Dodge V10-Increasing MPG?

[dk_alaskan]

I have a 2002 Dodge 2500 V10 4x4 running 315/75/16 with 4.10 gears. The factory MPG of gas station to gas station is starting to wear a bit on the budget so, I am trying to find solutions to increase gas mileage. The option of selling the truck is not an option. So far, the cats are no longer attached, however this is causing a decrease in mileage, which I think i know why, however, i don't want to lead any gear heads with my guess. I am thinking about installing a K&N cold air intake. Adding horsepower or torque isn't very important, I have more than enough.

Given the information, what else can be done to increase mileage besides biking to my position as lead fry cook?

[HansJob]

Not a whole lot. Stay off the gas. That's about it. Keep it tuned up. You own a beast. Good luck.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Would a cold air intake allow cold starts in AK? The cats shouldn't affect mpg. You need some 3.73 gearing to get those rpm's down.

[that dude who did that thing]

Buy two horses. Pull truck.

If you can't sell the truck, could you buy a commuter car? If you're putting on enough miles, the numbers might actually work out to justify buying a used subaru.

[Quadzilla]

I had the same truck for close to 17 years, mine was a 1996
V-10 2500 HD. OK, IMO, there is no cheap way to get any decent increase in MPG, except for driving like you have a egg between your foot and the pedal. If you want to add maybe 3-4 mpg you would need to add a performance exhaust system, a performance chip and a performance air intake system. Then drive like you have a egg between your foot and the pedal. Dude, you have 500 cubic inches and actually gets better mpg than a similar 2500 Chevy 454 or a Ford 2500 460.

[skimaxpower]

Ok, mostly kidding. But James has a decent point:

If you can't sell the truck, could you buy a commuter car? If you're putting on enough miles, the numbers might actually work out to justify buying a used subaru.

[Swine]

It sort of depends on how crazy you want to get. Taking off running boards and the like will increase aerodynamics. Running narrower tires will also increase aerodynamics (and be better in snow). As mentioned, getting the 4.10 out of there should be high on the list. I had an interesting experience with a 1-ton Powerstroke where when I went to drastically smaller tires I got much worse fuel mileage, I think the engine had so much torque that having more revs per mile on a big tire at the same RPM saved a boatload (not sure how that info translates to the V-10). I'm assuming plugs and 02 sensors are functioning at 100%? If you don't already, run synthetic oil; some people even switch over their front and rear diff to synthetic to slightly decrease friction. Alloy wheels? If not, get them, less rotating weight, which matters from a stop. All in all, there is no big money silver bullet, I'd probably start with the gear change. I did get better mileage when I put a flat topper on my old half ton Chevy though... I'm not enough of an engine head to know why putting the cats back would matter, backpressure?

[Bobcat Sig]

I'm guessing the 315 tires aren't stock. Can you downsize to some 285 or 275 tires to shave weight?
Granted, anything at that load range (E, I'm guessing) is going to be heavy, but might be worth a look.

[Cruiser]

As others have said, the right foot mod represents your best chance at getting another mpg or 2 out of your behemoth. But really man, there's no magic solution. You have a big fucking truck with a big fucking engine and big fucking tires. It ain't a prius.

[systemoverblow'd]

golf-ballerize your truck

[bfree]

Cut the top off. Drill speed holes everywhere. Lower it. Install a rev limiter at 2k. Convert it to electric. Put slicks on the wheels. Or just accept it for what it is...

[HansJob]

on the for real for real, it would probably be wiser to pick up a beater subie. Get rid of that pig unless you seriously need it. someone in big lake or houston is sure to want it. stop stuffin' tesoro's pockets.

[Banh Mi]

3.31/3.55 gear ratio, smaller tires, and a tune.

[1000-oaks]

^ Yep. And consider a tonneau cover.

[Charmander]

Sell it and buy a diesel.

edit: pull the v10 and drop in a cummins, its supposed to be an eeeaaasssyyy swap.

12v will double your fuel economy, 100 bucks in parts can have you at 300hp 600tq

fwiw

[El Chupacabra]

The option of selling the truck is not an option.

Why not?

Most of the suggestions in this thread are not going to pay off in terms of cost:benefit. E.g. spend $2K to regear both axles, get 1mpg improvement -- which will take 2548 years to break even on that.

If you are dead set on keeping that guzzling beast, then reattach the cats, make sure the O2 sensors are working (use scan tool), run synthetic fluids in engine, t-case, & axles, make sure all routine maintenance is up to date (filters, plugs/ignition). And drive slow -- like 55-60mph hghway. The CAI is probably not going to improve mileage.

[uglymoney]

With all due respect to the Subaru suggestion they aren't exactly world beaters in the MPG department. I get 23 to 24 around town in summer and 22 in winter and that is with 0w30 and synthetic gear lube in the tranny and rear diff and manual transmission and driving like I know how to save fuel because I do. The synthetic gear lube really only helps give you about 1 mpg in the winter on very short trips imo. On longer trips conventianal gear lube warms up and flows pretty good anyway so any gains are going to be a fraction of one percent.

