OP
Our town's in a hollow surrounded by mountain ridges, lotsa hills.
Increasing the Fuel Economy of My Truck
- Thread starter snubbyfan
- Start date
OP
So far all I've added are front floor mats and a home made CD holder. I might get a fog light kit for it one day. It's our inclimate weather vehicle and a little extra light'll help.
Arik
Member
Hills are gonna kill your MPG regardless of car.
OP
Yup, we're lucky to get over 30 mpg with then Yaris, driving around here.
When you are going up hill, take it out of overdrive, not good for the tranny.
Arik
Member
Can't speak for the mud but I live north of you and in my 20s I drove nothing but sports cars. Specifically 2 Camaros. One 3.4 6cyl and the other was a 5.7 8cyl. I drove them from 1998 to about 2006. I drove them through all the snow storms including the big one in 03 and 05. Of course when my work was closed I didn't drive but when I did I never got stuck. Threw some weight in the trunk (about 200lbs) and used the shifter to start and stop. Start out in L and go from there. Throw it in nutral for stops....etc.. granted we don't have many hills....some but overall not a lot
OP
Hmm, that may explain why the automatic tranny in our Neon took a big dump.
Come to think of it, I'd downshift out of OD with the manual tranny in our Tacoma on the uphills.
Great minds think alike. My wife has a car that gets almost twice the gas milage of my truck and to replace will cost about half of my truck. We drive the car a lot more than the truck. Larry
OP
Oh yeah, I ran a Toyota Parts warehouse back in the early 80's and I used a 2wd diesel toyota truck to run stuff around with.
In the snow I'd put about 400 pounds of used cores in the back and that truck'd go everywhere.
I'd leave my '75 Corolla at work and drive it home in the snow.
It didn't like starting on a cold winter morning but it could be eventually coerced to cooperate.
Snubbytfan: If I were you I would spend my time making holsters and selling them instead of doing mechanic work (that may not help) and then you will be rich and the amount of gas you use won't matter. 
Larry
LarryArik
Member
I usually threw in actual weights. Like bench press weights. They're flat, don't take up a lot of space, can be stacked and still not take up much space and can be spread around the trunk for more even coverage. I'd get 4 plates at 100 lbs and maybe add some 50s.
OP
Right now I've got some personal stuff I'm working on, Stay tuned.Snubbytfan: If I were you I would spend my time making holsters and selling them instead of doing mechanic work (that may not help) and then you will be rich and the amount of gas you use won't matter.
Ecoboost is nothing more than a turbocharged engine.
Look for an aftermarket turbocharger for your Dodge.
With the price of gas going below $2 I don't think it will be a money saver.
You'll have braggin rights in your neighborhood with some of the gearheads though.
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SW MP15
Member
MotorKote?
I've always been the same way about additives! But look up MotorKote on YouTube and other places. I first heard about it on a Trucker (semi type) radio show! And personally listened to hundreds of truckers call in raving about it! And as you well know, you don't mess with truckers or their trucks! They would hunt the man down and hurt him, if it wasn't what he says it is!! Better fuel economy, better oil life. Less friction better for engine wear!
And I now even use it on my guns! It soaks into the metal and protects it from within! I let it soak and then oil as usual! I let it absorb. And I wouldn't use it on my older high dollar guns, if I wasn't a believer! They highly recommend it for rails and such on 1911's ETC! And after soaking a few days, it even makes my revolvers easier to clean!
I've always been the same way about additives! But look up MotorKote on YouTube and other places. I first heard about it on a Trucker (semi type) radio show! And personally listened to hundreds of truckers call in raving about it! And as you well know, you don't mess with truckers or their trucks! They would hunt the man down and hurt him, if it wasn't what he says it is!! Better fuel economy, better oil life. Less friction better for engine wear!
And I now even use it on my guns! It soaks into the metal and protects it from within! I let it soak and then oil as usual! I let it absorb. And I wouldn't use it on my older high dollar guns, if I wasn't a believer! They highly recommend it for rails and such on 1911's ETC! And after soaking a few days, it even makes my revolvers easier to clean!
