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Sandpeep
GenI
 
6/12/2004
23:15:19
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 Subject: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Good day all,
New to the board, and pick up is "new" - a
'98 sport with 4 cyl and 5 sp. Gets pretty good
MPG considering (1) It's a pretty heavy truck
compared to my last ride and (2) I've got to put
California Fuel in it. Due to the formula they
use here, the truck averages 20 mpg between
city and highway - actually about 17-18 in
town, and 22+ on the highway. I've seen
someone else post about 28 mpg - I assume
that's not using California formulated fuel.
Anyway, happy with the truck, but want to get
MORE mpg, what mods and equipment have
worked to improve the distance between fill
ups?
BTW, the last truck I had was a 81 vw diesel,
yea, it was slow, but 45 mpg without trying,
and a best of 53 mpg under ideal conditions.
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daffydak
GenIII
6/14/2004
22:35:09
|  RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
if anything, a good start would be a cold air intake. synthetic lubracants are also good for a few mpg(s) you can also try a "hotter" coil and make sure your tires are inflated properly.
i'm sorry if i'm not much help, but you might want to post in the members only board. no one hardly ever checks the members 4cyl board except me!! :-) oh, and welcome abord!!
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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Martin
GenII
6/26/2004
11:28:34
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Yeah I am the one who said I got 28 mpg highway 24 city with my pickup but its a '94 gen 2 and lighter than your '98. It also has a diferent engine so you may never get 28 mpg on the highway. But hear is what did to get better mpg.
tonneau cover, synthetic oils in trans, engine, and rear end, K&N filter, new oxygen senser, under drive pully, hotter coil, better ignition wires, and good cooler spark plugs gapped to like .055 or somthing.
I have also gutted the air intake but have yet to take it on the highway to see an improvement.
I also want to get a high flow exhaust system and a MSD 6al ignition. And if your pickup does not already have a electric fan try that too. And you can't blame the gas I run the 89 octane ethanol in my pickup which I think is the same stuff you got out in California with a 10% blend of ethanol. Well I am fresh out of ideas if you got any more post them
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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Martin
GenII
6/26/2004
11:40:35
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Oh and I also got a crank scraper but I have yet get under the pickup to install it. That should be good for a mpg or 2.
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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daffydak
GenIII
6/27/2004
13:31:34
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
yeah the crank scraper should help free up a few ponies as well :-P
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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Martin
GenII
6/28/2004
10:58:55
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Well I am glad there are atleast 2 guys now with four banger Dakotas. Maybe I will rember to check this board more often now.
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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daffydak
GenIII
6/28/2004
22:02:43
|  RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
i wish i could get 28 hwy 24 city in my 4.7L 4x4 auto cc!! only in a perfect world :-)
the last time i checked i got around 17 hwy and 14-15 city (if i keep er' under 2500 RPMs) i cant wait to buy me a flowmaster 40 delta!! I have a heavy foot, and a louder exhaust will only make it heavier :-P
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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Sandpeep
GenI
6/29/2004
00:17:47
|  RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Thanks for the info - OK then, if MY 2.5L is
different, then I assume this the one in the
Jeep Wrangler?
The Tonneau sounds like a slam dunk. The
synthetic oil is something I hadn't thought
about (after all what REAL difference would it
make? but thinking about it, once the oil's
changed, it keeps working forever - Thanks!)
Crank Scraper? Who carries them? And
does anyone know who carries a 2.5L air
intake? I see a lot of "universal fit" designed
for the 2.5 AND 3.9 and 5.2. Isn't there a real
2.5L as it sits in the 98 Dakota specific made
kit?
Does anyone know of a header that fits this
engine/body combo? I've seen a couple for
the Jeep, but not for the Dakota.
BTW, the oxygenated fuel we get out here is
same but different - it is formulated to cut
down pollution, but (1) we get stuck using it
year 'round (I recall in Maryland using it only
half the year) and (2) we don't use Ethanol in
California - rather methyl tertiary butyl ether
(MTBE). Keeps the air clean, but has fouled
the ground water - go figure!
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Martin
GenII
6/29/2004
10:07:29
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
I thought I read that they are faseing out the mtbe stuff and replacing it with ethanol. No idea where you could get a crank scraper the place where i got mine does not carry them for your engine. And i doubt anybody makes a air intake for your '98 2.5 try and modify it and put a K&N filter in it if you can't find anything. As for headers I doubt any body would make one for the dakota but the jeep headers might fit who knows you might get lucky.
