How many miles to break in?

[Bishopb1]

How many miles should I have on my 2019 etorque limited before it is "broke in"?

 

[dn325ci]

Per the bible:

 

[Bishopb1]

Well I am sure this has been well talked about but thought I'll track my experiences for others. My 2019 ram 1500 4x4 limited 3.92 etorque gets 16mpg on the highway and 14.2 in town/mixed driving. My last tank I drove so conservatively that you would have asked if I was ever going to get up to speed and still 14.2 mpg. Truck has 2k miles and I run mid grade ethanol free fuel and hand calculate my mileage. I reached out to the EPA about the 17 19 22 window sticker with no response. I reached out to RAM customer care and I did get a response. Currently my case has moved to a case manager and they had me setup an appointment to have the truck. We shall see from here. Updates to come.

 

[Polaris Man]

It doesn't get any better after it is "broken in" neither my 2019 with 3.92 gearing or my same spec'd 2013 got any better as time went on, if anything they got slightly worse mileage, but never better.

 

[Ellisstrong]

I really feel like the truck does much better when you accelerate up to speed somewhat swift and then maintain speed instead of spending a long time in a really slow acceleration period slowly getting up to speed.

 

[AlwaysHungry]

Well I am sure this has been well talked about but thought I'll track my experiences for others. My 2019 ram 1500 4x4 limited 3.92 etorque gets 16mpg on the highway and 14.2 in town/mixed driving. My last tank I drove so conservatively that you would have asked if I was ever going to get up to speed and still 14.2 mpg. Truck has 2k miles and I run mid grade ethanol free fuel and hand calculate my mileage. I reached out to the EPA about the 17 19 22 window sticker with no response. I reached out to RAM customer care and I did get a response. Currently my case has moved to a case manager and they had me setup an appointment to have the truck. We shall see from here. Updates to come.

I have the same problem. I would love to hear what happens with your case. Please let me know if you receive any feedback.

 

[beefred00013]

Well I am sure this has been well talked about but thought I'll track my experiences for others. My 2019 ram 1500 4x4 limited 3.92 etorque gets 16mpg on the highway and 14.2 in town/mixed driving. My last tank I drove so conservatively that you would have asked if I was ever going to get up to speed and still 14.2 mpg. Truck has 2k miles and I run mid grade ethanol free fuel and hand calculate my mileage. I reached out to the EPA about the 17 19 22 window sticker with no response. I reached out to RAM customer care and I did get a response. Currently my case has moved to a case manager and they had me setup an appointment to have the truck. We shall see from here. Updates to come.

Good thing I only drive 12 mile to work and back

 

[Gtbrown]

I have found that driving "easy" lowers my mileage. Reasonable acceleration, not excessively fast speed is the best for mileage. In other words, drive normally. Always get my highest mileage that way.

 

[Jtr]

I have found that driving "easy" lowers my mileage. Reasonable acceleration, not excessively fast speed is the best for mileage. In other words, drive normally. Always get my highest mileage that way.

I've been curious about whether the method of quicker "normal" acceleration would benefit the MPG as well. I have only recently been more aggressive after babying it for some time, except for previous times, i.e., when I need to punch to pass on a two lane highway.

 

[bgmshrm]

its not a Prius ! drive it .

 

[PTRAM]

I drive mine like I did many years ago when I was getting 8 to 10 mpg at the most. Same heavy foot and now getting 13 mpg with regular gas.

 

[BeauxXL1200]

I’m getting about 16.8 mixed highway/city driving and that’s in Performance mode on the Pulsar. I don’t baby it up to speed but I’m not punching it either. At least not most of the time.

1,600 miles on her so far. I’m pleased with MPG. Expected worse.

 

[Nails]

As others have said. Moderate/swift acceleration up to speed seems to be the ticket for mpgs for me.

 

[Bishopb1]

So truck sat at the dealer for 2 weeks and basically got no where. Couldnt find any computer updates or fuel related issues. Still working with RAM customer care about a path forward. I also finally got a response from the EPA and have an open line of communication there as well. Time will tell what the real course of action will be to potentially eradicate my poor fuel economy. All the you didnt buy a Prius comments just keep it to your self. I get it, it's a truck but when window sticker rating are off 26% and all other manufacturers are exceeding window stick rating just means we are all getting lied to by FCA.

 

[SacRebel]

OP, I'm right there with you. I too got a boilerplate response from the EPA (pasted below). I wrote Ram Cares a letter weeks ago and haven't received a response yet. The vehicle has also been taken to the dealer to investigate the poor mileage and I get the whole " it needs to break-in" line. Truth be told, until someone initiates a Class-action lawsuit against FCA we're all just spinning our wheels (no pun intended).

I also find it suspicious there are reports Ram is not taking any orders for eTorque Hemi's with the off-road package (which is what I've got). Have they realized the EPA standards they are claiming for this truck are so far off they need to re-certify the vehicle?

________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your inquiry regarding why your fuel economy is lower than the EPA rating. The purpose of the fuel economy ratings is to provide consumers with estimates to use in comparing the gas mileage of different vehicles. It is not meant as a guarantee of the gas mileage each driver will achieve. Since no test can simulate all the possible conditions that affect fuel economy, such as climate, driver behavior, road condition, and car care habits, your actual mileage will always vary some from the estimates. Below, I will explain how the fuel economy ratings are calculated, why your numbers might be lower, how to get precise measurements for your fuel economy, and what other steps you can take to improve the fuel economy of your vehicle regardless of whether it meets or exceeds the expectations you have after seeing the EPA estimated mileage for your particular vehicle.

