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Jetsfan8099
Dodge Dakota
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5/03/2007
20:52:43
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 Subject: Gas Mileage
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Decided to recently test how much better gas mileage I would get if I used a higher premium grade. I switch from 87 octane to 93 octane and actually went 20 miles further before my low fuel light turned on (which is typically 240 miles). My math indicated that I actually save money by spending more for gas. At about $3.00 a gallon, I needed to go about 18 miles to get my return my investment of paying more money for 93 octane. I went 20 miles, thus saving money and treating my Dakota to a sweeter drink of fuel!
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2007
08:21:40
| RE: Gas Mileage
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D'oh! Sounds like your math is OK but your measurement technique is faulty. The low fuel light is nowhere near accurate or repeatable enough to measure mpg. You must fill the tank, drive a few hundred miles, fill again, divide miles by the gallons it took to fill. Do this several times and average the results. Anything less than this is untrustworthy data. BTW, running the lowest octane you can without pinging will give you the best gas mileage.
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Jetsfan8099
Dodge Dakota
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5/04/2007
18:01:45
| RE: Gas Mileage
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I tend to always divide the miles I went by the amount it takes to fill up again. But with respect to the low fuel light, mine is super consistent. Last week it popped on at 260 miles, today it popped on again at 260.4 miles.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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5/05/2007
08:20:57
| RE: Gas Mileage
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I've also found that the light is pretty accurate. While I can't tell my exact mpg from the light I can compare it with the previous time that I reached that point. It's at least as accurate as the computer if not more so.
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ecdak
Dodge Dakota
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5/06/2007
23:55:11
| RE: Gas Mileage
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my dak seems fairly regular with that damn light to. I just cannot seem to get it to go off nowadays. The owners manual for my truck says use only 87 otherwise it will knock. Where are you getting 93? The highest rating out in cali is 91. At 3.39 a gallon for 87, I will do what the manual says. 91 is 3.59 plus your firstborn.
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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5/07/2007
08:25:11
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Your light may be consistent, but it's still not a measure of how much fuel has been burned. You have to fill the tank each time and average a few tankfuls to get an accurate reading.
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Kowalski
GenIII
5/07/2007
18:09:34
| RE: Gas Mileage
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ecdak - you've misunderstood your owner's manual. 87 is the minimum octane they advise near sea level to resist knock; it won't knock on higher octane. Higher octane is harder to ignite, so it is more knock resistant - but doesn't contain more energy. It will allow more compresion in engine design, and tolerate more spark advnce; but the only Dakota engine with a knock sensor that would adjust advance at all for octane is the 4.7 HO version. There is no reason for anyone to expect better milage with higher octane for the other motors.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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ecdak
Dodge Dakota
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5/08/2007
06:56:43
| RE: Gas Mileage
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sonofabitch. Guess I dont read good. thats really strange. I have never seen gas with less than 87. Deisil is what 40, but you would really have to try and put that in your tank. I take it back, i recently saw bio-fuel at 85. I will have to look at me book again. Of course, I will still only put 87 in. 3.39 a gallon right now for that. 40 bucks barely got me a half tank.
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Super bee
GenI
5/08/2007
12:20:04
| RE: Gas Mileage
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diesel does not have an octane rating, it has a centane rating, not exactly the same scale
if you put them on the same scale diesel would be probably be well over 120, it does not combust very easily as all
and I saw 85 octane regularly when i was in South Dakota
1990 sport RC SB, 1995 318drivetrain, 3.92 gears (came with truck) Powertrax "traction system", 95 dash/steering wheel, hearthrob exhaust, headers, cutout after y-pipe, necessary electric fan add-a-leafs, 30x9.5 mud tires, cranked T-bars, AR 39 15x8 rims, grill guard, roll bars
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Kowalski
GenIII
5/08/2007
15:59:24
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
Some stations used to sell 86 near me, but I haven't seen that in a while - I guess people finally realised it was bad ? It is normal to see lower octanes at higher altitudes though. For vehicles only used at higher altitudes, where the air is thinner, it can be okay. Lower cylinder pressures compared to the same engine at sea level.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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5/09/2007
08:39:28
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Out west, Chevron used to sell 85 and 88 octane only.
