Is there any way to get better gas mileage on a Dodge durango?

Question

I have a 2001 dodge durango. I have upgraded the airfilter and the exhaust(both of which give a beautiful sound to the truck). These options should have given better gas mileage but i dont see it. It is properly taken care of, ..oil changes, ect..ect.. Any other ideas?

All stock tires and rims
Oil is replaced regularly as needed
...keep it under 2,000 rpms? Almost impossible for a durango, they are naturally fast trucks and rpms shoot up when accelerating(this does not mean i put the peddle to the floor when i accelerate)

Answer 1

Keep tires properly inflated.

Don't carry things unnecessarily, weighing down the truck will waste fuel.

Having larger tires than what the truck came with will decrease fuel economy.

Front wheel alignment. If the alignment is off, the truck will have more rolling resistance.

Synthetic engine oil ( using the prop or grade)reduces internal engine friction and helps marginally, with power and economy.

Change the oil regularly. If it looks black on the dipstick, its dirty, change it, and don't forget the filter too. Using synthetic oil doesn't mean it can stay in the engine longer, it gets dirty just as fast as regular oil.

Spark plugs...Platinum or iridium tipped spark plugs work better.

Ignition wires, distributor cap and rotor should be regularly replaced. This reduces the electrical resistance of these components and gets more spark to the spark plug.

Engine coolant should have the proper mixture. Having too much coolant / water mixture causes the water pump to work harder.

The oxygen sensors do need to be replaced after a certain amount of driving. I would recommend 60,000 mi ( 100,000km ).

And finally...
The Durango is a heavy truck. If fuel economy is your biggest concern??? I would start looking into something a little smaller, lighter. These beasts are not known for fuel economy. But they sure look cool.

Answer 2

Dodge Durango Gas Mileage

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is there any way to get better gas mileage on a Dodge durango?
I have a 2001 dodge durango. I have upgraded the airfilter and the exhaust(both of which give a beautiful sound to the truck). These options should have given better gas mileage but i dont see it. It is properly taken care of, ..oil changes, ect..ect.. Any other ideas?

Answer 4

2005 Dodge Durango Mpg

Answer 5

You probably don't want to hear this but switch to a full synthetic using the proper viscosity motor oil. Increase you tire pressure to the maximum pounds stamped on the tires. Here's a tip that no one will agree with. As you know vehicles today are equipped with a knock sensor. It's purpose is to retard the spark advance if the sensor detects spark nock in your combustion chambers. If you ran 89 -93 octane in your truck the knock sensor would not keep retarding the spark advance which you know costs horsepower. You'll have to try this to see if the added cost of a higher octane fuel will pay for itself by giving you better fuel economy.

Answer 6

I have a similar vehicle. Mine however is fully modified. My Magnum 5.2L engine gets me 22.6 mpg in the city. This is how I drive.

Slow take offs/avoid jack rabbit takeoffs
accelerate moderately about 10 mph every 20 seconds.
coast to a stop rather that using the brakes to stop at a light.
maintain air pressure about 1.5 psi lower than maximum
maintain good ignition system(distributor cap, rotor, plugs and wires)

My mods are as followed: 760 cfm throttle body, knn generation 2 cold air induction kit, msd blaster igntion system, borg warner distributor cap and rotor with brass inserts, a jet performance stage 2 performance module, Mopar performance 3" exhaust and headers. The truck is powerful and very fuel efficient. Anyways hope this helps you out, Jess.

Answer 7

David: Hi the only way to get good gas mileage with a Durango. Is to get rid of it . They were born to eat gasoline .. Trust me I had one and it almost broke me . I tried everything the only thing that worked was a trade -in. Good Luck ...

Answer 8

Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure. This may need adjusting in hot/cold weather or time of day.

Answer 9

when you do these types of upgrades you tend to stick your foot in it more for the cool sound since you stated this in your question that is most likely your prob

Answer 10

Yea, park it.