Horrific Gas Mileage Hemi eTorque

[pber1]

Bought my 19' Ram Rebel with eTorque Hemi on 9/28/18. I had numerous longer trips to take and mileage has built up fast.

Just getting ready to pass over 3,000 miles thanks to a trip from Orlando FL to Central KY and back again.

My issue: horrific gas mileage! I simply can't figure it out. My drive was 1600 miles roundtrip, not towing, with just myself and baggage in the truck.

My fuel mileage (all highway, with cruise control engaged at speed limit) on the way up = 15.0 mpg hwy, my mileage driving back tonight is 14.8 mpg. While the sticker rates the truck at 17 city/22 highway, I never expect to achieve those numbers. But 15 city/ 19 hwy is what I got on my 2011 Hemi. I at least expected that.

This is my 4th Ram, and I know something must be wrong. I'm not dragging a brake as I check brake temps, and they were cool to the touch.

MDS almost never activates and the truck downshifts on even the slightest uphill grade. At 70 mph and 1850 RPM (.392 gears), there's ample torque to never require a downshift on moderate Florida hwy grades.

I'm fearful that the eTorque motor is causing a high amount of drag during hwy driving conditions. I guess it's back to the dealer with my fingers crossed.

3.92’s are killlers! I’m getting better mileage on a 6in lift and 35X12.50 tires with the 3.21 gears!

 

[kjn86]

I don't have e-torque(regretting that now, and trading in is a 10K loss), but have been consistently getting 11.5-12mpg. Brought it back to the dealer twice now and the first time they applied some updates that briefly helped but then it slowly but surely dragged back down to < 12. Though I'm not really sure what normal "city" driving characteristics should be. I live in a fairly dense city(Portland OR), and driving for me is lots of 25-35 mph, with plenty of stop signs/lights along the way. Though still from my perspective, that's "city" driving, and I'm getting much lower than what was advertised. And often when I'm driving on the highway the mileage just stays pinned to where it was, or even sometimes degrades more. I do like to punch it on occasion but I've been driving it with a pretty light foot as well, and the eco light comes on about 50% of the time.

I just hit 1K mileage, but this seems really bad even for the break in period. Wondering if anyone else is getting this level of bad mileage with "city" driving? Really tempted to push hard for a return at this point.

I have 1.5k miles on mine and am getting 10.5 MPG right now with 89 octane (it was slightly better when it was warmer). I drive short distances most of the time with a lot of stop and go at lights and stop signs. When I drive somewhere farther that is still in the city with more significant distances between stops it goes up a lot (14-16 maybe). I did a freeway trip last week and was at 20 MPG for that time period. I think we are paying a steep price (pun intended) for the stopping and starting more than with other cars. For comparison, I used to have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it was only getting 15 on the same route. Wife's Pacifica minivan is getting 18 MPG now with the same type of driving. Those both as much lighter and have a V6.

Going in today for the TSBs. We will see if it helps. I would be good with 15 MPG city for sure. But given that I have seen my truck get good gas mileage in certain situations, I really think that the frequent stops and no coasting is a killer.

 

[Creep0321]

3.92’s are killlers! I’m getting better mileage on a 6in lift and 35X12.50 tires with the 3.21 gears!

What kind of MPG?

 

[Jtr]

I have 1.5k miles on mine and am getting 10.5 MPG right now with 89 octane (it was slightly better when it was warmer). I drive short distances most of the time with a lot of stop and go at lights and stop signs. When I drive somewhere farther that is still in the city with more significant distances between stops it goes up a lot (14-16 maybe). I did a freeway trip last week and was at 20 MPG for that time period. I think we are paying a steep price (pun intended) for the stopping and starting more than with other cars. For comparison, I used to have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it was only getting 15 on the same route. Wife's Pacifica minivan is getting 18 MPG now with the same type of driving. Those both as much lighter and have a V6.

Going in today for the TSBs. We will see if it helps. I would be good with 15 MPG city for sure. But given that I have seen my truck get good gas mileage in certain situations, I really think that the frequent stops and no coasting is a killer.

Hopefully those service updates will help. I suspect they will because 10 mpg is abnormally low city a/mpg you are seeing. I assume you are on 2wd or 4x4 auto on those trips? I'd be curious to see your update after the servicing.

 

[ddonia]

Last week my truck was in for service (oil change and that weird vibration issue) and while there they did three firmware updates. After those updates my MPG’s immediately increased by more than 3mpg. I am now getting the city mpg as was advertised (I do not do a lot of highway driving). I have the e-torque with 22” wheels and 3.92 gear. I forget the exact names of the updates but one was for the hybrid system, one was for the transmission and one was for the pcm. Good luck!

 

[Gman]

Simple. His commute is downhill....both ways.

With a tail wind...both ways.