Fuel economy is measured under controlled conditions in a laboratory using a standardized test procedure specified by federal law. The fuel economy tests (which EPA updated in 2006 to more accurately account for actual driving conditions that can lower fuel economy, such as high speed, aggressive driving, use of air conditioning, and cold temperature operation), are based on a detailed driving cycle (each car is driven in exactly the same way, for exactly the same distance, with the same second-by-second vehicle speeds, to the maximum extent possible). EPA tests at several temperatures including 20º F, 95º F, and 68-86º F, conducts some tests with the air conditioning and defrost/heater running, and performs high speed and acceleration tests up to 80 mph and 8.46 mph/second. The tests also are conducted under controlled conditions, using gasoline or diesel fuel that meet very detailed specifications. The goal of the laboratory testing is to control as many of the factors that affect fuel economy as possible, to the maximum degree that it is feasible to do so. Manufacturers test their own vehicles following EPA's test procedures—usually pre-production prototypes—and report the results to EPA. EPA reviews the results and confirms about 10-15 percent of them through our own tests at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (https://www.epa.gov/vehicle-and-fue...e-emissions-testing-national-vehicle-and-fuel). Additional information about fuel economy testing is available on the following websites:

• www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml
• https://www.epa.gov/compliance-and-fuel-economy-data/data-cars-used-testing-fuel-economy

It is essential that EPA's fuel economy estimates continue to be derived from controlled, repeatable laboratory tests to enable a standardized or "level playing field," comparison between all vehicle models. Although EPA's fuel economy tests are designed to reflect typical driving conditions and driver behavior, several factors can significantly affect how many miles per gallon (mpg) your car gets: how and where you drive; vehicle condition and maintenance; fuel variations; vehicle variations; and engine break-in – all of which are described on the following website:www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/factors.shtml. Because some vehicles are more sensitive to these factors than others, the impact of the changes will vary from vehicle to vehicle. Since your car is new, please keep in mind that the fuel economy of new cars and trucks improves with mileage up to approximately 20,000 miles----it especially improves in the first 1,000-2,000 miles. For hybrid vehicles, the nature of current hybrid technology -- the addition of a battery as a second source of on-board power, sophisticated control systems, and sometimes a smaller engine -- makes a hybrid's fuel economy more sensitive to certain factors, such as colder weather and air conditioning use. You can read more about EPA's fuel economy programs in our fact sheet at: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100IENB.PDF?Dockey=P100IENB.PDF.

Given the above information, what is the best way to get realistic "city" and "highway" fuel economy numbers for your vehicle? There is no "official" answer to that question, but we can offer you these suggestions.

· Start with a full tank of gas. By "full," we mean filling up using a pump that allows you to lock a lever in place and take your hand off the hose and nozzle. Use the lowest rate of fuel delivery offered (most nozzles have two dispensing rate settings, and some have three). Do not top off -- when the nozzle first shuts off, do not dispense any more fuel.
· Record your odometer mileage (or, if you have a trip odometer, reset it to zero).
· Drive at least half the tank, preferably 3/4 to 7/8 of the tank, before refueling.
· During the time when you are measuring the fuel economy of your vehicle, try to avoid extended idling operation and the use of a remote starter.
· For "city" driving, a minimal amount of freeway/expressway driving can be included; for "highway" driving, measure when you will be taking longer trips that are predominantly freeway, with relatively little stop-and-go and infrequent engine off/engine restarts.
· Refuel at the same station, using the same pump and nozzle if possible. At the least, refill with the same brand and grade of gasoline.
· When refilling, do it as you did in step one -- automatic flow, lowest rate, no top-off.

To calculate the fuel economy in miles per gallon, take the number of miles driven and divide it by the total gallons purchased at refueling. For an even better estimate, take the average of two or three tanks in each case (city, highway). While there are minor variations over time, this allows you to monitor the vehicle's performance. A sudden drop in fuel economy not explained by the reasons noted below tells you that you may need to have maintenance done on your car.

If you are interested in seeing what fuel economy other owners of your vehicle are getting, please visit the following website: www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList. To find out what you can do to improve the fuel economy of your car, please visit the following website: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml. Driving efficiently and keeping your car in shape will make a difference.

Since you have raised this issue with the dealer representatives without satisfaction, you may wish to contact a customer service representative at FCA. Contact information can be found in your owner’s manual. Be sure to document your observations thoroughly. You may also wish to submit a defective car complaint at this website:https://www.usa.gov/car-complaints. Information regarding lemon laws can also be found on this site. While this may not provide you with an acceptable resolution to your specific vehicle fuel economy concern, please know that if EPA's audit testing reveals that fuel economy labels are inaccurate, EPA will require manufacturers to update the MPG values to provide consumers with the most accurate information available (seehttps://www.epa.gov/recalls/fuel-economy-label-updates).

EPA is committed to ensuring that manufacturers accurately test and report the fuel economy of their vehicles according to federal regulations in order to provide a fair comparison to consumers. It is feedback like yours that helps inform the implementation of the fuel economy program, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

We hope this information is helpful. Thank you for contacting the Office of Transportation and Air Quality.

Sincerely,
Jennifer France

 

[Rototerrier]

The a 6k lb trailer for a while. That really eats into the mileage.

 

[jimk hunt]

I have the same problem. I would love to hear what happens with your case. Please let me know if you receive any feedback.

Curious what you both expect as a possible resolution? Window stickers are not for your (or my) configuration, nowhere close. If they have the documentation satisfying EPA testing regs, end of story. Now if it ends up being a VW situation, then we all get $ and the lawyers get $$$$.

 

[Nails]

really EPA. Wow

 

[wayneli]

I am looking forward to the "break in" also. See my MPG in signature

 

[Willwork4truck]

its not a Prius ! drive it .

Ha ha, I came out of a Prius and the same thing applied to it. Better to get up to legal limit (if conditions permitted) then relax on the speed then it was to creep up. Also didnt p** off those behind you.