Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction (any mechanics out there?).  

I have a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.9L V8 and 51,000 miles.  Lately my mileage has been going south.  I used to get around 14-16 MPG in mixed driving.  Now I'm getting around 10-11.  My plugs are good and gapped correctly, air filter is good, tire pressure is good. Driving habits are still the same as before.  Also, I have not noticed any loss in power. I'm not getting any pinging and no idiot lights are coming on.

What am I missing?  I have not checked the injectors, fuel filter, O2 sensors, EGR valve, thermostat since I have not noticed a loss in power or the "check engine".  Could it be one of these?

Please take SWAG and let me know.


"If you can't Dodge it - then RAM it"... at least while it has fuel.


Thanks

Why would you have trouble shooting your truck - just load, aim, and pull the trigger.

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

(Get it? Need help, trouble shooting my pick up truck?)





Geez, tough crowd tonight.

it seems like my truck just sucks gas when it gets hot, maybe fuel filter, could be some vapor in fuel lines. i dont know if thats an issue on new trucks, but i get vaporlock sometimes, some insulation on fuel line fixed that. it also could be the UNs plot to rule the globe.

O2 sensors

Maybe it is as simple as idle mixture/throttle position.

I'm not a mechanic but I'll take a stab at it. The easiest to check for but less likely is a fuel leak. If you have a fuel pump in the tank it would put the entire line under pressure and only leak while being driven. You'd probably smell it but if it is in the rear area you might miss it? Based on what you describe, I'd be more inclined to think sensor. The computer controls the mixtures based on the data from the sensors. It might not be a bad idea to just replace the o2 sensor since they need replaced every so often anyway. Then, if the problem doesn't go away, have a shop do a diagnostics check. There are airflow, air mass, altitude and other sensors that could be the problem. Have the dealer check for technical bulletins on this problem. If you're having this problem, others might also and the solution might already be known as well. Good luck.

OK here is your help!

1) stand directly in front of the truck


2) stand so that you can easily see the front of the engine


3) quickly close the hood


4) notice the emblem on the hood


5) THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM



(Dodge, if you didn't get it)

ROTFLMMFAO!!!!!!![:D][:D][:D]

Whenever the MPG dips drastically, replace the O2 sensor.  Works for me.

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Have a BG carbon depletion service done.

Thanks for the tips.  I'll start with the O2 sensors and move on to the other items that were listed.

SNIPERm88,

I am almost afraid to ask but whats a BG carbon depletion service?  

Thanks again Guys!

If you haven't already, change your distributor cap, rotor, and plug wires. O2 sensor couldn't hurt. Are your plugs covered with carbon(black) or are they normal(grayish-tan)? If they are black you have a rich fuel condition and could have anything from a leaking injector to a bad sensor. I personally would find a COMPOTENT mechanic and spend the money to have him find the problem, you could change the wires, cap, rotor, o2 sensor, etc, etc, etc. and still may not have found your problem. Good luck!

I can only think of 5 things that may be wrong with it:

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D
O
D
G
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[:D]  Just a good-natured rib from a Chevy guy!

NO!  WAIT!  PUT DOWN THAT AR!!![:D]

I think Striker had got it, this is one of the most commonly overlooked item. It is also the least costly to find out if that is the problem. Cost of a can of carb cleaner, good stuff, $3-5. You should be able to tell the difference in the way the motor pulls too. You will know before you burn the tank out.
just my 0.02 Ron

BG is a chemical company that makes things like oil and fuel additives.  They have a new product that is used to dissolve carbon buildup in the EGR system.  I've never used it but I've used their oil additive called MOA and it is some incredible stuff.  The only problem is that it can be a little hard to find because they market directly to garages and repair shops, not to the retail outlets like PepBoys.

[url]http://www.bgprod.com/[/url] doesn't list the carbon remover, but [url]http://www.bgprod.com/locator.html[/url] has a list of distributers so maybe you can find some place in your area to contact for more info.

