Cummins' Tips on Driving for Fuel Economy

[Diesel_Dave]

Came accross this relase directly from "Cummins on Driving for Fuel Economy". given the growing number of Cummins drivers we have here now I thought I'd re-post it here.

Here's the link:
Cummins Turbo Diesel News

and the posting:

Driving For Better Fuel Efficiency.

With today's fuel prices, getting the most miles out of every gallon of fuel is a major priority. There are a lot of factors that go into the amount of fuel you use in a given day, and your Cummins Turbo Diesel is one of them. Some simple adjustments may help you save on gas costs when driving your 6.7L Ram.

At a very basic level, the more work your engine does, the more fuel you use. There are a lot of factors that impact the amount of extra work your truck does, such as tire tread, acceleration rate, cruising speed, air conditioner usage, aerodynamics, excess weight, and idle time, to name a few. Today let's take a closer look at how speed impacts the amount of fuel you use – specifically, engine speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm); road speed; and acceleration.

Generally speaking, the faster the engine speed, the more fuel the engine is using. Between 1300 and 1500 rpm is the most fuel-efficient engine speed, or what some would call the "sweet spot." When you're driving on the highway, aerodynamics become a key factor in the work required to move the truck. You have two options to lower the workload: improve the truck's aerodynamics, or slow down. For every 10 mph you drive above 55, you lose about 1 mpg in fuel mileage, so holding your speed at the posted limit not only keeps you safer and ticket-free; it also saves fuel.

Acceleration is simple physics: The faster you accelerate a given load, the more force is required. Speeding off from a green light is one way to waste fuel and burn up money. Hasty acceleration also means running the engine rpm higher into the less efficient engine speeds in each gear. When accelerating, you should ease up through the gears and up shift as soon as possible. If you have an automatic transmission, a slower acceleration allows the transmission to up-shift at the lowest rpm possible. So unless you're at the diesel drags, take it nice and easy, and save some cash.

©2011 Cummins Inc., Direct Marketing, Mail Code 60610, 500 Jackson Street, Columbus, IN 47201 U.S.A.

For those interested, you can sign up for the Cummins Turbo Diesel News for free here:
Cummins Engines - Newsletters - Turbo Diesel

[Diesel_Dave]

Also check out this "Secrets to Better Fuel Economy":

http://cumminsengines.com/assets/pdf...whitepaper.pdf

Note: this is geared more towards semi trucks and the like, but most of the principles are applicable. The previous post was specifically for Ram truck owners.

[JasonG]

Good to see typical truck guys getting it !

[Frank Lee]

We don't know if typical truck guys are getting it; it could be like Hardley-Abelson releasing a statement about the importance of quiet exhaust when the reality on the street is 98 out of 100 H-Ds have the stock mufflers ****canned.

[ron]

Nice post. I have been using the scangauge(old as he--) to figure what works the best and making a few aero improvements as well so I hope the mileage will improve 10-20%, then Ill get the t-trailer and thats another fuel suck.

[Diesel_Dave]

Thought the Cummins folks might get a kick out of this story too:

1.7 Million Miles in a Dodge Ram… You Betcha!

Guy with a 2001 Cummins has run 1.7 million miles with his truck. I believe that's with no overhauls too!

Here's an older article (back when he was only at 1.4 million) with some more detail:
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/0...500/index.html

[ron]

wow thats for me 1.7mil miles-soooo eco,I won't be driving like that so it will be oil changes as usual. 152,000 on my 1999CTD everyone said I should be able to get to 300 with no problem. so far ive only about 500mi in 2or3 months

[euromodder]

160.000 miles/year is 440 miles / 700km each and every day !

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by euromodder

160.000 miles/year is 440 miles / 700km each and every day !

Yeah, I think the guy is a transporter, getting paid to haul people's stuff cross-country. That's the other thing--he was towing a hefty payload for most of those miles!

Also, with all due respect to the gentleman, the factory recommended oil change interval is not 3,000 miles. The manual for the '07 truck that has pretty much the same engine (5.9L) engine, recommends 15,000 mi oil changes normally and 7,500 mi for heavy towing applications. I assume it was the same in '01. Still, at 440 miles a day, a 10,000 mi oil change means every 3 weeks!

[ron]

I drive so few miles a year now in my work truck that I only change oil every 6 mo. heck at 15000 mile change on a CTD Ill only need to change it every 3-5 years. I wont go that long once or twice a year sounds about write.