cummins diesel

[Stranger ranger]

I'm looking to buy a 2004 cummins diesel dodge pickup. I'm curious to see how the fuel mileage is on these. I've heard cummins get pretty good mileage and have also heard that they dont :dntknw: Can someone enlighten me on this i'm not a diesel man but I would like to be and around where I live, fuel isnt much more than gasoline so whats the difference, i'll spend an extra 40 cents for diesel.

anyways the truck is a 4 door short bed 2500, 5.9 cummins with the six speed. Any and all info will be appreciated, thanks.

[pickup]

There is a difference in the year, there is '04 and '04.5. A lil more power and a few other minor changes. Lots of power, but you wont get the mileage of the earlier ones. Fuel mileage should sit about 18 mpg US.
Smarty makes about the best programmer out right now, you can set parameters for just about everything individually.
Check out www.turbodieselregister.com Lots of good info.
I own Solid Steel Ind. talked about on there.
We're runnin an '04.5 srw 1 ton @ 20 Imp mpg. Well, at least we WERE! until my brother decided to make a racetruck out of it. Twin turbos, 740 hp-1450 ft/lbs torque....We'll see now!

[Stranger ranger]

thanks alot

[metalmacguyver]

Twin turbos, 740 hp-1450 ft/lbs torque....We'll see now!



:worthless:



Now.:icon_bounceblue:

[Will]

A guy I used to go wheeling with had a '94 2500 ext. cab. It was stock except for a straight pipe and had a little larger tires. He said he got 16 on the highway. It was a 5-speed.

[Stranger ranger]

does anyone know how to tell whether or not its a 2004 or 2004.5?

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have no idea what the cuttoff for the 2004 and a 2004.5 Cummins differences, but most vehicles have the month and year they were made on the sticker on the doorjamb.

The earlier it was made the more like it is to be an early 2004.:icon_thumby:

[JohnnyU]

I own a 2004.5 CTD. I get about 16-17 in town, and about 18-19 on the highway if I drop my speed down a bit. Mine's a 4sp auto with 4.10 gears. I would suggest steering away from the 4.10's, the RPM's are just a bit too high on the highway. 3.73's are better suited to the overdrive ratio and tire size.

If the truck was built after Jan 1 2004, it is an 04.5. The engine vin code would be C for a 2004.5 with the 325hp/600ftlb engine, and an 8 if it is the 2004 with the 305hp/555ftlb engine.

www.CumminsForum.com (http://www.CumminsForum.com) also has a lot of good information.

[pickup]

:worthless:



Now.:icon_bounceblue:


The truck is in Oregon at Source Automotive gettin dual inj pumps, twin turbos, and some tranny work. Hopin to get the 8500 lb truck into the 12 sec range. I'll post pics and dyno sheet when it gets home in a couple weeks.

[Hahnsb2]

I'd honestly go for a 12 valve if you want fuel economy, they're also cheaper and more reliable. Also cheaper to get more power out of. My friends 1st gen 2wd auto with a straight pipe pulled 23.8MPG on a trip from Astoria to Newport and back to Astoria, it gets 18.5 MPG mixed average, 15MPG towing a 6000LB trailer. My dads friends 1st gen 4x4 5 speed gets 22 freeway and 20MPG freeway towing a large car trailer with a heavy car (61 T-bird) on it, my dad actually hand calculated it.
We're runnin an '04.5 srw 1 ton @ 20 Imp mpg. Well, at least we WERE! until my brother decided to make a racetruck out of it. Twin turbos, 740 hp-1450 ft/lbs torque....We'll see now!
I've heard of a number of 12 valves pushing 700HP with twins that still get 20MPG freeway... I'm not a big Banks fan but their sidewinder truck (Dakota with common rail 24 valve) gets 21MPG and it's at 730HP too.
Dual CP3s sounds pretty sick though :headbang:

[mountainkowboy]

My 97 is a non-computered 12 valve, with 350hp an 650tq, I have a NP4500 trans since the auto was a POS and 3.73 gears. I get 22mpg on the highway consistant and 17mpg around town. Towing a 6 ton 5th wheel I avg 16mpg.:woot:

http://webpages.charter.net/mountainkowboy/3500.jpg

[Stranger ranger]

3D7KU28C14G119982
thats the vin. Is the the 325, 600?

[Simple_serf]

I wouldn't even bother...I don't care too much for the cummins in the dodge trucks after the 12 valve. I've seen the price on those damn fuel pumps.

[JohnnyU]

3D7KU28C14G119982
thats the vin. Is the the 325, 600?


The "C" in the 8th place of the vin indicates to me that it has the 325/600. What's the build date, do you know?

I've driven one of them all, from the 1st gen 12 valve, a second gen 12 valve, 2nd gen 24 valve, 3rd gen (both the 305 and the 325) and an 08 with the 6.7. Out of all of them, I still like my 04.5 the best. The interior, the cab size, the visibility, looks, engine/performance, everything comes together nicely in that truck.

