It uses to much (gas)

[bassho]

I know every one in here is a dodge lover thats great everyone has the truck they like.Ive always been a chevy man but last year i got a 2001 ram 1500 with a 5.9 andit uses way to much gas and it seems like it uses more the more miles i get on it.Ive been reading alot on here and looking at what poeple are saying.But can and air filter and new muffler really help and what is it when everyone is saying 2001 has a Death Flash on the Pcm? What is the PCM? If i cant find fix for this im going to have to trade and i like the truck but come on guys 25.00 dollors a day for gas is way to much.gas here is 1.70 per gallon which sucks but still better than some places.i have a friend that drives the same place i do every day we work together and share days driving and it only take him 12.00 dollors a day.Looking for some answers and Thanks for any info that you can give.This truck has 3:55 gears.

[dirty dan]

PCM is the computer. Look on firewall in front of passenger's seat.
Air filter can make a big difference in gas mileage if it's dirty. I don't think you'll gain much mileage by switching to a different set up such as K&N.
What is your rear end differential ratio?

[BleedDodge]

GM trucks are usually not bad on gas I find, so I know what you mean. Dodges have pretty much always been hard on gas.

[fredjacksonsan]

Not to mention the 5.9 was always a gas pig, especially if you've got a heavy foot. What are you getting, about 13mpg?

[BleedDodge]

All that power has to come from somewhere...

[CrucialConcepts]

I agree Big Engine = Sucky MPG (Miles Per Gallon)
It's kind of a sacrifice for the Performance!

Ketch 22

[scoutinkeith]

the "deth flash" is a software update that dodge came up with to "fix"/hide pinging, which is common for these trucks, and can be caused by many things like wrong heat range plugs, incorrectly routed plug wires, and the imfamous belly pan leak.
the flash pulls a few degrees of timing, which pretty much kils performance and milage.
and yes, intake and exhaust mods can help to improve mileage, but don't expect drastic improvements.
and a side note, I've found that I actuailly get better milage when I drive my truck a little harder, it seems to like the higher rpm range (2500-3500). I actuailly gained just over 1 mpg just by taking off harder form stops, and spending less time below 2000 rpm.
also, if it's been a wile, a good tune up would help.

[dirty dan]

On my '04 5.7 I'm getting @ 20 mpg highway driving around 72 mph. I'm really amazed for the HP. My old suburban only got around 16 mpg which I thought was good. I do the maint by the book (hard driver schedule) or better.
One thing people commonly overlook on these vehicles is the O2 sensor(s). They can be expensive, but you really should change them as a maintenance item instead of waiting for them to fail completely. They will get dirty and give a bad read to the PCM which will cause milesga problems. A good rule of thumb is to change the O2 sensors when you change your spark plugs.