans help?

I doubt a lot of those claims too, I wonder if it’s not Ram spreading rumors to hide their pour gas mileage and bogus ratings. Either that or their quality control on their engine is so awful that milage is based on how lucky you are in getting a good engine.
I have a 2021 V6 etorque Rebel, Rated at 19/24 the best I’ve ever gotten is 18 and that is if I am so careful. I coast as far as I can to red lights, when I rev the engine all I can hear his money being sucked out of my pocket, so I never do that. 45 to 65 mph seems to be the sweet spot. I use the cruise control as much as possible.
What probably help the most is making sure my tires are inflated to 60/50 and maybe one or two points higher.
I love my truck but the mileage is a con and when it comes to Lane Keep and the GPS, somebody was allowed to trade competence for bending over. I think that’s a problem with American corporations today people get their jobs because of how they play golf and rub elbows as apposed to doing a good job.

 

[ECONORAM]

Lots of comments here echo things I've discovered driving my 2007 1/2 ton...for the past 15 years. Glad I'm not the only one who knows them.

Tires. I think I lost a bit of mpg (maybe 1) going from Firestone Destination LE2s to Cooper Evolutions, but I don't mind 'cuz the Coopers are H rated, which I wanted. And the Coopers are made in USA. . It's hard to say on the mpg, 'cuz I also went from 275/60s to 275/55s.
Someone mentioned they have 17s. That's the lightest wheel setup, and what Dodge/RAM put on the HFE (high fuel efficiency) edition. The best are these part numbers: OZR75TRMAA; 0ZR76PAKAA. Factory forged 17".

Transmissions. The "new" six speed (65RFE) is the same old 545RFE. (But programmed to use 2P as third.) Save for some HD trucks that got the 66RFE... Slightly better ratios there, but not like the 8-sp. Both an 8-sp auto and a 6-sp manual are worth 2mpg from the research I've done, but you wouldn't expect either swap to pay you back quickly. Why? I figure on AT LEAST $3 grand (w/used tranny) to get either swap done; probably more. So, $3,000 / $5 a gallon = 600 gallons. That's how much you'd have to save to get the payback. 2mpg increase is going to square out to...probably something crazy like 120,000 miles of driving. Could be a while.

Oil. I've always run synthetic since the 1500 mile mark on the odometer. Rolled over 160,000 this month. Generally Mobil 1, in the 5w-30 flavor. I know the manuals call for 5w-20 (even for my 2007), but that's because they are using a slightly thinner oil to squeeze out a little less parasitic pumping loss to improve mpg a teensy bit more. I also run my oil to 7,000 changes. Yes, I did an oil analysis years back, and the oil in my pickup was fine at that point. I still run a FilterMag on the oil filter also.

Radiator fan. Electric will save you some parasitic hp, which means you burn a little less gas. No, I don't have an exact figure.

Underdrive pulley. According to ATI, theirs is worth 8-10hp at the crank. 5-8hp if you do not have a clutch fan.

Thermostat. You have to be mindful of the PCM programming here. Too cold, and it'll always think it's the in warm up cycle...and enrich the mixture. The opposite is also an issue. The engine gets warm enough, and the PCM starts pulling timing. I think I'm encountering that now, as my radiator won't hold much pressure. I see temps 203-210 regularly right now. Got a 100% aluminum radiator with welded tanks on order... I also ordered a FlowKooler water pump, but didn't install it once I saw the radiator was leaking.

Aerodynamics. First off, the frontal area of our pickups, at least my 07, is 34 sq ft. A full sheet of plywood is 32 sq ft (4ft x 8 ft). So, that's like pushing the proverbial barn door down the road. And, with a 3rd gen, the aerodynamics suck even more, save for the SRT models. Look up drag coefficients...
Someone mentioned a tonneau cover; yes, that does help. I think it's worth 1mpg on the highway. A bed topper does the same, but since they weigh more, you use more fuel when climbing hills. I've tried it both ways in drives up and down I-44 through Missouri.
Wheel covers. Remember the old moon eyes wheel covers? Those do help. I have some (homemade ones) on my pickup. Another 1mpg on the highway. In fact, per the NACA article mentioned earlier...they probably take effect at or near 48mph, if I had to guess.
I also have most of the belly covered from the front bumper to the rear muffler. It's not a monster gain, but probably another 1mpg highway.

Fuel. Can you get 100% gas? E-10 drops about 10% on fuel mileage. In my highway testing, with a tune adjustment, I saw another 1.5mpg with a 91 tune over an 87 tune. 91 and 87 octane fuels used respectively. E-85? Ouch, count on a 30% drop. And...your fuel system needs to be designed for it, or it will eat up the seals.