Good luck with it!

[Stranger ranger]

build date johnny was october 03 i believe, which i didnt find out till about a half hour ago. thanks tho, must be the 305

[Will]

A local contractor that lives out near me bought one of those 305hp Dodge 3500 crewcab 4x4 SRWs the day they hit the lot. Before he was getting a new F350 Powerstroke every couple years. He doesn't pull anything with it. I saw it with a cattle trailer one time since 2004 and that's it.

Funny thing is, his employee's have 2 trucks. One in an F350 dually with a big reading utility body and a 5.4 V8 symbol on the fender and the other is an older F350, same body but a 460 I would bet. Those 2 old gassers pull some serious crap around--big hoes, a T300 trackloader and a paver. Those 300ft# gas pigs labor around hammering in first gear in front of tons of gear and trailers while he cruises all day empty in his 600ft# diesel with his sunglasses on talking into the phone.

[85_Ranger4x4]

Funny thing is, his employee's have 2 trucks. One in an F350 dually with a big reading utility body and a 5.4 V8 symbol on the fender and the other is an older F350, same body but a 460 I would bet. Those 2 old gassers pull some serious crap around--big hoes, a T300 trackloader and a paver. Those 300ft# gas pigs labor around hammering in first gear in front of tons of gear and trailers while he cruises all day empty in his 600ft# diesel with his sunglasses on talking into the phone.

It would either be the 5.4 or 6.8 V-10, the 460 died in 1997/8 before the new Superduties with the mod motors came out in 1999.

For the way most employees beat on company trucks I can't blame him, that is why my dad's service trucks are from the 80's. Sure they are kind of rough, but a new truck would be in the same shape after 2 years so why bother.

[Will]

I meant same service body on the back, not same cab body. It's a hell of a lot older. Like an 80's.

[Burnside]

I have a 99 cummins 4x4 excab long bed, I have a pretty weak 75 hp chip on her, automatic with 3.50 gears. I honestly get right at 18 mpg when its warm and 15/16 mpg in the winter. I know for a fact because I keep an excel sheet set up keeping track of my fuel mileage and expenditures. I do mainly highway driving, 55 - 60 mph.

[TRX501RYAN]

http://www.decodethis.com/Default.aspx?tabid=65&vin=3D7KU28C14G119982

[Will]

I have a 99 cummins 4x4 excab long bed, I have a pretty weak 75 hp chip on her, automatic with 3.50 gears. I honestly get right at 18 mpg when its warm and 15/16 mpg in the winter. I know for a fact because I keep an excel sheet set up keeping track of my fuel mileage and expenditures. I do mainly highway driving, 55 - 60 mph.

I think that's more typical. It's about what Sambo got with his 2002 Powerstroke. Not the same engine, but the same technology level--both manufacturers were faced with the same emissions requirements and using the same tools to face it.

[hickboy86]

I have a 98.5 x-tended cab long bed 4x4 24v with a 5speed and 4.10 gears. At 65mph i'm turnin' 2500 Rpm. She's bone stock and gets bout 16-18 mpg dependin on how hard i club her. I've never seen her drop under 15 mpg. I was late for work the other day and had to drive out 2 newyork in her, bout a 2 hour drive at 80mph completly tached out at 3000 rpm, i only went through 1/2 tank of fuel round trip.

[Toms984x4]

lol. Damn this is an old thread! I'm borrowing my buddys truck and i'm getting 20.5 mpg. As of today it's got a 5000# truck on a trailer behind it gettings 19.9 mpg. It's a 04 2500 HD 5.9.

[rngrdngr]

i have a 2000 dodge ram 2500. its 450hp and 905 lb tq. 33s and 4.10's. i get 600 to 650 miles per tank have got 705 before. its a 32 gallon tank. buy the truck its not gunu be a mistake. unless it has a stock trans with any form of performance gadget cause you prolly have a shit trans.

[JohnnyU]

lol. Damn this is an old thread! I'm borrowing my buddys truck and i'm getting 20.5 mpg. As of today it's got a 5000# truck on a trailer behind it gettings 19.9 mpg. It's a 04 2500 HD 5.9.


Reading that from the overhead? They're notoriously inaccurate.

[Toms984x4]

Reading that from the overhead? They're notoriously inaccurate.

Yes, and a calculation of how many miles driven/how many gallons of diesel to fill it back up. I was wondering when you were going to chime in. :D

[feellnfroggy]

My sisters boyfriend has a 97( I htink) single cab shortbox 2500 4x4 and he gets 19 MPG with his fuel turned up.

[Original_Ranger84]

Well now I know my friend was lying... he keeps claiming he gets 26 mpgs in town... and he always peeled the tires. it was a 98 12 valve

[rstrucks]

Just to add - my '94 dually (5 speed) gets about 21 mpg on the highway both empty or with a ~400lb atv in the bed. Towing I have gotten any where between 13 and 17 mpg with the load ranging from about 5k lbs to 15k lbs.