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Gas Mileage
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I'm wondering about axle ratios and gas mileage. On the Chevy, I have the choice of 3.73 or 4.10 with the 5.7L engine. Ford only offers the 4.10 with the 5.4L. I'm thinking the 4.10 is a bit much for my intended use. I'll be driving almost entirely on highway/interstate in the midwest and southern states, so no big mountains. And my cargo will normally weigh around 1800-2200 lbs, including me and the stuff. (The "cube" itself weighs about 1200 lbs.)
Will there be a significant drop in gas mileage with the 4.10? Do you think the fairing and taller box will cause enough drag that I will need it? I won't be towing anything with this rig either, just basically hauling around my artwork to display at various art shows. Sure don't need any stump pulling torque.
It seems strange to me that on Ford's E350 cargo and passenger vans, they offer either a 3.55 or a 4.10 rear end, but just the 4.10 on their "cutaway", even the SRW. I guess they figure most end users will be either some big motorhome or big commercial delivery type box. If you loaded up a 15 passenger E350 to the hilt it would be a lot more load than what I'll be carrying, yet a 3.55 can be ordered on the passenger van.
Thanks very much for any ideas or info.
and repost. You are more likely to get a response there, than here in "Pickups".
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
So if anybody has any opinions on my axle ratio question, other than collecting beanie babies on road trips (which is what I found in the Vans gas mileage conference), I'd still appreciate it.
purtypitcher
'99 F-250 SD SC PSD 3.73 LS.
Using cruise control and at about 77 to 80 MPH the mileage was right on 17 MPG.
Before the Radar detector died, running 85 to 91 MPH and no cruise control it ranged from 15.2 to about 15.6 MPG. In west Texas you have to do at least 85 if you don't want to get run over by a semi.
An interesting side note, I saw the largest variety of vehicles being used by the bears. (Suburbans, Explorers, Blazers, one F-150, unmarked and marked Crown Vic's.)
Rich
I have had it to two different dealers on three occasions and they keep telling me nothing is wrong. Is this really true, do Dodge trucks really suck this much gas??? Is this a design flaw? The computer shows no fault codes and the tail pipe sniffer says it's in spec. This is my first Dodge pick-up, my last was a Chevy and it got 20MPG all day long with a similar config. Help, do you get similar mileage? Thanks.
This truck has been a total disappointment. The truck required a complete transmission rebuild at 4500 miles. It currently uses at least 1 quart of oil between every oil change. But the biggest problem is the mpg. This vehicle comes with a rating of 15 city/20 highway. My last tank I only got 12.1 mpg (mostly 10 mile highway trips). I drive with a very light foot and most of my driving is highway to and from job sites. I rarely have more than 400lbs tools and cargo.
Two Ford dealerships have put this truck on the computer a total of 5 times with always the same results. The diagnostics show that the truck is getting 17 city/ 22 highway. This truck has never gotten better than 15.5 on a straight highway drive, without any cargo. Fords' response has been , "Too bad! We don't warranty mpg".
I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has had a similar experience with a Ford truck or with anyone who has actually gotten Ford to admit that poor mpg is a problem.
*** Just a note. At 12000 miles/yr each reduced mpg costs $75.00 /yr @ $1.30/gal. This vehicle is currently going to cost my business $3500-$4000 (gas @ 1.30/gal) more over the time I planned to keep it than Ford claimed it would, at the time of purchase.
The truck weights 5400 lbs empty. Either Chevy makes a better V8 or you guys got a problem.
The best mpg I have ever gotten was 15.75 on a straight highway drive at 65 - 70mph. (summer 1999) *** never duplicated to date
In winter I let the vehicle warm up for 4-5 minutes when it's below 20 degrees (only once in the morning). The cold does seem to affect this truck in that my average mpg goes from 14mpg in the summer to 12mpg when it is consistently below freezing.
Stevek I know a couple other K1500 v8 owners who are getting better mpg than I am.
After owning 6 trucks (all but 1, new) over the past 23 years this is my first Ford truck, though not my first Ford vehicle. It is unlikely that I will own another. Not that I think Fords are made any worse than any other vehicle. But, if there is a problem, Ford is very difficult to deal with.
As far as dealing with Ford, maybe it's the luck of the draw. I had several job transfers in the past seven years, so I've been to many different dealers. I bought my 92 F-250 in Alaska and transferred to Southern CA in 1993. I had routine maintenance done on it at several dealerships. Each time, they found warranty work that I didn't even know were problems and a couple of times they did recall work that I didn't know about. This was all without asking and all at no cost.
On one occasion, after my warranty expired, I drove through some very deep water after torrential rains had caused alot of flooding. I should have had the truck lubed after I did that, but I didn't. About a month later, the caliper slide locked up. Although the warranty had run out about 5,000 miles earlier, Ford "goodwilled" the parts, so all I paid was labor, which wasn't very much.