 

[SpeedyV]

I have 1.5k miles on mine and am getting 10.5 MPG right now with 89 octane (it was slightly better when it was warmer). I drive short distances most of the time with a lot of stop and go at lights and stop signs. When I drive somewhere farther that is still in the city with more significant distances between stops it goes up a lot (14-16 maybe). I did a freeway trip last week and was at 20 MPG for that time period. I think we are paying a steep price (pun intended) for the stopping and starting more than with other cars.

This certainly feels like an outlier. If anything, the eTorque system should really be helping you out here (frequent stops/starts). You have to be easy on the throttle when you pull away from those lights and stop signs, of course, but I'm not telling you anything you don't know. Maybe the computer reflash will help, or maybe you have a worst-case commute...I'll be interested to hear more as you continue to break in the truck.

 

[dalailama23]

All this talk of waiting for more break-in time is nonsense the part of a new engine that needs to be broken in are the rings and there done by about 500 miles or less and if done correctly are not gonna get any better . Read link to break-in myths, https://www.enginelabs.com/news/dispelling-engine-break-in-myths-with-high-performance-academy/. The dealer gave me a new 2019 ram to use identical to mine but without eTorque with 1500 miles it got 21.1 MPG on the same exact route that my eTorque got 12.9 the ECO light on the non eTorque came on constantly while my eTorque doesn't come on most of the time even going down hill.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

All this talk of waiting for more break-in time is nonsense the part of a new engine that needs to be broken in are the rings and there done by about 500 miles or less and if done correctly are not gonna get any better . Read link to break-in myths, https://www.enginelabs.com/news/dispelling-engine-break-in-myths-with-high-performance-academy/. The dealer gave me a new 2019 ram to use identical to mine but without eTorque with 1500 miles it got 21.1 MPG on the same exact route that my eTorque got 12.9 the ECO light on the non eTorque came on constantly while my eTorque doesn't come on most of the time even going down hill.

What about everything else that adds friction? The axles, transmission, transfer case....basically all moving parts. It is well documented that most vehicles achieve maximum economy after 5-10k miles. Diesels definitely improve over a longer period. I believe other components besides the engine are wearing in.

For those with terrible mpg, break-in isn't your issue unless your rings didn't seat. Break-in improves mileage a small amount.

It should be mentioned that ECO mode engages more as miles increase. I don't know why but it was obvious with my truck. It may be part of Ram's programming.

 

[Gman]

It should be mentioned that ECO mode engages more as miles increase. I don't know why but it was obvious with my truck. It may be part of Ram's programming.

I doubt that has anything to do with programming. As parts wear in, there's less energy wasted with drivetrain friction and more goes to the actual work of moving the vehicle.

 

[dalailama23]

What about everything else that adds friction? The axles, transmission, transfer case....basically all moving parts. It is well documented that most vehicles achieve maximum economy after 5-10k miles. Diesels definitely improve over a longer period. I believe other components besides the engine are wearing in.

For those with terrible mpg, break-in isn't your issue unless your rings didn't seat. Break-in improves mileage a small amount.

It should be mentioned that ECO mode engages more as miles increase. I don't know why but it was obvious with my truck. It may be part of Ram's programming.

Its negligible there isn't any metal to metal contact that what the lubes are for. if you get metal to metal you will get failure. I agree there might be something with the eco programing thats why i stated the loaner had 1500 miles , that less than mine but the ECO came on more and the truck got way better mileage and it seemed snappier , i know that just a feeling nothing you could prove . My 2015 gets Laramie gets 17 plus around town and 20-21 road and i can get the ECO light to come on at 70 mph. Same 5.7 same ratio.

 

[SpeedyV]

What about everything else that adds friction? The axles, transmission, transfer case....basically all moving parts. It is well documented that most vehicles achieve maximum economy after 5-10k miles. Diesels definitely improve over a longer period. I believe other components besides the engine are wearing in.

For those with terrible mpg, break-in isn't your issue unless your rings didn't seat. Break-in improves mileage a small amount.

It should be mentioned that ECO mode engages more as miles increase. I don't know why but it was obvious with my truck. It may be part of Ram's programming.

Agreed, and the engine and transmission computers continue to learn over time based on driver behavior, environmental conditions, fuel quality, load characteristics, etc. There are quite a few variables in play.

 

[kjn86]

Hopefully those service updates will help. I suspect they will because 10 mpg is abnormally low city a/mpg you are seeing. I assume you are on 2wd or 4x4 auto on those trips? I'd be curious to see your update after the servicing.

All 2WD. Haven't even used 4WD yet. I drive very conservatively too. I have yet to push the pedal to the floor and open it up! I drove today with the fuel economy screen up and you really see how terrible the stopping is. I go from 15-20 MPG to zero then it climbs back up again as you accelerate from a dead stop. It is a huge difference when I don't have as many stops even when I drive in town. I would have though the eTorque would be helpful in better fuel economy with all the stopping as well, using the battery to get moving.