Cruise control. Do not use it on hills. Talk about chug-a-lug fuel. (How do I know? I have a fuel flow meter.) Hit the cancel button with your foot positioned so you can maintain the speed you are at...and as you climb the hill try to only let the pickup lose about 5mph or so while climbing. Some hills in MO, CO, and UT you really can't do that, but most you can. You can pick the speed back up on the other side.

Injectors. Depends on what you have to start with. My 07 had 4-hole injectors; I upgraded to Bosch 12-holes, but think radiator/heat issues are preventing me from seeing any gain. They must atomize fuel better, because I get a CEL regularly that complains about being too rich.

Driving habits. Most certainly! As they say one the Ecomodder forum "Adjust the nut behind the wheel." Don't launch hard at every stoplight. Don't panic brake. Some say to drive like there's an egg under the throttle. Coast! I sometimes can coast 1/4 to 1/2 mile before I have to hit the brakes for a full stop. True, the engine is running, but it's only burning about 1/3 to 1/4 of what it does when you've got your foot on the gas. Another phase is "Driving without brakes." You do have brakes, but act like you do not, or don't want to use them. **I do NOT advocate shutting the engine off and coasting. ** Too much can go wrong with that.

Yes, these apply to any vehicle. Yes, your mileage WILL vary. With my cooling system running right, I've seen 21mpg highway at 70mph. On a 600mile trip. If I could get it to 25mpg, I could go without a refuel!

 

[RLJ10X]

I think where you live has an impact on mpg. I've gone thru Colorado and Wyoming, and always seem to get 2-3 more mpg. By the time I get back home here in Indiana, with the high humidity and the corn gas, my mpg stink again.

You can see my mods in my Sig. It would appear that I've done everything possible to kill my gas mileage, but about twice a year, I'll get a hand calculated 19.

I love my Hunter Green and my 4.10s!

 

[vic-hemi]

What about a K&N air filter, does anyone have any experience with this product?

 

[Dean2]

What about a K&N air filter, does anyone have any experience with this product?

REALLY bad idea. Despite it having been proven many times that those filters do NOT filter better, K&N has been making this claim for decades and keep getting away with it. You cannot flow more air through the same total area without having bigger openings in the mesh. If you operate in dusty conditions you are going to let a lot more grit into your motor. Their cold air kits and filters also often result in worse gas mileage, sometimes the same, never seen it get better.

 

[2012RAM1500RT]

It has a lot to do with your driving habits. I just drove a 760 mile round trip from NC up to the Skyline Drive in Va, down 280 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and back home. My "lie o meter" said 19.6 MPG and hand calculated said 19.1. I probably shouldn't comment on MPG post because you get called a liar if you get over 16 MPG here. I drive 70 MPH in 70 MPH zones. I drove the years when 55 MPH use to be nationwide and it S U C K E D so I'm happy with 70 now. I will run around 5 over in 55 to 65 MPH zones. I watch people when I'm on a highway with 4 lanes on each side and they'll use all 4 within a mile (zippers), and speed limit is a suggestion to them. I guarantee you I can make my truck get 10 MPG driving the way I see some people drive. I didn't buy my truck for fuel mileage but I see nothing wrong with trying to make it do it's best especially with these prices on a trip and not in a hurry. I love racing but I try to save it for the dragstrip which I love doing and I doubt I get much over a couple MPG doing that! I don't complain about fuel mileage because to me mine does very well for what it is and how I choose to drive it. Also mine is a 2012 RCSB 1500.

 

[djnelson5460]

With the 5.7 and 6 spd trans in a 2500 you’ll never get close to 20mpg, to be brutally honest. Youd have to have the Cummins, 2wd, a better trans and 3.92 or higher gears. The cost to swap over all that isnt worth the fuel savings, if at possible with diesel being over $6/gal. Youd be better off getting a cheap 4 cyl sedan to drive around when you dont need a truck. Just my $.02 man

 

[leroys73]

I have a 2010 ram 2500 5.7 . I read about guys claiming to get 20+ miles to the gallon which I kind of doubt but is there anything I can do to increase mileage... such as would upgrading to a newer 6 speed trans help?

The wife's Challenger R/T does get 24-25 mpg if I keep it under 75 mph. Different animal and rear end.

Why did you buy a PU? If it was for mileage buy an electric or hybrid.

