5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500

On Jun 18, 11:42 am, "John Selph" <Jse... DeleteThis @cox.net> wrote:
> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas mileage?
> My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the highway, which

If you lean out the mixture, it'll burn up. Like TBone said, keep the
tires inflated. I put a Flowmaster Truck and SUV series muffler on my
Dakota 5.9 and it seemed to make a little improvement. I still
wondered if there was a hole in the tank and fuel was just leaking
out. Luckily I sold that thing when gas was $2.50/gal. I miss that
truck but it was just too thirsty.
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

"John Selph" <Jselph.DeleteThis@cox.net> wrote in message
news:C1a6k.1010$Fj5.729@newsfe23.lga...
> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas mileage?
> My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the highway,
> which I feel is a bit low, especially with gas prices today. I've
> purchased the OBD software and interface for my laptop, and I believe that
> the included software allows limited reprogramming. I've already
> installed K&N filter, made sure it's in tune, and checked tire pressures.
> Any other hints?
> Thanks,
> John
> BTW, I'm located around New Orleans where it's hot and humid. js

You pretty much have what your gonna get. It is a truck, with the aero of a
brick.
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

On Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:07 -0500, "John Selph" <Jselph RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote:

>Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas mileage?
>My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the highway, which
>I feel is a bit low, especially with gas prices today. I've purchased the
>OBD software and interface for my laptop, and I believe that the included
>software allows limited reprogramming. I've already installed K&N filter,
>made sure it's in tune, and checked tire pressures. Any other hints?
>Thanks,
>John
>BTW, I'm located around New Orleans where it's hot and humid. js
>
That's pretty much what our stock 99 ram gets with 5.9, auto, 3.5 gears and QQ..

We have slightly oversized tires and know that we lose a bit of low end, but it
still only gets 14 - 15 mpg on freeway trips..

Our 01 Dakota with 4.7L gets 19 - 20 on trips but can't tow or hold what the ram
does... Life is full of choices, I guess..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

On Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:07 -0500, John Selph wrote:

> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas
> mileage? My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the
> highway, which I feel is a bit low, especially with gas prices today.
> I've purchased the OBD software and interface for my laptop, and I
> believe that the included software allows limited reprogramming. I've
> already installed K&N filter, made sure it's in tune, and checked tire
> pressures. Any other hints? Thanks,
> John
> BTW, I'm located around New Orleans where it's hot and humid. js

drive like you've got an egg on the accelerator thats about all you can
do for a truck. aside from keeping the tires inflated.



--
Chris
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

Christopher D. Thompson wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:07 -0500, John Selph wrote:
>
>> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas
>> mileage? My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the
>> highway, which I feel is a bit low, especially with gas prices today.
>> I've purchased the OBD software and interface for my laptop, and I
>> believe that the included software allows limited reprogramming. I've
>> already installed K&N filter, made sure it's in tune, and checked tire
>> pressures. Any other hints? Thanks,
>> John
>> BTW, I'm located around New Orleans where it's hot and humid. js
>
> drive like you've got an egg on the accelerator thats about all you can
> do for a truck. aside from keeping the tires inflated.
>
>
>

Same items apply to any vehicle. Keep the tires properly inflated. Make
sure the brakes are working properly to avoid brake drag. Have the
alignment checked and make sure you don't have any bad bearings.
Synthetic oils in the gearboxes can help some, they stay at about the
same viscosity regardless of temperature (no waiting for them to warm up
in the winter). Make sure your engine is in proper tune.

Plan your trips so you can avoid backtracking. Drive intelligently, no
rapid starts, coast to a stop when possible. Track your vehicles
mileage. SLOW DOWN. One thing that is pounded into anyone who runs
emergency vehicles is that for most trips the extra speed works against
you a LOT.

--
Steve W.
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

John Selph wrote:
> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the
> ECM to improve gas
> mileage? My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with
> air) and about 15 on the
> highway, which I feel is a bit low, especially
> with gas prices today.
> I've purchased the OBD software and interface
> for my laptop, and I
> believe that the included software allows
> limited reprogramming. I've already installed
> K&N filter, made sure it's in tune, and
> checked tire pressures. Any other hints?
> Thanks,
> John
> BTW, I'm located around New Orleans where it's
> hot and humid. js

--

I have not done it with the Ram, or my Dakota.
But I have done it with other vehicles.

The potential is there to make some significant
improvements. The factory tune is fairly
conservative, and not always that accurate. If
you can go in an individually tune your specific
engie for your specific conditions, you can make
improvements in mileage and performance.

But, you definatly need a way to evaluate your
tuning. You shouldn't just go in and change a
fuel or timing map. What if it's already lean,
and you make it worse? At the very least, you
need a wide band O2 sensor. I use the LM-1 with
pretty good results.

Optimally, you want the truck on a chassis dyno,
and a tuner that knows what he's doing. That's a
little expensive, but you'll get the best results.

--------
..boB
2006 FXDI hot rod
2008 Mustang Coupe
2001 Dodge Dakota QC 5.9/4x4/3.92
1965 FFR Cobra - 427W EFI, Damn Fast.
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

I have a '96 with an '01 5.9 with 3.55 gears and I get 16-17 on rural roads
(45 mph) 14-15 around town and 15 highway (60-65), but I have a 5 speed, not
an automatic.
Steve

"John Selph" <Jselph.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote in message
news:C1a6k.1010$Fj5.729@newsfe23.lga...
> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas mileage?
> My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the highway,
> which I feel is a bit low, especially with gas prices today. I've
> purchased the OBD software and interface for my laptop, and I believe that
> the included software allows limited reprogramming. I've already
> installed K&N filter, made sure it's in tune, and checked tire pressures.
> Any other hints?
> Thanks,
> John
> BTW, I'm located around New Orleans where it's hot and humid. js
>
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500 

>> Has anyone experimented with reprogramming the ECM to improve gas
>> mileage? My truck gets 9 - 10 MPG city (with air) and about 15 on the
>> highway, which I feel is a bit low, especially with gas prices today.
>> I've purchased the OBD software and interface for my laptop, and I
>> believe that the included software allows limited reprogramming. I've
>> already installed K&N filter, made sure it's in tune, and checked tire
>> pressures. Any other hints? Thanks,
>> John



i have a 4x4 ram with a 360 and when i want to increase my fuel economy i
park it and drive my dakota with a v-6. i have five trucks of varying size.
we match each task to the correct size truck for the job. i commute in my
360 (its about 6 miles from home to work) and if i have to do any trip over
20 miles that doesn't require hauling a big load i drive one of the dakotas.
if the load is really big i use the cummins powered 2500. my wife is going
to an out of state wedding this weekend and instead of driving the diesel
she is taking the 5 speed dakota.

if i have to do a trip of any substantial mileage that is not work related
and it is not actively raining i drive my motorcycle. even my hot rodded
harley gets 43 mpg. buy yourself a dodge neon or some other vehicle that is
miserly on fuel and only use the truck when it is actually needed. you will
never convince a goat with a 360 into acting like a honda civic at the fuel
pump. save your mod money and buy a scooter with it instead.
michael
 >> Stay informed about: 5.9L, 2002 Ram 1500