To The Moon: Upping economy in a 2000 Dodge Caravan

[101Volts]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Defrost: you'll still get heat blowing on the windshield, but you won't have the dehumidifying effect of the AC. So it'll defrost like any old car without AC used to work.

It's been removed.

[101Volts]

I'm hoping for a water coolant heater and oil pan heater within three weeks, Maybe an oil change too. I'm not sure if I should Seafoam the engine or not? We're close to 131,100 miles on the odometer.

EDIT: The actual mileage is 130,6xx as of this edit time, Not as what I posted earlier.

The stop leak in the water coolant seems to have been an aid, BTW.

[101Volts]

Deletions today: A/C Clutch Fuse and two handles, From the backs of the driver and passenger seats.

Today while the car was parked I pulled the Fuel Injector fuse while the engine was running and the engine stopped but when I put it back, It didn't turn on automatically until the key was turned again so what could I do to keep the SG2 on while EOCing? I'll be checking threads now.

After pulling the fuse, I also tried EOCing by turning the key off (Once) down a hill and perhaps I'll try doing it more often; There are some fairly long hills around here and I measured one where I could EOC for about half a mile though I didn't try it there.

[101Volts]

We have a partial grille block on the van now. Most of the air inlets are covered except the ones on the bottom, I don't have a picture of it now and it's dark out so I won't take one now.

Tires have been kept at 57 Hot when pumping at gas stations.

I'd like to remove the A/C equipment and I got a Caravan repair manual recently.

[101Volts]

Not much has been done to this van lately, I do add that I now know when the low-fuel light pops up though; At about the 16 Gallons Used/4 Gallons Left mark. The last tank is as of this posting date the lowest MPG known with 20.08 on a lot of 89 grade and idling. Even on the first eighty to hundred and twenty miles on the tank were low according to the ScanGauge so I'll be sticking with plain 87 grade with ethanol.

[Fat Charlie]

A lot of idling and probably the coldest weather since you started the log? I wouldn't blame the gas.

[101Volts]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

A lot of idling and probably the coldest weather since you started the log? I wouldn't blame the gas.

Thanks for that. In other news related to the cold weather my Mother's van which is of the same year but has a 3.3 litre engine went from about 15-17 MPG to 11.9-13. (It's mostly driven fewer than 15 miles per day.)

I'll be open to 89 on some occasions but on the first trip home when I used it, It didn't return as high FE as I thought it would; And I was doing some pulse and gliding that day.

[t vago]

11-13 MPG? Yikes!

Sure, cold weather may play some part in that, but when was the last time she got a tune-up for that minivan?

On a related note, I recently purchased a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.3L V6 and that damnable 41TE slushbox. Of course, I'm going to squeeze out every bit of FE improvement as I can. Already looking to install an intake heater.

[101Volts]

We seafoamed the tank and crank case and had an oil change with 5w30 Full Synthetic today. Not much modding has been done lately, I did however notice that when going down hills that if I stick it in low gear the fuel injectors are turned off and the engine goes into open loop and I've been using that.

I've also been able to get over 30 MPG on the highway on short trips by going slower (43-50 or 55) and some pulse and gliding.

Originally Posted by t vago

11-13 MPG? Yikes!

Sure, cold weather may play some part in that, but when was the last time she got a tune-up for that minivan?

On a related note, I recently purchased a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.3L V6 and that damnable 41TE slushbox. Of course, I'm going to squeeze out every bit of FE improvement as I can. Already looking to install an intake heater.

Probably since never, I think. We had an oil change at about 132 or 133k miles and now it's close to 137k miles, That made a big difference. But I don't recall spark plugs ever being changed in it and we bought it used.

[grswat]

If you wanted to modify the transmission you could swap the transfer gears from a 3.8 van. The 3.0 and 3.3 had a 3.6:1 final drive and the 3.8 has a 3.45:1 final drive. Only a 4% difference but its a very easy swap. Unfortunately your speedometer and odometer will be off unless you can get the ecm flashed.