 

[Jtr]

Its negligible there isn't any metal to metal contact that what the lubes are for. if you get metal to metal you will get failure. I agree there might be something with the eco programing thats why i stated the loaner had 1500 miles , that less than mine but the ECO came on more and the truck got way better mileage and it seemed snappier , i know that just a feeling nothing you could prove . My 2015 gets Laramie gets 17 plus around town and 20-21 road and i can get the ECO light to come on at 70 mph. Same 5.7 same ratio.

Can anyone point to where they are seeing an ECO indicator? I have not seen that on my dash while driving yet... but I just may be missing it.

 

[Neurobit]

Can anyone point to where they are seeing an ECO indicator? I have not seen that on my dash while driving yet... but I just may be missing it.

Make sure it's enabled first (in UConnect). It's not enabled from the factory.

 

[Gman]

I drove today with the fuel economy screen up and you really see how terrible the stopping is. I go from 15-20 MPG to zero then it climbs back up again as you accelerate from a dead stop. It is a huge difference when I don't have as many stops even when I drive in town. I would have though the eTorque would be helpful in better fuel economy with all the stopping as well, using the battery to get moving.

If you have eTorque and you're stopped, your instantaneous mileage is <NULL>. There is no fuel consumed and no directional movement. Your average MPG gets reduced with the inertia of a big chunk of metal, glass, etc. being accelerated from 0 to something. You don't consume gas idling, but the acceleration comes at pretty much the same cost as a non-eTorque equipped truck.

Wouldn't it be fun if the answer to the problem was, "Just don't stop."

Make sure your tires are properly inflated as well. The less rolling resistance of your tires, the higher your opportunity to make mileage.

Stop & Go traffic MPG can be affected by something as simple as how full and how large your fuel tank is.

 

[kjn86]

If you have eTorque and you're stopped, your instantaneous mileage is <NULL>. There is no fuel consumed and no directional movement. Your average MPG gets reduced with the inertia of a big chunk of metal, glass, etc. being accelerated from 0 to something. You don't consume gas idling, but the acceleration comes at pretty much the same cost as a non-eTorque equipped truck.

Wouldn't it be fun if the answer to the problem was, "Just don't stop."

Make sure your tires are properly inflated as well. The less rolling resistance of your tires, the higher your opportunity to make mileage.

Stop & Go traffic MPG can be affected by something as simple as how full and how large your fuel tank is.

At a dead stop and only IF the start/stop is engaged, yes, you use zero gas. However, this isn't always the case. But even if it is, going from zero to 15 MPG repeatedly drops your average is my point. My tires are perfectly inflated (55 front, 45 rear) and I check them every day. Sure, your gas tank being full or empty will change your weight of the truck, but has to be negligible. A gallon of gas weighs about 6 pounds, so if I had a full tank, that is 138 lbs. half a tank would be 69 pounds less. On an 8,000 pound vehicle, this is trivial - it's not even 1%. I weigh 175 and it would be very easy to have a larger man drive my car weighing 275 pounds, which is more than half a tank of gas difference. Nobody is asking how heavy the driver is anywhere in this thread or if there is a passenger in the car because 100-200 lbs here and there insignificant. Can MPG technically be "affected"? Of course. Is 13.2 vs 13.3 MPG enough to call it affected in a significant enough manner for anyone to care?

Incidentally, I got the 3 TSBs updated today. Drove 5 miles from the dealership and then around town a little doing errands. Am at 11 MPG now, so it's not any different. I saw my average MPG get crushed from all the stop signs and lights I hit on my route. Still paying for the repeated minor slow-downs. I would really like to be getting 15 MPG on my route. Good news is I don't drive enough (3 miles to work each way!) for this to be a problem for me. Love everything single other thing about the truck almost...I don't love the unheated tow mirrors.

The service manager says he saw an improvement in his after 8k miles and that mine just needs to break in, which we all have heard.

 

[kjn86]

If you have eTorque and you're stopped, your instantaneous mileage is <NULL>. There is no fuel consumed and no directional movement. Your average MPG gets reduced with the inertia of a big chunk of metal, glass, etc. being accelerated from 0 to something. You don't consume gas idling, but the acceleration comes at pretty much the same cost as a non-eTorque equipped truck.

And without the start/stop engaged, I use way more gas than I would have thought. I am sure you all have been in park waiting somewhere idling just watching your average MPG drop. Remote start also uses a ton of gas just sitting there warming up.

 

[Biga]

I got the TSB's done with my first oil change today. Didn't even have to ask , the service writer said it needed them and it would take a couple hours to update. Got them done and refilled with gas on the way home, will see if mpg increases at all.

 

[Gman]

I reset my MPG while sitting in traffic on the way home. 17.7 MPG according to the computer (87 octane FWIW).

Jut hit 1K miles on the way into work this morning.