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ecdak
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
07:32:51
| RE: Gas Mileage
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where?
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sneilan
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
07:59:40
| RE: Gas Mileage
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i don't care how much theory says octane shouldn't affect your mpg on a 5.2 Dak, but when i fill up with 91 as opposed to 87 octane i get at least 50 miles more out of my tank and the truck runs smoother. i don't have any mods other than a K&N CAI. my gas light is also very consistant, when i use 87 octane it always comes on at 245 +- 5 miles and if i use 91 it comes on at 260 +- 5miles, (although it seems to last longer than the 87 after the light comes on proportianately) those measurements are of course i just do my normal driving, they are different if i go offroading or on a roadtrip somewhere.
Sean
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
10:01:46
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
I'll say it again - you're not doing an accurate measurement. You have to fill the tank each time and average a few tankfuls to get an accurate reading. And if you get better mileage with 91 than with 87, and your vehicle is supposed to run on 87, you have either bad 87 gas, or your vehicle has a problem.
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sneilan
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
11:51:27
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
well, having done your method multiple times on my truck and others, my Dak averages 13.34-14.18 mpg on 87 octane gas doing normal driving and commuting to work (stop&go traffic). with 91 octane i have averaged 14.26-15.04 mpg. unfortunately, regardless of the octane rating, when i'm just cruising on the highway i still haven't broken into the 16mpg range. my truck is a thirsty girl, and she's picky to. i have found that my mileage greatly varies with where i fill up, finding that the exxon by my parents house has consistantly given me the best mileage and that the hess by my house has consistantly given me the worst, with shell falling in between the two.
Sean
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Amsoilsponsor
DakotaEnthusiast
5/11/2007
13:24:15
|  RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
FUEL ECONOMY a.k.a. MPG or GAS MILEAGE
Fuel economy can be very difficult to guage accurately. If you fill up at a warmer part of the day one week compared to the previous week you can sometimes see a fluctuation in MPG just based on that alone. Also, the pump may have stopped pumping at a different point (sooner or later compared to the last fill up), making it "seem" like you used less (or more) gallons of fuel. In addition, "Summer Blend" and "Winter Blend" fuels will provide different MPG's.
Steven Roark , Amsoil Dealer , Proud Sponsor of www.DodgeDakotas.com
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils, Lubricants, Filtration, and Truck Care Products
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
13:34:07
| RE: Gas Mileage
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"having done your method multiple times on my truck and others, my Dak averages 13.34-14.18 mpg on 87 octane gas doing normal driving and commuting to work (stop&go traffic). with 91 octane i have averaged 14.26-15.04 mpg." Stop-and-go driving conditions can easily vary from day to day, accounting for this difference. Do this for at least 3-4 tankfuls each. And that mileage is still low, telling me you either have a leadfoot or something wrong with your truck, as I suggested. With my 92 Dak V-6 4-spd auto 4x4 club cab with cap, I get 17 mpg city and 20+ highway. That's with 162K miles on it.
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Jetsfan8099
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
20:06:03
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
Sounds like Bob doesn't want to accept the data. I am on my 3rd week with 91 octane and I am getting an additional 20 miles per tank. I stated 93 octane in my original post, should of been 91. I drive my truck the exact route every day to work. It doesn't get used on the weekend.
I'm a scientist, therefore I tend to need data to convince me of anything. The data says 91 octane gets my 04 4.7L V8 Dakota and apparently Sneilan's Dakota better mileage.
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LMAO
Dodge Dakota
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5/11/2007
20:19:36
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
you talk oil he shows up
now when we talk gas he shows up too!
dam scamsoil guy you are a desperate one
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OBIO3
Dodge Dakota
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5/12/2007
01:26:41
| RE: Gas Mileage
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Message:
Wondering why you guys fill up after the LOW FUEL light comes on. No gas savings in doing so and this practice is hard on the fuel pump. The gas in the tank is the pumps lube and the gas encasing it says a lot in keeping it cool. Those pumps are pricey.
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no worries
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/12/2007
22:26:35
| RE: Gas Mileage
IP: Logged
Message:
cause if you run scamsoil in the motor
the fuel pump will last over 500,000 miles
just ask Shatto
please the bonus of over 300,000 miles on the brakes!
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