MPG, 2006 sucks
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Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Ft Lauderdale FL
MPG, 2006 sucks
Sorry for the rant. This will be my first negative post about my truck.
IT SUCKS! I bought it brand new (leaving a duramax) almost 2 yrs ago , left the lot with a full tank, overhead said 572mi to empty
empty comes at 350 
. I read a bunch of info on this board, says these trucks dont break in until 10 or 20 thousand miles, no problem 10 rolls by still havent seen more then 380 per tank so I buy a Bullydog(lots of smoke)(very fun) mileage doesnt budge not even worse with all the heavy footing and smoke shows. SO last month I take the BD off to see if things get better. NO THEY DONT, and the truck is very boring without the BD. Now 20 thousand rolls by, I take it to dodge 
they tell me everything is fine (of course). The reason Im really angry is Ive been going back and forth to NC from Fl following a 04 6.0 ford he is getting between 17 and 20mpg 550-600 miles per tank, me 13 mpg barely cracking 400 miles a tank. Once again sorry for whineing. (Im not even drinking yet
) Thanks for reading!
IT SUCKS! I bought it brand new (leaving a duramax) almost 2 yrs ago , left the lot with a full tank, overhead said 572mi to empty
empty comes at 350 . I read a bunch of info on this board, says these trucks dont break in until 10 or 20 thousand miles, no problem 10 rolls by still havent seen more then 380 per tank so I buy a Bullydog(lots of smoke)(very fun) mileage doesnt budge not even worse with all the heavy footing and smoke shows. SO last month I take the BD off to see if things get better. NO THEY DONT, and the truck is very boring without the BD. Now 20 thousand rolls by, I take it to dodge they tell me everything is fine (of course). The reason Im really angry is Ive been going back and forth to NC from Fl following a 04 6.0 ford he is getting between 17 and 20mpg 550-600 miles per tank, me 13 mpg barely cracking 400 miles a tank. Once again sorry for whineing. (Im not even drinking yet) Thanks for reading!
Last edited by t-boe; Sep 20, 2007 at 02:34 PM. Reason: Do not use abbreviations or symbols for profanity.
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Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Lincoln, NE
Mileage seems to fluctuate a lot from person to person on these trucks, of course there's an infinite number of factors to consider that will affect fuel economy. Yours does seem really low though. Or you could trade on the dodge for a ford
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From: Northern VA
Look at it this way: fuel mileage is not a static feature of the truck like a hood and four tires. It's a rolling measurement with many inputs, the most important of which is your right foot.
You can consider your mileage to be [(mileage at load X) * (time)]/total run time
Full throttle will get you about 2-3 MPG (miles/gallon at high load). The longer you do that (time), the worse your average mileage will be.
If you want to see good mileage out of your truck, spend as much time as you can at light load and low throttle settings. Let's put it this way: say a tank of gas could potentially get you 1000 hours of run time. Try to make 900 of those hours making 19 MPG (little load on a flat stretch) and you'll see your MPG figures shoot through the roof.
One test you can do to see if your truck really does suck, or if it's your foot that sucks: find a flat stretch of road on a calm day with speed limit 50. Set your cruise at 50, then reset your overhead MPG gauge and keep your foot away from the throttle at all costs. I bet you'll see near 20 MPG within 20 minutes.
If I'm right, then your truck is just fine and you need to tighten the nut behind the wheel to get better mileage.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Southern NH
Is the long drive at 70mph plus ?... or in other words what rpms is it running at. I can get 23 mpg+ by keeping below 1500 rpms and no load. Above 2500 rpms with AC on full and I'll get around 14 mpg. (These are corrected numbers).
I believe the Ferds have a higher rev motor design and their high speed mileage may be better perhaps.
If you are not routinely exceeding 2100 rpm I'd say there is something amiss. Its a steep mpg vs rpm drop off curve on these vehicles.
I believe the Ferds have a higher rev motor design and their high speed mileage may be better perhaps.
If you are not routinely exceeding 2100 rpm I'd say there is something amiss. Its a steep mpg vs rpm drop off curve on these vehicles.
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well...I sympothize with your mileage situation.....I've had pickup trucks since 1991....every single one of them has been lifted and running big or "bigger" tires...lol I am all too familiar with poor fuel mileage...I have had gas and diesel and they will both take you to the poorhouse....and that's when fuel was cheap...
my 2007 5.9 only has 4k on it and I'm averaging 16-17 mpg...my truck is a 4x4 Crew Cab 8ft bed....but, I drive like an old lady....always use cruise control on the highway and never drive faster than 70mph hardly ever....
Very good info given by everyone....when you go over 70mph....all bets are off on m.p.g......it just drops off like nobody's business.....and also I see you changed your tires to 285's....that is also helping your poor mileage.....
I have not yet altered my new Ram...I'm trying to enjoy good mileage...or as good as I can get anyways....for a long, long time.....I have never had a truck stock for more that a month or so.....we'll see how long I can last ....lol
my 2007 5.9 only has 4k on it and I'm averaging 16-17 mpg...my truck is a 4x4 Crew Cab 8ft bed....but, I drive like an old lady....always use cruise control on the highway and never drive faster than 70mph hardly ever....