On my move from CA to Dallas in 1997, my "Check Engine" light came on as I was leaving the Grand Canyon. I took it to a dealership in Albuquerque, where he was up front about needing to charge me $65 to run a diagonositic. This was a busy dealership and I was an ideal candidate to be gouged since I was passing through and couldn't afford to wait long. He got me out of there the same morning with a total cost of less than $100, including the diagnostic tests.
On my current truck, I bought it in Oklahoma in late 1998 and then moved back to Alaska. I had an engine problem at 9,300 miles. Turns out that it was a factory error. Rather than let the dealership tear the engine apart, Ford replaced the engine. That's the only major problem I've had with either of my trucks, and I certainly can't complain about the response from Ford.
Like I said, maybe it's the luck of the draw, but the numerous dealerships I have been to have afforded me very acceptable service without me having to nag them about it.
Getting back to the mpg, personally, I think a V-6 is a little underpowered for a full-size truck. That's just my opinion. They have to work harder to do the same work. That's not a big issue in lighter vehicles, but I think, if nothing else, ithe V-6 will have a shorter engine life in the heavier full size trucks than the V-8 since the engine is pushing harder. It's not uncommon for the smaller engines to get the same, or only slightly better mpg, than a little larger engine in a heavier vehicle.
The mpg of the V-10 with the 3.73 in the Superduty is similar to what you appear to be getting with the six cylinder. They are consistently reporting 11ish for city and 13.5-14.5 hwy. There are some getting more and some less. The 2000 trucks appear to be getting a little better than the 1999s. I probably have the lowest mpg setup for a Superduty. I've got a 99 F-350 Superduty 4x4 dually with the 4.30 axle ratio. The 4x4, duallys and 4.30 axle ratio cost me about 1-2 mpg. I average 9.5ish in a city/hwy mix and 11.5-12 hwy. With my 4,000+ pound Bigfoot slide-in truck camper in the bed, I get 8.5-9 hwy and can get close to 10 on flat hwy if I keep the speed in the 55mph range (doesn't happen often).
I lose 1-1.5 mpg in the winter. It's a combination of things. First, my truck is not garaged, so I let it idle and warm up the interior before I jump in and hit the road. Another factor is that I drive in 4wd quite a bit. The final factor is that we have winter fuel up here. Many cold weather states do. I filled up with gas and made a 200 mile roundtrip in December and got a little more than 1mpg less than when I made exact same trip in August. Both trips were done in 2wd.
PS our '99 Silverado seems to be getting under 16 around town during Seattle winter driving.
highway mileage of the 4-cylinders. The V6's mileage drops dramatically, though. Some of them don't even get as good mileage as the full-sized ones.
-powerisfun
So, like the rest of us - how many miles do you intend to really use the engine hard?
If you're looking for the V-8 gas engine that gets the best mpg in a full size truck, you would want to be looking at Chevy. Ford is usually second, with Dodge 3rd. I don't know enough about the six cylinders to comment on any of the brands.
If you're getting 9mpg with a 1/2 ton six cylinder, I don't think there can be any doubt that the engine does not have enough power for the truck. I have one of the worst mpg setups:
99 F-350 Superduty V-10 dually 4x4 with 4.30 axle ratio.
I get 9.5 in a mix of city/hwy and 11.5-12 hwy. The guys who own the single rear wheel V-10 Superdutys with the 3.73 axle ratio are getting 2+ mpg better. With my Bigfoot camper in the bed (total weight of camper and truck is just under 12,000 pounds loaded for a trip), I get 8.5-9 hwy and can get 10mpg on flat hwy at 55. Like I said, the six cylinder just sounds like the wrong engine for the truck.
I came from Chevy before my first Dodge Ram. I loved the Quad Cab and the styling. My Chevy's always got decent mileage (17-21MPG) but the styling was a yawner.
Moral of the story, the prettiest girl doesn't always dance the best. I going back to Chevy.
Good luck.
Ramman7
Trailer Life magazine recently tested a 2000 3/4 ton Chevy 6.0L 4x4 with 4.10. They quote actual, real world mpg which is usually less than what you hear alot of owners claiming and definitely less than advertised. They managed 13.8 running empty in ideal hwy conditions. It dropped down to 9.5 towing.
Still, the 13.8 sounds a little higher than you are getting and it's quite a bit more engine. Then again, it was straight, flat hwy when they got that mpg. Like you said, hopefully it's just because you need to get some more miles on the truck, and not a situation of not enough engine for the truck. Sometimes an engine will continue to increase in mpg up until about 7,000 miles or so.
Brutus, I have a question for you. Sometimes, when running late, I don't have time to let it warm up. Is it better to leave it in lower gears and let it warm up quickly, or better to put it in higher gears with less rpm and let it warm slowly? I know it is best to have a warm engine, but forcing it to get warm quickly may put undue stress on the block/pistons. I have to get on a highway >1 mile from home so I usually leave it low, let it rev and try to get it warm before I have to be going 70. I was just wondering which would be best. You seem to know your truck well and you do live in a colder climate than I, so I thought you might know.
Thanks.
