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adam
adam asked in Cars & TransportationCar MakesDodge · 8 years ago

Better MPG out of a Journey?

PLEASE NO STUPID ANSWERS! I dont care if you dont like what i bought, or think I should have bought a smart car.. Im asking for a honest opinion about my issue,not your approval for my vehicle.

I just recently got a 2013 Dodge Journey SXT AWD with the 3.6L Pentastar engine.. Needless to say by the topic of this post Im not impressed with the mileage Im getting. For the most part, its driven in ideal conditions for mpg (55 mph speed zones) and ive yet to see close to the claimed combined fuel economy estimate given for it..

I come from the diesel world as far as what i know performance wise, so i dont want to go touching this thing with my diesel ideas and end up hurting it.. Lets face it, they are 100% different animals..

I replaced the air filter with a K&N, figured that would do nothing but help, and since its washable save money in the long run.. Does anyone have a aftermarket cold air intake for them? Ive searched, with no results.. Does anyone do air box mods? With pvc toilet drain fittings and making a open port for air to get sucked in the bottom of the box?

Would changing the thermostat help? (it does in a diesel) right now coolant sits at 193-194 leading me to believe it has a 190* thermostat, so should I switch to a 200*? Or is that bad news?

Does the stability control off button do anything, really? when I switch it, the instant mpg shows about 3 mpg better, which made me wonder if maybe it disengages the AWD, but i know darn well those instant calculators cant be trusted.. When I do that, it shows me about 22.5 mpg, otherwise, its about 19.5 mpg

Ive seen SOME that the Pentastar does not like the cold weather, and given Im in Michigan and it hasnt been over 60* since Ive owned it, but come on.. Is it really that big of a problem?

Any help would be much appreciated..

Other question.. What about cold weather hurts it? Crazy idea but if its the cold air would a grid heater, like a diesel has help this? I can rig one up! haha

PLEASE NO STUPID ANSWERS! I dont care if you dont like what i bought, or think I should have bought a smart car.. Im asking for a honest opinion about my issue,not your approval for my vehicle.

Update:

OK nasty troll of infinate wisdom (fitting name).. Sad you think i dont know what a grid heater is, considering there is one on my truck.. From your response Id hate to take my truck to you, considering it sounds as if you dont know what it does..

A GRID HEATER goes in the intake tube, and in no way comes in contact with anything that can ignite. It is well before the intake valves, and ONLY heats the air going into your engine to a peak of ~120*, again, in a place where nothing can ignite..

maybe you were thinking of GLOW PLUGS that actually warm within the cylinder/ block (depending on application)

Sad that you had to put a stupid answer that i wasnt looking for and in the process made yourself look like a shitty diesel mechanic..

2 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Grid heater on a gas engine, Yea there's a good idea, or at least from a pyrotechnic stand point, generally the people that do the tests on these vehicles do them in a way they keep there foot out of the throttle as to achieve the best MPG, where as young adult males try to add cold air intakes and drive them like they stole them, now it would appear there's one that wants to put a grid heater on a gas engine, My only advice here would be to not let any of your friends, family or loved ones stand too near when you finish your modifications and try to start it, as you obviously have no idea what a grid heater is or what it does, then there's the fact you think your smarter than the engineers at Chrysler. which personally I find a bit scary

    Source(s): 30+ yr diesel mechanic.
  • ?
    Lv 5
    8 years ago

    The short answer is its not going to get better and you cant make it get better....if it were possible, Chrysler would have done it

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