Very good info given by everyone....when you go over 70mph....all bets are off on m.p.g......it just drops off like nobody's business.....and also I see you changed your tires to 285's....that is also helping your poor mileage.....
I have not yet altered my new Ram...I'm trying to enjoy good mileage...or as good as I can get anyways....for a long, long time.....I have never had a truck stock for more that a month or so.....we'll see how long I can last ....lol
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: TX
Dump a quart of trans oil in a full tank, then see if it gets any better. My fuel mileage sucks because of my lift and tires, but I'll still get around 15 mpg on a short road trip. Normal day to day driving, farm miles, I go around 350 to 400 miles to the tank, 12 to 13 mpg.
How does your truck run when you first start it? Might be a bad injector.
How does your truck run when you first start it? Might be a bad injector.
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Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Ft Lauderdale FL
Right there's your problem.
Look at it this way: fuel mileage is not a static feature of the truck like a hood and four tires. It's a rolling measurement with many inputs, the most important of which is your right foot.
You can consider your mileage to be [(mileage at load X) * (time)]/total run time
Full throttle will get you about 2-3 MPG (miles/gallon at high load). The longer you do that (time), the worse your average mileage will be.
If you want to see good mileage out of your truck, spend as much time as you can at light load and low throttle settings. Let's put it this way: say a tank of gas could potentially get you 1000 hours of run time. Try to make 900 of those hours making 19 MPG (little load on a flat stretch) and you'll see your MPG figures shoot through the roof.
One test you can do to see if your truck really does suck, or if it's your foot that sucks: find a flat stretch of road on a calm day with speed limit 50. Set your cruise at 50, then reset your overhead MPG gauge and keep your foot away from the throttle at all costs. I bet you'll see near 20 MPG within 20 minutes.
If I'm right, then your truck is just fine and you need to tighten the nut behind the wheel to get better mileage.
Look at it this way: fuel mileage is not a static feature of the truck like a hood and four tires. It's a rolling measurement with many inputs, the most important of which is your right foot.
You can consider your mileage to be [(mileage at load X) * (time)]/total run time
Full throttle will get you about 2-3 MPG (miles/gallon at high load). The longer you do that (time), the worse your average mileage will be.
If you want to see good mileage out of your truck, spend as much time as you can at light load and low throttle settings. Let's put it this way: say a tank of gas could potentially get you 1000 hours of run time. Try to make 900 of those hours making 19 MPG (little load on a flat stretch) and you'll see your MPG figures shoot through the roof.
One test you can do to see if your truck really does suck, or if it's your foot that sucks: find a flat stretch of road on a calm day with speed limit 50. Set your cruise at 50, then reset your overhead MPG gauge and keep your foot away from the throttle at all costs. I bet you'll see near 20 MPG within 20 minutes.
If I'm right, then your truck is just fine and you need to tighten the nut behind the wheel to get better mileage.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 359
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From: Ft Lauderdale FL
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
From: Ft Lauderdale FL
Dump a quart of trans oil in a full tank, then see if it gets any better. My fuel mileage sucks because of my lift and tires, but I'll still get around 15 mpg on a short road trip. Normal day to day driving, farm miles, I go around 350 to 400 miles to the tank, 12 to 13 mpg.
How does your truck run when you first start it? Might be a bad injector.
How does your truck run when you first start it? Might be a bad injector.
MMMmmmm.... Grits!!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 11
From: HEART OF, NC
16.5-17.5 with 50/50 everyday driving. I do my best (
) to keep it under 2000 rpms. However even running PS every tank it starts to idle funny at stops. A quick run through the gears to 3000 rpm takes care of that problem, and the tailgaters too.
This truck does get worse unloaded mileage than my autos did, but it gets better loaded mileage.
13 compared to 10-11. Last tank got 463 on 26.8 gal. I am lucky and able to fill up most times at the same place and the same pump. I also never try to squeeze extra in. I stay consistent with my fill-up routine and I don't get major variances. I have 43k now.
Still hoping for 20's
Chris
) to keep it under 2000 rpms. However even running PS every tank it starts to idle funny at stops. A quick run through the gears to 3000 rpm takes care of that problem, and the tailgaters too. This truck does get worse unloaded mileage than my autos did, but it gets better loaded mileage. 13 compared to 10-11. Last tank got 463 on 26.8 gal. I am lucky and able to fill up most times at the same place and the same pump. I also never try to squeeze extra in. I stay consistent with my fill-up routine and I don't get major variances. I have 43k now.Still hoping for 20's
Chris
MMMmmmm.... Grits!!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 11
From: HEART OF, NC
Sorry, also noticed you have larger tires. Did you re-cal your speedo? You probably are seeing a 3-4 mph difference at highway speed. Let's say that's a 5% difference on your total mileage. That's 22.5 miles more per tank on 450. Also are your tires "D" load or "E". The extra drag from a lower load range and extra drag from greater width is easily worth 1-2 mpg. So I've seen.
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