Increasing the Fuel Economy of My Truck

[snubbyfan]

Since gun people are often truck people as well, I thought I'd ask this and tap into the collective intelligence of the forum.

I've got a theory.
We once had a 1987 4wd Toyota truck. In an effort to increase gas mileage, I installed a high flow air intake.
It worked and increased mileage 2 to 3 miles more a gallon. We drove that truck until the bed practically rusted off.

Then we got a 2008 4wd Toyota Tacoma. I did the same thing and installed a high flow air intake, except this time, I got a cold air kit with a hood insulator. It increased performance, did nothing to increase mileage but it sounded cool.

I kinda figured the reason it didn't increase mileage was because the stock intake on the Tacoma was already plenty efficient.
Recently it was smashed into and totaled by an idiot that ran a stop sign on a left turn.

I've been thinking.
The '87 truck had a chrome plated metal pipe that ran across the top of the radiator and no insulation against under hood heat.
The '08 Tacoma had a plastic pipe and insulated against heat.
Hmm.
The metal pipe'd also transfer heat more efficiently that a plastic pipe.

Now we have an '06 Dodge 1500 4wd truck with a 4.7 liter V8.

My theory, if I was to install a shorty free flowing air intake with a metal pipe that wasn't insulated against under hood heat, the incoming air charge'd be warmer and less dense than a cold air charge. The computer'd sense the temperature of the warmer air and inject less fuel.
Thus increasing fuel economy.
A colder incoming air charge'd require more fuel to make up for the increased density of the cooler air.

What do y'all think?
Make sense or just a bunch of silliness?

 

[venomballistics]

Might be some small gain to be had.
But the biggest milage gain I ever managed from a truck was a solid 10 mpg.
This was accomplished by selling the truck and replacing it with an SVO Mustang.

 

[LVSteve]

Increasing the charge temperature might give you better gas mileage at the expense of performance.

Thing is the alleged "mid-size" Dakota is bigger and heavier than any Tacoma and the 4.7 V8 does not have a rep for stellar gas mileage. I suspect physics has you whipped.

 

[carpriver]

Try a F150 with an Ecoboust V-6, 350hp, 20-21.5 mpg. and it scoots.

 

[PatriotX]

You won't increase mileage, as the timing will be pulled as well.

 

[venomballistics]

Increasing the charge temperature might give you better gas mileage at the expense of performance.

Thing is the alleged "mid-size" Dakota is bigger and heavier than any Tacoma and the 4.7 V8 does not have a rep for stellar gas mileage. I suspect physics has you whipped.

And the aerodynamics.
Inertia can be moly coddled some, but the rolling collection of air brakes is non negotiable.

 

[LVSteve]

Ooops. Reread the original post. It's not a Dakota, but a Ram 1500. That puts the OP further behind the 8 ball.

 

[SW MP15]

MotorKote oil additive! K&N air filter (factory type replacement)! E3 spark Plugs! Goodyear Assurance Fuel Saver Tires! Do your home work, Google all the above! I've gained 5 mpg city and about 8 mpg hwy in my 08 Silverado Crew Cab 1/2 ton two wheel drive.with 5.3! All for under $200. note: *Tires were factory installed*

Considering getting a OBDII programmer to boast HP, add additional MPG, and change shift points! But, at $350 expensive, but probably well worth it?

I've been fooling with car/trucks all my life (60 years old) and NOT a fan of cold air intakes! Like stated, they sound cool, but never seen much benefit?

 

[rwsmith]

What can you do nowadays......

What can you do nowadays on the exhaust side that would help. I think catalytic converters sort of negate the effects of less restrictive exhaust, like headers, but I'm about 40 years behind the times and haven't considered this for newer vehicles. I don't think you can do anything with spark advance nowadays.

The mass flow sensor can be replaced IF it's old and dirty.
Oxygen sensors can get old, too, but I don't think either of these parts are known to fail until many miles are on the vehicle.

Spark plugs used to be a biggy, but nowadays they really run clean. I don't know what higher 'heat' value does to performance in today's cars. This guy at an auto parts place always said, to me or somebody else, "Get one heat higher than is specified". I wasn't sure about this and the place went out of business pretty quick.


Pump up the tires harder, but of course that makes the ride harder. I wonder what kind of tires they have nowadays that would improve mileage?

Drive slowly, accelerate smoothly, brake as little as possible, look ahead. If I see a red light, I just let my foot off the gas and coast timing it so it will be green when I get there. Braking converts gasoline into heat. Cars are tuned to get the best mileage around 45-50 mph. This is hard because driving that slow nowadays is dangerous with speed limits at 70 and higher.