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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Martin
GenII
7/06/2004
12:40:52
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Oh and I advanced the ignition timing a little to for more hp and mpg. I have yet to try but you can advance the cam timing for a few more mpg at the expence of top end hp.
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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sandpeep
GenI
7/06/2004
14:49:32
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Thanks for the update, I'm er, ah, working real hard on replacing the blown speakers from the last owner, THEN I'll start working the MPG - honest. BTW, I didn't see any mention of chipping the computer (and not the $10 device that fools the computer into thinking the engine is still cold, I'm talking about a real coumputer managment system upgrade - any experience?
I've also heard that if advancing the timing, hotter chip, freed up intake/exhaust, then one should consider a cooler thermostat - easly enough, but how cold (I assume that's a 196 deg in there now? 180? 170? I realize the cooler one gets, the more one is in danger of having the emission system not perform exactly as planned - I did drop a 160 deg in my non-emission vw diesel, and just what a nice change that made in under hood temps, radiator boil over on long grades, etc. etc.
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Martin
GenII
7/07/2004
11:50:08
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
I would stick with the 195 degree thermostat you may get more hp with a 180 but the high temp gets you better mpg. With a 160 degree thermostat the computer would freak out and give the engine more fuel becouse it thinks its cold and you get more ring ware at those temps so I bet you would get less mpg and hp. Someone I bet makes a computer upgrade for the jeep that might work on your Dakota but if you do that you might have to run 91 or better gas all the time. So it might not save you any money if it does get better mpg. If you want the real good mpg put a diesel under the hood of that dakota I might try and do that when the engine goes on my dakota.
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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Sandpeep
GenI
7/07/2004
14:55:48
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
I would love to put a diesel under the hood - as per Gale Banks' ground pounder dakota w/a turbo cummings that does what? 209 mph? If you haven't seen it, try the banks web site - what a ride! In the mean time, small steps...Thanks for the info, didn't think about the ring wear issue. as for the 91 octane - ever notice that as the price of gas increases, the spread between 87, 89 and 91 more or less stays the same? Eventually better milage with 91 octane will cost less than lower milage with 87 octane, but it takes a sharp pencil to figure out when that line is crossed.
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Martin
GenII
7/07/2004
16:59:50
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Message:
Yeah the SideWinder or something I think is what they call that Banks Dakota. If I were to do it for a street pickup I would put the 3.9 Cummins in. It is the same as the 5.9 they use with 2 less cylinders. It would be much easier then moveing the firewall like they did on the banks Dakota.
Oh man if some one could figure out when that line is cross between running 87 or 91 that would be sweet. That must suck in california not being able to get any higher than 91 octane some places carry as high as 94 here in Michigan.
<----There Is A Real Dodge truck!
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dak_sport98
Gen III
10/23/2005
01:39:48
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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hey guys. i just registered for the forums here and im interested in the same thing as sandpeep. i got a 98 and my buddy has a 2000. same deal, 2.5, 5 speed. he says when he drives on the highway, he can get just over 500 miles on a tank, max. that's spittin and sputterin into a gas station. that figures out to about 30 miles to the gallon! i want to know how he does it! we both have a flowmaster muffler and that's it. on the way to texas this weekend, i got 23 mpg on the highway. thats it! is there any difference between the trucks, things they may have changed from 98 to 2000?
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Sandpeep
GenIII
10/23/2005
09:39:20
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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Nice to see a new member, I hope SOMEONE comes up with more hints - I'm suprised that since the first time I posted, gas has gone up a dollar in California, and 4 cylinder trucks haven't become more popular.
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dak_sport98
GenI
10/23/2005
10:58:26
| RE: Better MPG for the 4 cyl
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im suprised, too that the sale of four cylinders hasnt gone up. i've heard from quite a few people, including the dealerships, that the sale of v-8 trucks has actually gone up quite considerably. i already have a v-8 GMC that sucks at about 8 mpg. thank god i found my dakota. 22 mpg isnt bad, but its better than 8! i think im going to work on some experiments with the ignition system, and all the emission stuff. im going to start with things like taking off the hoses that look like they're useless. like the one that comes off the valve cover and gets plumbed right into the intake right below the throttle body. little things like that. i'll keep you guys posted. hopefully there are more 4 cylinder owners out there that will get into this website so we can all help eachother out.
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