JJEH
Member
venomballistics
Member
I just like to make those capable of doing so think once in a while
Don't you wish they still made a Willies Jeep, true to its WW2 roots?
inline 4 2.2L @ 60HP then ... have to wonder how a modern engine sip gas with the design requirements so low.
as for snow and ice .... when the friction between tread and tera firma approaches zero, machines stand on equal ground.
That pony trotted past its fair share of ditch mounted 4x4's back in Wisconsin. Theres always a handfull that think themselves invincible in 4WD and are slow to learn no traction means no traction for everyone.
Kernel Crittenden
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
Snubbyfan,
I've read a number of articles on the interweb about the use of small amounts of acetone added to the fuel tank boosting gas mileage of older engines significantly. Way beyond the caloric value of the acetone itself. Like 1 oz acetone to 15 gal of gas.
There's one catch, though. The acetone evaporates so rapidly, the only practical benefit is seen on long trips. When you burn a whole tank in a few hours. You can't add some acetone and then drive on that tank all week and see any improvement.
Maybe it's all internet bunk, but I bought a can of of acetone to try it out on my next long trip. 2001 Nissan Pathfinder 3.5L V-6 with over 200,000 miles. Currently getting about 19 to 21 mpg highway. Same highway mileage it's always had.
I figure maybe it will work. Not much to loose. At least no one is trying to sell a gizmo (which never work). Unless it's a conspiracy by the acetone manufacturers.
I've read a number of articles on the interweb about the use of small amounts of acetone added to the fuel tank boosting gas mileage of older engines significantly. Way beyond the caloric value of the acetone itself. Like 1 oz acetone to 15 gal of gas.
There's one catch, though. The acetone evaporates so rapidly, the only practical benefit is seen on long trips. When you burn a whole tank in a few hours. You can't add some acetone and then drive on that tank all week and see any improvement.
Maybe it's all internet bunk, but I bought a can of of acetone to try it out on my next long trip. 2001 Nissan Pathfinder 3.5L V-6 with over 200,000 miles. Currently getting about 19 to 21 mpg highway. Same highway mileage it's always had.
I figure maybe it will work. Not much to loose. At least no one is trying to sell a gizmo (which never work). Unless it's a conspiracy by the acetone manufacturers.
somebody needs to invent.....
Somebody needs to invent an acetone injector. In a small tank evaporation should be almost nil.
Couple of points I missed:
I ditto the synthetic oil. They do reduce mileage.
Take any extra weight out of the truck. Don't carry stuff you don't need. Around my place, the truck, storage area or back seat is full of stuff that somebody was too lazy to remove or had no place to put it so they use the vehicle for storage.
Somebody needs to invent an acetone injector. In a small tank evaporation should be almost nil.
Couple of points I missed:
I ditto the synthetic oil. They do reduce mileage.
Take any extra weight out of the truck. Don't carry stuff you don't need. Around my place, the truck, storage area or back seat is full of stuff that somebody was too lazy to remove or had no place to put it so they use the vehicle for storage.
venomballistics
Member
cover the bed for starters ... that eliminates the tailgates influence.
here on in the more your willing to cram into your head, the better you'll fair...
find a setup to tweak the Engine Control Computer.
If you know what your doing with timing, fuel map, and the rest of the clan of engine variables, you might find a more significant gain.
But understand that a truck punches one heck of a hole through the air and theres only so much that can be done with its aerodynamic boot print.
here on in the more your willing to cram into your head, the better you'll fair...
find a setup to tweak the Engine Control Computer.
If you know what your doing with timing, fuel map, and the rest of the clan of engine variables, you might find a more significant gain.
But understand that a truck punches one heck of a hole through the air and theres only so much that can be done with its aerodynamic boot print.
Bkreutz
US Veteran
I just like to make those capable of doing so think once in a while
Don't you wish they still made a Willies Jeep, true to its WW2 roots?
inline 4 2.2L @ 60HP then ... have to wonder how a modern engine sip gas with the design requirements so low.
as for snow and ice .... when the friction between tread and tera firma approaches zero, machines stand on equal ground.
That pony trotted past its fair share of ditch mounted 4x4's back in Wisconsin. Theres always a handfull that think themselves invincible in 4WD and are slow to learn no traction means no traction for everyone.
I get 18.5 MPG with my '47
