bad gas mileage.....need some help.......

[dans82vette]

I have a 2001 dodge 1500 ram 4x4 quadcab 5.9 was getting about 13 mpg overall. Towed a trailer for a c.w. group i know. drove about 150 miles.
and got 9.9 to 10.1 mpg. Since then have not gotten any better mileage.
Took it to dealer and was told they found nothingwrong with truck. Just have live with it. They said it was because it waswinter timethat was the reason.

I don't think that is the right answer. Any helpis appreciated.

Dan

[neon_rt]

What engine do you have?
The 5.9l is known for the lifter valley/intake gasket leaking and causing the Intake manifold to get too warm, reducing performance and mileage. My mileage has gone down some b/c about 1/2 of the stations in my area have 10% Alcohol added to the fuel (90% gas) for the winte months. When I use this stuff my mileage drops 10-15%.

[Stevo2]

Originally Posted by dans82vette

I have a 2001 dodge 1500 ram 4x4 quadcab 5.9 was getting about 13 mpg overall. Towed a trailer for a c.w. group i know. drove about 150 miles.
and got 9.9 to 10.1 mpg. Since then have not gotten any better mileage.
Took it to dealer and was told they found nothingwrong with truck. Just have live with it. They said it was because it waswinter timethat was the reason.

I don't think that is the right answer. Any helpis appreciated.

Dan

Go to NAPA or CarQuest and get a can of SeaFoam and run it through the gas tank and see what happens. www.seafoamsales.com

[01cav]

i kinda had the same problem... eventually the screen on my oil pump got pluged... lost oil pressure.... i couldn't believe the difference in gas mileage difference...when i changed oil pump and flushed..
98 1500 sport...

[neon_rt]

Have you done any mods to your engine?
It is possible that the computer made an adjustment to the fuel map while you were towing, in that case, after a while the mileage would return to where is was. Data is sampled and stored and the data is used cumulatively to determine fuel mixture when you are in open loop mode. Any adjustments that the computer made will eventually be replaced by newer ones as you drive in closed loop mode.

[TurboDuck]

You also didn't mention what tires / gears / etc. are on the truck. They can all make a difference. Another thing is to do your mileage calcs manually, don't trust the on-board computer. They are notoriously wrong by 2-3 mpg.