If you don't have a block heater, I'd say it would be a good investment. It will cost you more than the factory option price, which I think was $35 or $40, but it's not too much more, definitely under $100. I'm pretty sure that the hardest thing on the engine related to cold weather is the actual starting of the engine, rather than the driving. Of course, a block heater won't help you at work, but I usually try to plug my truck in at home when the temp drops below 20. I still start the truck about 10 minutes before I'm ready to head out the door in the morning so the cab gets warm.
I see by your profile that you spent some time in LA. My job transferred me to Southern CA from 1993 to 1997. I worked in Chatsworth for about a year and Irvine for the rest of the time. I lived in Simi Valley, Newport Beach, Huntingon Beach, and Lake Forest while I was down there. A Southern CA coworker and good friend was from Eau Claire Wisconsin. He currently works for SBA in Seattle, but he trys to get back to Wisconsin as often as possible to do some hunting and fishing. He calls Wisconsin, "God's Country". Of course, being from Alaska, I disagreed. You flatlanders.....
Coke and Brandy forever....
I was in LA from 94 to June 99. Lived in Westwood the whole time. Loved it, although my lungs could never get used to the smog. Anytime I left for two weeks or more I'd always have a throat infection when I came back which the doc said was caused by the smog. I guess its common. By my second year there the doc would give me a supply of antibiotics whenever I left so I could start them before I got back. I just think there is something wrong with being allergic to air. Never been to Alaska, although I really want to go there someday. I like Wisconsin, but I guess like LA, everywhere has its own "environmental hazards." LA has smog, Wisconsin has beer, cheese curds, bratwurst and AYCE fish fry Fridays. I think I like my chances with the smog better.
Have a nice day
Roger.
We are experiencing some cold weather her in Ontario right now - around -20c / -4f. As a result of which they had various 'experts' on the radio telling people how to avoid car problems. They recommended block heaters (obviously) for around 1 - 1.5 hours, and said that this could be a valid alternative to idling the engine before starting. However they also gave the following advice which came as a bit of a surprise.
They said that the hardest thing on a vehicle in cold weather is demanding a big hit on the battery - and obviously turning the ignition is the hardest. They therefore suggested putting headlights on for 10-15 seconds BEFORE turning the vehicle over. Apparently this starts the chemical reactions in the battery and reduces the impact on the battery when the starter kicks in - who knew?
Slightly off topic, but valid at this time of year I think.
That's the reason to get the heck out of Ontario & move to best part of the country. Enjoy the snow!!!
All I need is a good rain coat & hat!
13.1 city / hwy 2400 miles thats as good as it gets....... pretty poor!!! not a stoplight bandit either.....
Saw enough rain in England, didn't have too much success racing dog sleds without snow either - kills the runners.
I don't mind the cold when I'm out in it - running dogs and wearing good quality gear keeps the chill away - problem is it's damn uncomfortable trying to drive in all that gear.
Weather warmer now - above 0f, just like a bit more snow.
Apologies for being off topic.
To go even further off topic - it wouldn't make sense to put Mals through it anyway as they tend to be both stronger and slower than the other breeds. Although they will pull forever they would certainly lose on speed and the increased strength translates into fewer dogs and therefore less scope for dogs to drop out. I, and all responsible mushers, will never run dogs that aren't fit and rested enough.
Back to trucks - you'd have to pay me more than $50k and a Dodge to enter the Iditarod - even though I bleed Mopar.
Getting back on topic, I'm not sure how much fuel an Iditarod dog needs per mile.....and I'm not sure how much it would cost to make me drive a Dodge....just kidding, of course.
Fuel efficiency is awesome.
You have to make sure that you use the right fuel - high energy stuff that would blow most dogs away - about a 300 octane rating.
My guys get through around one bag per dog per month - around 4 cups a day maximum. A bag costs about C$45, call it $28-30. They also get soup, stock or broth occasionally in the winter instead of water.
For that I get about 8-10 miles a day when training - they would do more if I had the time. They need a minimum of 5 miles walking on that to keep the weight down (though its all relative). I have done around 35 miles in one day - and though the dogs slept well they would do more.
I have no idea how far some of the Iditarod dogs are capable of doing in a day.
The fuel for the dogs on the trail is always warm food. The mushers get a lot less sleep than the dogs. The first thing they do at rest stops is lay down bedding (at checkpoints), melt snow for dog food, check paws, change dog booties, and often massage the dogs. Although there is some normal dog food, much of the dog's food has meat, especially salmon, for high protein. These dogs live to mush. At the start of the race, the mushers often carry an extra sled or person or other weight to slow the team down since the key is distance, not the short term rush.
I apologize for the off-subject post. This will be my last Iditarod post. The race starts the first week in March. You can usually find a link to track it on the local newspapers website at www.adn.com. I use to track it when I lived out of Alaska.
I have a '00 Silverado X/C on order. I selected the 5.3 over the 4.8 engine. I took into consideration the 500+ extra for the extended cab & was told by my salesperson that the 5.3 will get close to the 4.8 in mpg.
I'm sure that the 4.8 is a good engine, but I think that the 5.3 should be standard on the extented cab.
Just my two cents worth!
AFS