BG has several products that look like they could have firearms applications for both lubrication and rust prevention.  

WE have a lot of dodge trucks in our fleet....sorry to say, they are the WORST for fuel consumption, especially after the miles start piling up.....only thing to do, is get the truck scanned, to see if there is anything that the computer is not telling the engine lite, then do what striker says, and do it a few times. DO NOT start arbitrarily replacing parts, thinking you are helping yourself. this will only aggrevate you and not help the problem.....if it doesn`t show up on scan, DON`T replace it. the o2 change is a myth. Otherwise, you have to live with it! It`s a chrysler.....THEY LIKE GAS...always did!![smoke]

I have an '88 S10 4*4 with the 2.8 Liter V6.  (A notoriously bad engine)

When I bought it (used), I was getting 16 or so mpg highway.  I thought it was because the engine was so underpowered for that heavy a vehicle.  The service engine light was indeed coming on every now and then, especially when the RPMs were above 2,000.  Since just about every GM I had owned had that light come on eventually, I didn't take it seriously.  I eventually got around to buying a code book which when I shorted the terminal, told me that the Oxygen sensor was not reporting data in the expected range.  I eventually changed it.  It was a 20 dollar generic part at Pep Boys.  My mileage immediately shot up to 24 mpg highway.  Apparently, when a fault is detected, the system defaults to a full rich setting so that there is no risk of running too lean.  Rich will waste fuel, and may gum the plugs, but lean could cause real damage.

I figure that I wasted about $350 in fuel cost by ingnoring that service engine light/oxygen sensor for that long.

The difference between your and my example is that my truck was indeed reporting a problem.  I was just ignoring it.

If the O2 sensor is bad it will usuall run a little rough and/or a check engine light will come on.  I would replace the fuel filter first.

On vacation I had a problem that was intermittent and seemed like fuel starvation.  It was on the July 4 weekend and the local shop had no openings so I took a guess that it was a fuel filter.  It was a Chevy and they have two I believe.  Anyway a trouble code was coming up that indicated it was the throttle position sensor (found this out later at home).  By my description of the problem NO mechanic was able to guess that was it and most agreed on fuel filter.  Just shows you how inter-related and difficult these problems are to pinpoint if you don't have diagnostic equipment.

If you are getting a trouble light ("service engine soon") you can pull the code yourself with a little device you can rent for a few bucks.  Then you can see if it matches up with the symptoms and estimate the cost of repairs.

My buddy is a technician at a Dodge dealership.  BG is the only company who makes chemicals that actually work and will not harm your hoses or injectors et.al.  The service includes BG 44k, a fuel additive that goes in with a full tank and should be used only in a tank when you are driving around town, short trips.  It also uses an induction system cleaner that is sprayed into the throttle body to clean the intake plenum and manifold.  Finally, the main step, is a can of BG carbon cleaner that is hooked up to the proper vacuum line and you run the engine until the can is empty.  With the can hooked up and the truck running it will put and sputter like crazy and spit more crap out the tail pipe that you can imagine.  It will make all the difference in the world for your 360.  The service usually costs $150-180 at a dodge dealership.  They have the tool that is needed to hook up the can to the vacume line, since that is the most important step you really can't do it yourself.  If you want, just try a can of BG 44K in the tank first and see if that solves the problem.  If it helps a little you know you need the whole service, or it may solve the problem entirely.  A can of BG 44K is about $20.  Good luck.

Back in business!!!

I took the truck into a trusted independent shop. I found out that the cap and rotor needed to be replaced and the throttle body was dirty.  Had those taken care of and noticed a big difference in power.  Had not realized that the power had dropped off that much.  But then again this got progressively worse over time.  Have to give it a couple tank fulls before I claim total victory but it seems to be working good.

Thanks again to all that helped out.  Including the Chevy and F "Blanked" O ver R ebuilt D odge boys!