All,

I took a trip this weekend from South Carolina to Indianapolis (yeah the race was great). During the trip I did a little experimenting with driving rate versus mileage. Let me preface with the things that I have changed: new air filter (paper), recent oil change (synthetic), 12000miles on the odometer, ~40psi in the tires, ORM and cleaned the MAP. On the way up I kept it at 2000rpm - no higher. This yielded 25.5mpg. Second tank included driving around Indy in traffic and my wife driving much faster on the highway. This yielded 24.5mpg. I read on here about folks getting upwards of 30mpg - how is this done? Does it require one of the chips? Don't get me wrong, I am very happy about the mileage - especially since diesel is now considerably less than petrol. Anything else i can do to improve it? Thanks in advance.

-Dr. Dave

A change of fuel may help, along with a regular dose of PS grey. Try running some of your local Spinx Biodiesel B20. One in Taylors, one in Greer, one on 291, another on Whitehorse Road. Should help the mileage a bit. Mileage is very dependent on the terrain - I've run as high as 23.3 from Jacksonville FLA, to Orlando in my 02 V6 Liberty at 60 mph, with a perfectly flat road and a good tailwind. But that's the last time I've ever seen that kind of mileage with the V6 - on Interstate driving in the Carolinas, Kentucky & Tennessee I average 20 mpg tops. Local driving, 16 mpg, wife could get 17. Then came Methanol instead of MTBE and local mileage with my wife driving the V6 is 15.8, highway is 19.5 tops. Fuel makes a difference.

CRD will do the best if you get it in 5th gear asap and keep it there, avoiding passing whenever possible. Any toying with the pedal that causes TC unlocking will drop your mileage. Cruise at 65 works wonders. Mileage keeps getting better even after 20K miles. I don't think these engines really loosen up until around 25K miles.

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2005 LTD CRD RB1 NAV/Htd Leather seats/Amsoil EA filters
SunCoast Mega Trans & Billet TC/PML pan/Aux cooler
Fuel cooler/Lift Pump/10um Pri/Racor R490 2um Sec Fuel Filters
IronMan Lift/Shocks/Provent/Moog ball joints/ V6 Airbox/Fan/Hayden
Cobalt Boost/EGT/Oil/Trans/Volt gauges/Aeroturbine 2525
Yeti Hot Tune/Odessey 65/Samco's/Michelin Defenders

Ok Ranger, you seem to know the area pretty well. Are you local to Greenville? I have only seen a couple of CRDs around. BTW, I fill up at the Spinx at Fairview and 418 almost exclusively (1mile from my house).

-Dr. Dave

I only get 30 and over on long freeway hauls and typically mostly running between 65 and 70 but that was pre-ORM. My best was last summer from Spokane to Portland via Seattle at 32 mpg. I got around 30 to Seattle then picked up the extra 2 mpg running south at pretty close to sea level. I have definately picked up another couple MPG on daily driving since ORM but I haven't been on a long drive since the change. The highest mileage was with Mobile 1 at about 18K and 38 PSI in the tires.

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Dave

'06 CRD Limited, Lt. Khaki, MOPAR Slush Mats/Skids, DrawTite Front Hitch, Mag Lite, Yakima Bars, Thule Bike Rack, Fumoto, ORM, 245/70 Revo 2

Wish list: Lift, Boulder Bars, Something Bigger in the Front and Back, More Lights

Cowcatcher,

That is amazing! The tank of fuel that I measured 25.5mpg on was all on the highway between 65-70mph and I only started the engine 3-4 times. I really expected better. Then during the next tank the jeep was run hard in traffic and I only lost 1mpg. I really expected a greater difference. You mentioned using Mobil 1, did you see a difference when you switched? I am currently using Rotella synthetic.

-Dr. Dave

in our 3000 m trip from Kansas City to DC and back through Niagara Falls, our best two tanks were 26mpg when we drove at about 65, but we also only have 9700 miles on the ODO, all the other tanks were 24 or 22 MPG after 65 MPH it seems the faster you go the worse your mileage.


K

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'06 Midnight Blue CRD Sport
Born 5-06
Mopar Skids and Tow Hooks
Deer Killer Mod

No, looked it up here:

http://find.mapmuse.com/re1/directory.p ... =BIODIESEL

_________________
2005 LTD CRD RB1 NAV/Htd Leather seats/Amsoil EA filters
SunCoast Mega Trans & Billet TC/PML pan/Aux cooler
Fuel cooler/Lift Pump/10um Pri/Racor R490 2um Sec Fuel Filters
IronMan Lift/Shocks/Provent/Moog ball joints/ V6 Airbox/Fan/Hayden
Cobalt Boost/EGT/Oil/Trans/Volt gauges/Aeroturbine 2525
Yeti Hot Tune/Odessey 65/Samco's/Michelin Defenders

I got about 22.5 mixed driving most of the time last year but on a hundred or so mile trip at 60 MPH on rural highways over dramatic terrain would see it pop up to about 28 MPG. I have done hand calculations and the EVIC and not found that much difference so I don't do the hand calc now...too impatient to stand around for 10 minutes trying to top it off. I am getting about 25.5 MPG mixed now at just shy of 28K.

There was a distinct improvement for me after the ORM but honestly there have been other changes at about the same time. Regular availability of USLD, change to summer blend, warmer weather, etc. It is hard to pin it all on the ORM.

On the long trip last summer it was not a straight through I left for Seattle late in the day with the intention of picking up some B100 in Issaqua but the Co-Op was closed by the time I got there so I headed south to Olympia, spent the night, stopped to see some customers the next morning then headed on south to Portland.

I got a 25K dealer service incentive with my CRD purchase so I have been running Mobile 1 with 5K oil and filter changes since new. I just picked up some Rotella T this weekend and now I am waiting for some filters to do my first oil change on a personal, non-farm, vehicle in years. I also pulled an oil sample this evening to take to the lab tomorrow. If it looks good then I will hold off on the change that I had planned for somewhere between 29K and 30K, maybe out to 35K which would make it about 10K. I am seldom off road and have not been towing so the Jeep interval would normally be 12K but I don't think I want to go that far.

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Dave

'06 CRD Limited, Lt. Khaki, MOPAR Slush Mats/Skids, DrawTite Front Hitch, Mag Lite, Yakima Bars, Thule Bike Rack, Fumoto, ORM, 245/70 Revo 2

Wish list: Lift, Boulder Bars, Something Bigger in the Front and Back, More Lights

The only other thing I can think of is to replace your stock muffler with a free flowing one. It helped me gain a couple miles per gallon.

When my CRD was stock I got 19-20 mpg during every day driving. When I replaced the muffler this increased to 21-22 and I got 27.9 mpg on the interstate (all mileages hand calculated). Since doing the ORM and my air filter mod I've picked up another 1 mpg or so.

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My Jeep Liberty page

ORM, air filter mod, and less restrictive exhaust has increased my 'everyday' driving 3 mpg.

Any suggestions on muffler manufacturer and model #?

Magnaflow is a popular choice, as well as the traditional free flowing glasspack.

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My Jeep Liberty page

ORM, air filter mod, and less restrictive exhaust has increased my 'everyday' driving 3 mpg.