I can't add anything that hasn't been said. But here is my experience back in the "olden days" of the first gasoline shortage, 1970s. First off there were all sorts of "snake oil" remedies. I approached it as scientific as I could. I had a Chevrolet 1/2 ton 2 wheel drive. On a good day 10mpg was the best. I recurved the distributor, swapped out the 2 barrel manifold for a "better" 4 barrel one. Added a 4 barrel Holley. The reason being those 2 barrel carbs had some large throats, the 4 had two smaller ones that were working most of the time. I then added true duel exhaust with a cross over and glass packs, no catalytic converter in 1974. I put a shift kit in the TH350. Guess what, I was able on a good day to get 12 mpg but I had better keep it below 65 mph. But man, did it ever shift great.

Later I made the same mods to a custom Chevy Van with a 350. About the same results. It did have catalytic converter with single exhaust. Back the we could put true duels as long as we added a converter to each side. On a hot day with the shift kit I could chirp the rear tires when shifting into 2nd.

So bottom line, after spending all that money and labor what did I get out of it? Experience.

So, suck it up and be glad you are not getting 10 mpg. Keep your foot out of it and cruse at 55 for better mpg.

 

[Douglas Walouke]

Just drive downhill.

 

[Wheatboy]

This thread made me laugh. 11 years ago, when I got my 2011 1500, the first long trip I took (@ 6 hours) got me my best mileage of 11L/100km. Nowadays, I am lucky if I get 13L/100km (combined city/highway) during the summer (winter average is over 17). Biggest reduction is determined by the space between the steering wheel and the gas pedal...

 

[ECONORAM]

I forgot a couple things.
Intake air temp. Someone mentioned they saw better numbers at above 80*F air temp. I can agree. For reasons I do not understand, the PCM seems to lean the mixture slightly at air temps near or above 90*F, as I have seen. One member at Ecomodder tested temps up to 130*F, which seemed to be the upper limit. I imagine throttle response stinks at that OAT, but it should help mpgs. I tried for a while to run a dryer hose from the part of the radiator near the inlet...direct to the airbox. I think it would have helped if I wasn't trying to pass so many people on the two-lane...
Fuel rail insulation! Yes, this does work. Why? The PCM is programmed to enrich the cylinders that get the hotter temp fuel...but, since it only reads the average of 4 cylinders...that isn't so precise. By insulating the fuel rails, you keep the temperatures more consistent across the whole fuel manifold.
Tires 2. I have only used 275s. I contempted some 305/50s, but tire weight turned me away from that. I really want some 275/55s that are under 40# each. Maybe some Vogue tires next time. My Cooper Evolutions are 44# each. Less rotating weight means less gas to accelerate, less braking required to stop.
Weight reduction. I do not mean a diet! Take the stuff out that you do not need everyday. I'm still debating on taking out my spare. a 275/60R20 on a steel wheel is 90#. The fold flat load floors my truck came with are 50#.
Another car. So, I've mulled this over. Thought about getting a 4cyl Dakota. But those are hard to find; V6s are around, but I've not seen any under $7k. I can buy a LOT of gas for $7k. Even at $5/gallon. And that doesn't even talk about insurance and plates.

 

[ECONORAM]

REALLY bad idea. Despite it having been proven many times that those filters do NOT filter better, K&N has been making this claim for decades and keep getting away with it. You cannot flow more air through the same total area without having bigger openings in the mesh. If you operate in dusty conditions you are going to let a lot more grit into your motor. Their cold air kits and filters also often result in worse gas mileage, sometimes the same, never seen it get better.

A K&N will reduce air restriction, but that's generally not the issue with gas mileage. Typically cruising on the highway you aren't pulling enough airflow for a low restriction air filter to make a noticeable difference. That said, I do run one, more because I want to only buy one filter and clean it. And, I like a little more sound from the loud pedal. Fortunately, I am not driving through dusty regions, so I do not get concerned about that.

 

[Octane]

A K&N will reduce air restriction, but that's generally not the issue with gas mileage. Typically cruising on the highway you aren't pulling enough airflow for a low restriction air filter to make a noticeable difference. That said, I do run one, more because I want to only buy one filter and clean it. And, I like a little more sound from the loud pedal. Fortunately, I am not driving through dusty regions, so I do not get concerned about that.

I run a dry filter AEM,it seems to work okay.Didn't get it to get mpg's.Aftermarket makers lie about mpg's anyway.I like cleaning my own filter is my reasoning.Don't like the oil saturated filter types.

 

[TJ S]

Many 2500's will get 20+...they will be cummins powered, and not hemi powered though. I had several cummins powered trucks and all would get over 20 mpg...granted the 2012 I had needed to get the emissions crap deleted and a tune to do it, but after that it did it regularly.

Is there any to get a 1996 3500 with a Cummins, and a 5 speed manual to get good gas mileage?