I suggest a Prius V with X-Ice3's which are low rolling resistance snows. We've saved about a gazillion dollars in gas with it and it holds everything we need it to most days and we have the truck based suv semi gas guzzling Koch Brothers cock sucker parked except for when we need it for space or towing.

We don't live in AK but everyone around here thinks they need a V-10 to haul shit as well, but for the most part they don't.

/Reality check.

[Skistack]

Keep the RPM's under 2K. Buy a bike.

[stuckathuntermtn]

If the cats are out and your O2 sensors are triggering a check engine light, you're going to need to get that fixed. Proper pressure on the exhaust or something.
VT-Freeheel, what a cold-air intake is is a long pipe that extends out of the intake to somewhere up near the front and bottom of the car. It doesn't actually cool the engine. The normal intake in your car is usually near somewhere hot, like above the engine block. A cold-air intake just helps prevent heating of the air coming into the engine, thereby making it denser, thereby making it more oxygen rich. Little loud rice rockets frequently have them. Doesn't help your ground clearance, but I'm guessing DK has plenty. IDK what kind of actual increase in the power/mileage it really produces.

It's fuel injected right? Can't you just lower the horsepower/lean out the mixture/whatever?

You have to make sure your intake/exhaust system is up to snuff and your check engine light isn't hot. These things can seriously effect your power/mileage. I've also heard that when o2 sensors or things like that go and trigger the check engine light, your car can go into some kind of "limp home" mode that pulls even more power out of the engine (and possible mileage).

Check your sparkplugs and make sure they're good.
Check your air filter. Maybe get one of those washable replaceable ones.

[Vt-Freeheel]

If the cats are out and your O2 sensors are triggering a check engine light, you're going to need to get that fixed. Proper pressure on the exhaust or something.
VT-Freeheel, what a cold-air intake is is a long pipe that extends out of the intake to somewhere up near the front and bottom of the car. It doesn't actually cool the engine. The normal intake in your car is usually near somewhere hot, like above the engine block. A cold-air intake just helps prevent heating of the air coming into the engine, thereby making it denser, thereby making it more oxygen rich. Little loud rice rockets frequently have them. Doesn't help your ground clearance, but I'm guessing DK has plenty. IDK what kind of actual increase in the power/mileage it really produces.

I am aware of what a cold air intake is. What I was thinking in reference to my question is some eengines have a duct that admits warmed air from around the exhaust manifold when the engine is cold. May not be the case with modern FI engines. My 2500 CTD has a grid heater that operates in cold weather to assist combustion, as I live up in the hills it still takes about 10 miles before any heat comes out of the dash in the winter.

[uglymoney]

I am aware of what a cold air intake is. What I was thinking in reference to my question is some eengines have a duct that admits warmed air from around the exhaust manifold when the engine is cold. May not be the case with modern FI engines. My 2500 CTD has a grid heater that operates in cold weather to assist combustion, as I live up in the hills it still takes about 10 miles before any heat comes out of the dash in the winter.

Yeah. Carbed engine's used a cold air bypass valve deal that pulled warm air in at low throttle settings to among other reasons prevent carb icing due to the pressure drop across the carb when the throttle was closed. Didn't help make power but when you stepped on it the vacumn operated valve would spring open letting cold air in.

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[El Chupacabra]

Yeah. Carbed engine's used a cold air bypass valve deal that pulled warm air in at low throttle settings to among other reasons prevent carb icing due to the pressure drop across the carb when the throttle was closed. Didn't help make power but when you stepped on it the vacumn operated valve would spring open letting cold air in.

Some fuel-injected engines have a coolant hose that runs through the throttle body too, supposedly to help warm up the intake charge in cold temps. IDK if this actually does anything on a computer-controlled engine -- many engines don't have this design.

[Hugh Conway]

remove the fuel supply to the right engine bank.

[ill-advised strategy]

Why not?

Most of the suggestions in this thread are not going to pay off in terms of cost:benefit. E.g. spend $2K to regear both axles, get 1mpg improvement -- which will take 2548 years to break even on that.

If you are dead set on keeping that guzzling beast, then reattach the cats, make sure the O2 sensors are working (use scan tool), run synthetic fluids in engine, t-case, & axles, make sure all routine maintenance is up to date (filters, plugs/ignition). And drive slow -- like 55-60mph hghway. The CAI is probably not going to improve mileage.

I agree.

[Jethro]

I have run cold air K&N systems on a few of my Toyotas and on my Dodge M37. A couple of the vehicles had cat/back freer flowing exhausts, but no headers. Mostly I have been looking for more air in so I can put more fuel in the mixture and make more power. I have never gotten better mileage, and I drive like a grandma according to my wife. I am leery of claims by these systems of increased mileage. It could happen in the lab, but in everyday driving I bet your mileage goes down.