Ram 3500 4x4 Quad Cab, Auto, L.B.

My milage on new 600 is about 10 MPG, city/highway, it scares me a lot, my 01 was much better from the beginning until it was traded in 15 mpg.
Truck has about 600 miles on it and is in need of reflash.

Is there anyone else that could post their numbers, may be I am wrong but we spend extra $5k to get better fuel economy and better power when needed.

Regards Jack.

 

Do a search for 04.5 mpg...fuel mileage...etc and you will find out what alot of people are saying that have the 600. It seems to all come down to the fact that the change for better emissions and a little better HP/TQ have come at a severe price on fuel economy. I am keeping a watch for anyone who has done any mods that have helped MPG. My best tank is 13.3 hand calculated and driving very easy and never over 65mph. Do you hear the pinging/rattling sound when accelerating at low to mid RPM? They say that is "normal" too.

 

I know at least 1 person one the site has cut off the catalatic converter... Havent seen any responce on the difference it made, but he did verify that its NOT just a resonator. and getting rid of it cant hurt! Diesels with emmisions is just STUPID, the percentage of polution from diesel pickups has got to be <1% of what the all the other vehicals are putting out!

 

I think you may be on to something...my CA SO, which has a cat, gets nowhere close to some the MPG claims I have read here. Normal mixed city highway is about 13-15 MPG.

 

Thank You dwhite for directions.

I have pinging noise in mild acceleration, no hesitation and lots of power, just let it opend up this morning after 1000km on the clock.

my dealer said that is normal, but I am in the process of writing a letter to them, stating my concerns and expectations, there is enogh data in this and other forums to conclude that there is a factory installed problem with some of the trucks and they should look after them or have them replaced with trouble free trucks because they are available.

We spend enough $$$$ to be looked after.

I hope that MPG will improve or it becames apparent there is no sence to spend extra 5000 for diesel if you are after economy of it, because you will save about 4000 on 60,000 miles in fuel costs with previous diesel to gas joby.

Regards Jack.

 

In my "silencer ring" post on the second page of this forum, the user i-bleed-disel said he took off his cat. I replied and asked for more info but it looks like he hasn't seen my question yet.
It would be interesting to ask him somehow if he has noticed any differences from taking the cat off his 04.5!

 

If yall want to take off the cat but still "look" emissions legal, you should gut it. I've done that on several vehicles before. Just cut the cat off. Break all the material out of it (I use a 1" wide by 24" long auger bit and a BFH to do that). Take it to a shop and have them weld it back on. Your gonna have to look hard to find a shop that will do that. The one I found, I had to pay the guy $50 cash just for him to make 2 welds. Oh well. Gutting the cat gives the truck kind of a hollow, gurgly sound. I like the way it sounded. Did it to my dad's 6.5L Chevy diesel. He had a set of flowmaster muffler's on there and it sounded awesome. Just thought I would let yall know that.

 

Actually,there is some doubt that the 03 Ca. S.O. has a cat.Its doesnt describe one anywhere in the O.M. under exhaust system maintenance, and a few ca. owners have removed them and say they are resonators,not cats.

 

Mines a '03 SO, 1 year old with 8000 miles. Milage continues to improve with each tank full. Currently at 20.4 overall. I certainly wouldnt be sweating or thinking about MPG's with less than 10 thousand miles. My company has a very large fleet of Ford vehicles from F250 powerstrokes thru F750 Cummins equipped and we see break in stabilization fuel usage between 10-15 thousand miles.

 

Both of my 03's got 16 in town and 20 on the road fresh out of the box. It's now up to 17 city and 22 highway, if I don't go above 75mph. If this new motor is giving mileage figures this bad I'd say they will loose a lot of diesel customers.

I've been driving them for years and it's only because I love the diesel sound and the mileage. But, if the mileage became as bad as a Hemi, then I am sure as heck not paying an extra $5K to listen to diesel. I'm afraid I'd either have to switch to a less thirsty gas motor or buy used 03's or older CTD's.

Hope this is a glitch and DC hasn't just screwed the pooch. This kind of mileage is what I expect to see from the new Ram with the Viper motor. Not from a diesel. Somethin is real wrong with this picture.

 

I'm getting 0 mpg in my truck......because I DIDN"T GET IT YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Sorry for the outburst...feel better now, thanks.

 

Its o.k. Tackle,just breathe deep and repeat after me,My Cummins is coming,My Cummins is coming,My Cummins is coming..........feel better?

 

I wouldn't worry about the fuel mileage until after 10-15k miles, just like some others have said here. I doubt very many 600s have that many miles on them right now so we'll all just have to wait and see. I don't see any reason to get upset right now. Same with the ping-type noise. As I've stated in other posts, you're bound to get an additional combustion noise when there's a post-injection event. No other Cummins, Duramax, or PSD has three injection events. I think it's just a noise that we will all have to get used to. I'd rather have pinging than EGR.

 

Hi All.

Pinging noise is not your usual ping, ping ping, its like someone would throw in 20 bolts in your engine and they rattle arround in certain acceleration (mild), so that's that issue.

On milege, even dealer was supprised to see this number, so I am doing 600 km test, to double check, if the number is correct or neer correct, truck is going for repairs to Cummins Alberta.

I refuse to take break in issue to this extent, I can undertand 1-2 mpg but not half or 40%, from my experience that is resenable.


Anyone ot there with numbers ???? Coulden't find much on other threads.

Regards Jack

 

Shinden:

I am also in calgary with a new 600. I will be interested to hear how you make out. PM me with details once you get any. I got 13.4 mpg on my first tank. We'll see what the next one does.