Ram Fuel Mileage issue

[Stuntman Autoworks]

What do you get in your ram?
I had a 99 Ram 2500 5spd geared 3.55 that got 18 mpg driving around and 12.5 towing single car trailer and the buggy.
01 Ram 3500 automatic geared 4.10 15mpg driving around and 12 towing the same
Now I have an 06 Mega Cab Dually Automatic geared 3.73 and only gets 12.5 driving around and 8.5 pulling my 30ft 10ton trailer and the buggy.

Ive always heard of better fuel mileage out of the third gens and I was surprised when it was so low. The truck is stock with 5" exhaust and EFI live tuning. The mileage didn't change at all from stock when I bought it to now with those 2 things added.

I'm thinking something may be wrong since the mileage is so low but if thats the normal then I wont waste my time looking for something that isn't there.

Thanks for the help.

 

[MoparMan]

That does seem a little low for the 06. But I always got better fuel mileage with my 2nd gens than I did with my 3rd or 4th gens.

 

[TheViking]

My guess would be more emissions equipment with the engine being choked down.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

My guess would be more emissions equipment with the engine being choked down.

06 was before DPF, EGR or DEF on the dodges. So it has the same emmissions equipment on it as a second gen truck.

 

[uglyoffroad]

I have a 96 3500 with 3.55 gears and a 04.5 2500 with 3.73 gears. The 96 always averages better gas mileage towing. Both are automatic trans. I haven't checked them in a long time but last time I did the numbers you posted seemed about average on the 04.5.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

I have a 96 3500 with 3.55 gears and a 04.5 2500 with 3.73 gears. The 96 always averages better gas mileage towing. Both are automatic trans. I haven't checked them in a long time but last time I did the numbers you posted seemed about average on the 04.5.

Ok Thanks for the info.

 

[Lil ugly]

My 04.5 got 22 empty down the freeway, 17-18 in town empty and 12 towing 8000 lbs. My 13 gets 11 to 12 in town and 8 towing. It does it well but the EGR system really sucks the fuel economy out of it. I just but an 06 and an 04 so I will see get a comparison over the next few months.

 

[Pumpkin]

My 04 2500 with a Hemi 3.73 gears was getting 12 in town, 14 Hwy, 8 towing. Put a no spin lock outs on the front and went up almost 2 mpg. Went to 4.56 gears and 35in tires and lost my 2mpg but it pulls easier and isn't as hard on the transmission.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[BIG_Country]

You putting any diesel fuel treatment in your fuel?
Dads got. A 06 3500 signal cab 6speed flatbed with 3.73 gears 4x4 but it gets about 15 with empty trailer and around 10 loaded, and around 17 mpg by itself
But his is all stock, the only thing we do is use diesel fuel treatment. The times that it's ran on straight low sulfur diesel fuel, it always gets less mpg. See anywhere from 1 to 4 mpg drop across the board.

 

[extremetownie]

I bought a used 06 and it got similar mileage.It ran fine but eventually started using oil. It used a lot of oil so i decided to get it rebuilt,still ran fine. Well it had 4 broken top rings,1 broke oil ring,the head had 8 cracks in it,the cam was competently wiped out on 2 lobs,and the turbo was wore out. Bottom end was fine. Now my mileage is around 22.5 empty and 17 pulling about 20,000 lbs. The way a cummins should be.

 

[xjmarc]

Are you going by the dash readout or actually doing the math? My 97 2wd with 3.55s got 22 on the highway and around 18 or so towing. It had 100HP injectors and no fuel plate, which killed the auto trans. My current 07.5 is fully deleted and straight piped with EFI live, 4wd with 4.10s with an auto and my trip to NW AR last week averaged 17.5, towing it drops to around 15-16 depending on where I'm going, flat land or lots of hills. Both of mine were/are 2500s.
The 12 valve got better mileage but was 2wd which makes a difference and there is a very noticeable difference in power. I love the 6.7.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

You putting any diesel fuel treatment in your fuel?
Dads got. A 06 3500 signal cab 6speed flatbed with 3.73 gears 4x4 but it gets about 15 with empty trailer and around 10 loaded, and around 17 mpg by itself
But his is all stock, the only thing we do is use diesel fuel treatment. The times that it's ran on straight low sulfur diesel fuel, it always gets less mpg. See anywhere from 1 to 4 mpg drop across the board.

No I never have used any fuel treatment.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

I bought a used 06 and it got similar mileage.It ran fine but eventually started using oil. It used a lot of oil so i decided to get it rebuilt,still ran fine. Well it had 4 broken top rings,1 broke oil ring,the head had 8 cracks in it,the cam was competently wiped out on 2 lobs,and the turbo was wore out. Bottom end was fine. Now my mileage is around 22.5 empty and 17 pulling about 20,000 lbs. The way a cummins should be.

Well mine doesn't use any oil at all and no problems with boost or any strange noises. 180k miles on it right now.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

Are you going by the dash readout or actually doing the math? My 97 2wd with 3.55s got 22 on the highway and around 18 or so towing. It had 100HP injectors and no fuel plate, which killed the auto trans. My current 07.5 is fully deleted and straight piped with EFI live, 4wd with 4.10s with an auto and my trip to NW AR last week averaged 17.5, towing it drops to around 15-16 depending on where I'm going, flat land or lots of hills. Both of mine were/are 2500s.
The 12 valve got better mileage but was 2wd which makes a difference and there is a very noticeable difference in power. I love the 6.7.

Always hand calculated. The computer in the ceiling always reads 2mpg higher than what it actually is.

 

[BIG_Country]

You might want to look into some then. This new low sulfur and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel does not have eough lubricant in it, so you pump and injectors are working harder and running hotter then they should, and when this happens the mpg go down.

It will also help your pump and injectors have a longer life too. I run treatment in all of our tractors, and those pumps and injectors are all factory with 11000, 8000, 6000,9000 hours of run time on them without having to touch pump or injectors.

Oh we learned the hard way about ultra low sulfur diesel on a 94 f350. Run several tanks of it in the truck and burnt the pump and injectors up, just a $5000 lesson

No I never have used any fuel treatment.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

You might want to look into some then. This new low sulfur and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel does not have eough lubricant in it, so you pump and injectors are working harder and running hotter then they should, and when this happens the mpg go down.

It will also help your pump and injectors have a longer life too. I run treatment in all of our tractors, and those pumps and injectors are all factory with 11000, 8000, 6000,9000 hours of run time on them without having to touch pump or injectors.

Oh we learned the hard way about ultra low sulfur diesel on a 94 f350. Run several tanks of it in the truck and burnt the pump and injectors up, just a $5000 lesson

I'm not against trying it, whats the brand or name of the stuff you have used?

 

[BIG_Country]

I use both of these, and there both great year round treatment

 

[Lil ugly]

I use both of these, and there both great year round treatment

I have used the Diesel Kleen and it seems to work. I like using Seafoam, I used it in my 04.5 all of the time and it had 270K when I wrecked it and it was going strong still. However now Seafoam is stupid expensive. Definitely looking for a replacement considering how dirty the 6.7 with the EGR is

 

[BIG_Country]

How'd your mpg now?

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

How'd your mpg now?

I tried the white bottle on this last trip I took to Windrock and it didn't make a single bit of difference. Pulling my 30 ft trailer with 2 rigs on it I averaged 8.3 there and back to Central NC.