__________________________________________________ ___________

What is "reflash"? It doesn't sound like a good thing. How can I be sure to avoid it?

JZ


.

 

The term "reflash" means a software update to the ECM (engine control module = computer). The only way I know of to absolutely, positively avoid a reflash if one is prescribed for your vehicle is to never take it to a dealer for service. Even if you order the service writer to NOT have any reflashes done, it can still happen. I think software updates are emission related, the dealer is required to do it.

 

I just got back from hauling tractors 3500 miles and was fairly dissapointed in my mileage also. I was at 21k one way and 17k on the way back and averaged 10.6 mpg for the trip. I actually got better mileage at 21k because I ran into bad roads and had to drive slower (under 60 mph). With one tank at 17k and a strong headwind I decided to screw the mpg and kicked it up to 70mph and got an amazing 7 mpg! This is with 3.73 gears and the 6sp....20k miles with reflash at 6k....hauled 15k and up all it's life so I'm sure it's broken in! Could it be these guys getting 14mpg and up towing a big a$$ fifth wheel have their overheads set on metric??? I think it's about time for a chip as truck has always felt underpowered compared to my 01 HO.

 

Im looking to buy a 4x4 4 door dually 3500
if thats all the MPG u guys are getting i might as well drive my 2.5 ton army truck i was hoping to get at least 20 on road empty
my uncle owns a 94 3/4 ton claims to get 26 mpg empty on hwy in hills
are there any solutions is this acceptable of this vehichle
my thoughts on perchase are severely questioned by this bad news
with diesel being higher than gas the xtra milage if any over gas may be out weighed by the price soon
i drive a diesel truck for a living
hauling 20,000lbs
grossing at 54,000lbs and running 65 miles per hour from denver to las vegas to bakersfield california

im getting 6.7 with a 26% over idle (over idle is the amound of time the engine is running but truck is not moving- 26% of run time is idle time) monitored by GPS and sensatrac system installed on truck

the dodge seems to be way under what it should be
heck i coud pull my whole house with this thing and get 7 miles to the gallon

is there any one here who can calm my whoes about this MPG problem
shoud i scrap buying one of these altogether and go looking for a older model
i am assuming this system is accurate

 

Mav. I can see your reasoning. Why the great diffence from one truck to the next?? Lots of it is driveing habbits, fast starts trying to go over every hill at the fastest speed possible. Driving with moderation in my opinion, 65mph or less most of the time, will get you 3-5mpg better than alot of these guys.
Lots of people on here are hot rodders not all, and some people do have issues with problem trucks. All I can really do is speak from experience. I'm on #7 Dodge diesel of my own four more that were in immediate familly all 3500/4x4s 5 or 6spds. I did run hot shot for for several years with three of these trucks and three in immediate familly also. I saw my worst mileage going to Denver with 10 boat trailers on the 44' deck 25k and a 40mph cross wind 6.7mpg at 60mph. The best I ever got was comming out of Denver with a empty trailer 15k 21mpg 15mph tail wind going 70mph. All of them a 95/4:10, 4/97s/3:54, 1/97/4:10, 2/98s/3:54, 2/01s/3:54, 1/04/3:73 have on the hwy empty at 65 or less with stock bodies not flat beds gotten 18 mpg. thats in the mid west not climbing mountains. For a couple of years I hauled hay in the winter from eastern KS to N. AR and empty with a 30' trailer 15k 15mpg, loaded from 26 to 35k average mpg was 11mpg. Some of the time hauling hay I was running with another matching truck, 97/3:54 and we were almost exactly the same on mpg every trip. If your pulling loads with lots of wind drag your speed will eat up the mpg. Make your load as arodinamic as possible. When I first started hauling hay it was with a 20ft trailer and loaded at 26k gross I got the same mpg as I did with the 30ft trailer at 35k gross because of wind drag.

 

Have you guys thought about winter fuel blend? It will lower your fuel mileage.

 

Geico266 I run #2 (I'll assume) since the weather has been unseasonably warm and run FlyingJ almost exclusively. I've also run PS additive with no improvement....normally a light foot as I am usually more concerned about mpg than time.....I plan on taking it in to the dealer for a check for low power.

 

You said you are after mpg and then drive 70mph. Not very light on the go pedle. Just because you drive 60mph doesn't mean good mpg either if you have to top every hill at 60. Get a adjustible stick of rod and prop the peddle at 60mph on flat ground just watch out for the runnaway on the down hill. Thing is on the up hill you might get down to 45mph.
Power impressions can really be hard to tell. One friend of mine bought a 01 2500 4x4 and 5spd 3:54s and kept his old 92 2wd 5spd. He chipped the 01 and the 92 was stock. He then hooked the 25ft gooseneck to the 2500 and loaded it with hay. Hooked the 30ft to the 92 and loaded it. They both took of for Texas together. When they got to the interstate he took off in his new 2500 and left the 92 behind HA HA. About 20 miles down the road the 92 came cruiseing along and blew his doors off. The 2500 couldn't keep up, even with a much lighter load and more hp.
I've also noticed that on my new truck if you push the pedle past the fuel point that it needs it doesn't help at all maybe even makes the power worse. I've noticed there is a sweet spot on all the trucks I've had, as I call it that I notice if I'm paying attention that the motor seems to pull the best at. Keeping the fuel there but not overpowering it with fuel.

 

Tree DR I said I "normally" have a light foot. I was so disgusted at the mileage I was getting watching the OH slowly tick down .1 at a time I figured I might as well make time instead of $$. I figured I was at around 9 or 10 mpg at 60, got down to 7 at 70 but the truck pulled better!

I found that this new engine MUST stay above 2000 rpm on the hills or a stiff headwind or you're done....no low end torque like the GenII, probably why they are stroking the motor in the future. I have also noticed when kicking off the cruise before shifting to 5th the engine actually feels like it gains power as I let off the accellerator.

 

Make sure you are calculating out the mileage, I have not had a trip computer that was accurate thus far.

 

My trip computer is spot on everytime...within .1 or .2.

I tried a lot of things while towing...and also made the obsrevation that below 60mph, my truck had no guts. I'm not sure if it's the auto or what (1700RPMS roughly at 60mph). Bump the speed up to 70mph, and it will pull like a train (1950rpms).

I also got fed up with the mileage falling, and decided to just cruise 70mph. Bump it up to 75mph (yes, that's a heavy foot), and the truck pulls even better.

I'd like to bring it up to the dealer, but don't have a leg to stand on. What are they going to do when I say, "There's something wrong with this truck, it's gas mileage is pathetic!" They'll laugh and tell me they have a rebate on the new Dodge Neons right now!

Can I just complain about a lack of power and have them check a few things? My mileage is at 32,500, and I'd like to have it looked at prior to cracking 36k

SQ

 

My 2005 QC 3500 started out getting about 11 mpg going back and forth to work (3 miles one way). With nearly 9000 miles on it and driving within the speed limit and anticipating the stop signs and traffic (there's a lot of stop signs and a lot of traffic on my route), I'm now up to 16.5 as a best and 15.5 as an average.

I've yet to make a trip of any distance without towing. Unloaded, I'm getting a hair under 20 mpg at 70 mph on short trips of 35 miles or so. Towing a 28 ft travel trailer on longer trips, I'm getting 12 to 14.5 mpg, depending on the terrain, the speed and the wind.

I can gain 2-3 mpg by watching the speed and keeping an eye out for what's coming up on the road.

By the way--the trip computer might be more accurate than your pen and paper computations. After a month or two of trying to be consistent in filling my tank the same amount every time, I realized it wasn't going to happen. I was always within one mpg of the computer anyway so I now just follow what the computer says.