Add Water injection

 

[pawngal]

Save up your $$$ till you can trade for a newer pickup. All newer trucks get much better mileage, including the Dodge Hemi.

 

[msinc]

You could always do like what NASCAR made Bill Elliott do when he was winning too much...pull 6 plug wires and put a mini-bike carburetor on it!!!!
It will slow you down a little {it did Bill anyways} but you will definitely get better mileage.

 

[deadin]

Just put a block under the accelerator pedal so you can only push it halfway down........

 

[Arik]

Not really a whole lot you can do. The biggest change would icome from how you drive. Less sudden stops and more rolling to the stop, speed limits, gradual excelleration. Some people claim that by over inflating you tires you'll have less tire & road contact thus save gas. Technically this is true and a little over inflation doesn't hurt anything but I have no idea how much over it should be and too much is not good. Also, if you put your car into nutral while at a stop or rolling to a stop you'll lower your RPMs. Again, technically true.

I don't know how much any of that actually helps. I'm sure you'll probably see some differences if you implement all of that but for the most part all these tricks and gizmos don't do much. The type of car you have is what will dictate your MPG. The best thing to do is keep it in good running condition and drive calmly, the lower the RPM the better the MPG.

Another thing that effects your MPG is how and where your city is built. If you have a lot of hills there isn't much you can do about that.

This is why I got rid of my truck a decade ago. Economical cars from there on out. I don't tow or haul anything. The last time I moved a sofa was 3 years ago and I rented a van. All in all cost me about $80, which is cheaper than driving a truck for 3 years. We get snow but it's either bad enough that I don't go to work or its not and in the last 3 years of heavy snowfall where we've gotten 6+ inches my Corolla made it home and work without issue.

 

[bigwheelzip]

My husband has an older V10 Ram 4x4, and has a foolproof plan for saving fuel. We drive my 38mpg car EVERYWHERE, unless we need to carry something large. Or he takes his Goldwing motorcycle.

 

[JcMack]

I had a Dodge 1500 standard cab. I traded my rusted '90 TOY 4WD for it. Dodge PU's are not known for their great gas milage. As I recall you now have a Dodge 1500 crew cab? 4WD. That truck weighs at least 1000 lbs. more than your old Toyota. Off the top of my old bald head the Toy probably got 20 mpg on dry pavement in 2 WD. The Dodge is getting 14-15 mpg.? Maybe $3 more to go 100 miles in the Dodge than the Toy. So keep the Dodge out of 4 WD unless you really need it, watch tire pressure, and keep your foot out of it. IMHO

 

[JJEH]

Control your right foot, that's how you control gas mileage.

Also, keep it maintained on a regular schedule and use quality synthetic oils. Everything added to the truck (nerf bars, bull bar, roll bar, bigger tires, lift kit, roof lights, etc) will worsen your fuel economy.

I went from a 17 to a 14.

 

[snubbyfan]

It's our second vehicle. Since I don't go anywhere and my wife walks to work, the only driving we do is going to the YMCA three times a week.
We mostly use the Yaris, it's gotten up to 40mpg.

The truck's for road trips, haulin' stuff, taking up into the mountain for hiking and camping, using the 4wd when it snows and after the snow melts and the ground turns to mud. It's big and comfortable. It'll carry us and our friends in comfort.
With the help of the cruise control and a little extra tire pressure, I got nearly 20 mpg out of it on our last road trip.
Our old Tacoma'd get around 25 mpg.

 

[snubbyfan]

Might be some small gain to be had.
But the biggest milage gain I ever managed from a truck was a solid 10 mpg.
This was accomplished by selling the truck and replacing it with an SVO Mustang.

Don't think the Mustang'd do too well on rutted mountain roads or 4wheelin' in snow and mud.

 

[snubbyfan]

You won't increase mileage, as the timing will be pulled as well.

Thanks, that's the kinda info I needed.

 

[snubbyfan]

MotorKote oil additive! K&N air filter (factory type replacement)! E3 spark Plugs! Goodyear Assurance Fuel Saver Tires! Do your home work, Google all the above! I've gained 5 mpg city and about 8 mpg hwy in my 08 Silverado Crew Cab 1/2 ton two wheel drive.with 5.3! All for under $200. note: *Tires were factory installed*

Considering getting a OBDII programmer to boast HP, add additional MPG, and change shift points! But, at $350 expensive, but probably well worth it?

I've been fooling with car/trucks all my life (60 years old) and NOT a fan of cold air intakes! Like stated, they sound cool, but never seen much benefit?

Thanks, I'll look into the air filter and plugs.
I've always been iffy on motor oil additives.
When I sold Toyota parts, I saw too many clogged oil pumps from "miracle" engine lube additives.