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Bone stock, got it today, how do I save gas??

5K views 27 replies 21 participants last post by  jayhkr 
#1 ·
I just picked up my used 04 Dodge Ram 4.7 V8 5 speed manual. I'm new to trucks, my last ride was a VW MKV GTI 6MT. First thing I want to know is how to get better mpgs. I have in mind a tonneau cover (how is it pronounced?) and a cold air. I want to know what the best CAI I can get for under $250? If it's really that good I might consider spending more...but I don't really trust product reviews, and I want to order a bunch of things on my list tomorrow. Also, anyone have any advice regarding my first Ram?
 
#2 · (Edited)
You got the spelling right, it is pronounced t-ah-no lol.

Well i wonder if the BFI is compatible with your truck. Look through the vendors, and see if it is. If not, I'd recommend building your own. It is very easy. Maybe about 100 bucks.

You will however have a heavier foot because this adds a few horsepower, and changes the tone of the truck, especially at WOT *wide open throttle*.

Youll hear that more air in means you need more air out. I'm saying if you want a great increase, you should consider an exhaust system. The air will come in fast and be able to go out fast and in larger quantities.

However, it is by no means necessairy to do so.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the forum! Depending on who you ask or what you read, tonneau (pronounced TONOU) covers save you gas. To me it makes sense that it saves gas but some people say it makes no big difference. As far as cold air intakes go, there are a lot of brands. Some of the more popular ones are the BFI, Volant, Mopar, Airaid and Banks Ram Air. I just intalled the MOPAR in my truck today so I can't swear by any fuel savings yet. CAI can increase mpg but because they make the engine sound meaner you might be tempted to make it purr more and there goes your mpg.

I don't think you should buy a cold air intake just to save gas. Do a search on the forum for "intake" and you'll get a lot of results of threads discussing it. The biggest savings will come from making sure your tires are at the right PSI and not driving like a maniac.

As far as cold air intakes under $250, you could put one together by getting some tubing and a K&N filter from an auto parts store. A few guys on here have built their own by using different kind of tubing and they all seem to get good results.
 
#4 ·
Hi, I have just got my first Ram as well,I live in the UK and in my part of the country we pronounce it TUN-O. I have the Undercover hard cover. I dont know if it makes a difference to mpg it was put on for security when I imported the truck and is a good strong cap that I can walk on and locks down. I have just ordered a CAI from ebay that was cheap,I have yet to see how it performs as it is still on its way to me but I could`nt make anything for the money I paid and it supposedly comes with a K&N- ebay item number : 370316024448 Take a look maybe it will work for you.
 
#6 ·
Yeah I've been driving really mpg conscious, I never gun it, I keep the rpms low, I accelerate more around turns, down hills, and before I go up one. I think I want to get a catback system first, but I only have like $300 to spend on one. I don't know which one is the best for that price, any suggestions? And, with that money can I afford to get pretty good dualies? And my friend said that an exhaust will help mpgs since the engine can breathe more, it makes sense...and what is a good site to order a few parts from? I want to order mud flaps, a shifter knob, a catback, and those rain guards that make it so you can crack your window when it's raining and it doesnt get you wet...I cant think of the name though. Also, if I push down the clutch, can I be moving and go from 2 high to 4 high? The dealer who I bought it from didn't tell me anything about that (mainly because I don't think he even knew). Anyways, thanks for all the help and the welcomes and everything, this forum is awesome. The foreign car forums I used to be on were all just really negative ones, everyone always seemed to be pissed off at each other and they'd take out their anger on people in the forum. Anyways...thank ya'll for all the good advice!
 
#8 ·
If you want a good deal on all that stuff you will probably have to shop around since no site I know of has good prices on everything.

The things your talking about I have heard referred to as window visors.

I doubt you'll be able to do a decent cat-back system under $300 esspecially duals. Your talking bigger pipe and a longer distance to travel on a truck so expect to pay more for all that additional material. However Chrysler has been using mandrel bend pipes for quite a while so the whole cat-back replacement might be unnessisary. Try doing just the muffler and delete the resonator if you have one. That should be more in your price range.

I have no idea about the 2-4 shift. Someone else might have the info (possibly Randy?) but if you find out let us all know.

Welcome to the board.
 
#15 ·
I just wanted a few noteworthy sites I guess because I have very little trust in some of these websites you see...if I just got a muffler, would it sound good and get good performance? couldnt be as good as the dualies and a cat back, no? In other words would you say it's worth saving my money and spending around $500? or is that still too little? How do I know if I have a resonator? And also, i noticed that there's enough torque to start in 2nd gear most of the times, is that bad? The dealer didnt tell me anything about anything I didn't even get a manual. I dont even know what kind of oil I should be buying I was thinking 10w-30? since it's cold outside by me in NY maybe 0w-30 or 5w-30? I wake up and drive every morning when it's like 20 degrees sometimes colder. But it's really cold in the morning by me. And I was thinking that shifting at around 1700 or so might save some gas? or better to bring it up to 2 grand? Sorry I have all these questions I just really want whats best for my truck and not too many people are of much help by where I live they all just want my money. And thank ya'll for all the welcomes!
 
#23 ·
i have a tonneau cover, mostly for the looks & it hides what ever i have in the bed
if you want to find out if it will improve your gas mileage, either drop or take off your tailgate, its basically the same thing, here in california many people take off the tailgate & just use a tailgate net, most of the manufacturers have them & they are all over Ebay
 
#24 ·
Sorry if its already in this thread but i read on another forum about replacing the MAP sensor depending on the year of your truck.

I just replaced mine while doing the head gaskets and noticed that the knock that I had in it is now gone and I have a little throatier exhaust tone as well. Going to check the fuel milage difference on my next road trip which will be friday.
 
#25 ·
Well I'm sure its been said before. To save gas you'll have to make the truck breath a lot better. Adding exhaust, intake and programmer. Even an electric fan would help too. Anything to make your truck run smoother and easier will allow it to save gas
 
#27 ·
IMO, spending money on mods to increase mpg's is a waste of money. I have spent plenty myself in search of savings over the years. i have come to the realization that i am just buying the gas upfront and not really saving anything. kinda like paying the 5k (or more) premium for a hybrid car. how long till u make that money back?? probably wont. For me, i will continue to do mods for entertainment value only. if i net a gain in MPG's, then its a bonus.
 
#28 ·
Agreed with this one! For another insance, changing your gears to 4.56 for fuel economy. Here in KC it would cost about 2k for the change over. Well I don't know about you guys, but at $2.49 a gallon which equals about $60 a fill up 3 times a month is only $180 a month or just about 2k a year. Well I would rather put that 2k towards gas than gears. Get a nice exhaust system, open up the throttle body, maybe even cool the engine down a bit, but don't expect an extra 10mpg for all of it. Think of it as long term engine maintance! :smiley_thumbs_up:
 
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