Hi,
I bought a Dodge Caravan 1996 SE, engine3.0, milegae 139,000 kms.
Could you tell me about the fuel consumption ? What kind of gas is better for this car ?
Thank you,
have a nice day !
RAM MAN
02-19-2006, 05:03 PM
Welcome to the site
you should be able to run just reg unleaded
Chet42
02-19-2006, 05:10 PM
Congratulations!!
A well tuned 3.0L will get and average 19-21 city and 24-26 Hwy. Also will depend on your driving habits.
As for fuel use good old regular 87 octane, buying the higher octane is a waste of money because theres no value built into the computer to use the higher octane so you won't get any better performance or fuel economy.
Chet.
gas28man
02-22-2006, 10:56 AM
Chet,
I must offer a dissent. Without fail, I always get better gas mileage in my 96 T&C with the 3.8 when I decide to spend the bucks and pour in the 93 or 94 octane fuel. The first couple of times I dismissed it as coincidence or my imagination. But it happens all the time. I get more actual miles on the odo between fillups on a tank of premium, and I'm up to 316,000 miles on it now, so believe me, I know what I'm getting.
I need to do a real scientific test on this to figure out just what the differential is, but the ideal conditions for that would be a long road trip. These only happen two or three times a year for me these days.
But I really would like to know because I have a hypothesis spinning around in my head that says there might be a point in gasoline prices where it's cheaper to buy premium in the long run. How's that possible, you ask? Well, back when gas was $1.25 for regular, midgrade was priced at $1.35 and premium was $1.45. Well, now that regular is $2.25, what are they pricing midgrade and premium at? Still a 10-cent difference between each grade -- $2.35 and $2.45.
So the question is this: At what price for regular vs. premium, and at what differential in mileage on regular vs. premium (I know I get 19 city/24 hwy/21 combined on regular), does the value proposition make it cheaper in the long run to buy premium? I'm smart enough to figure out the question, but suck too bad at math to figure out an equation that will answer the question.
Is anyone on this board a math whiz who can come up with the right answer for me?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Rick
MYCVIL
02-22-2006, 02:56 PM
By my calculations (Of course I could have worked it differently...) you merely need to get 1.7 MPG better City, 2.1 MPG better Highway, and 1.9 MPG better Overall to break even on the upgrade to premium assuming 2.25 Regular, and 2.45 Premium.
Assuming you get 2 (19 vs. 21) MPG better city, 2 (24 vs. 26) MPG better Highway, and 2 (21 vs. 23) MPG better Overall, the break even point of Regular to premium would be (assuming Premium is 20 cents more than regular):
1.99 Regular Based on only City driving (2.19 Premium)
3.12 Regular Based on only Highway driving (3.22 Premium)
2.42 Regular Based on Combined City/Hwy driving (2.62 Premium)
Of course this is exponential as the increase of 2 MPG is a 11% Increase in MPG City, only an 8% Increase Highway, and a 10% Increase Combined... - The spread is the key factor - I tried some algebra to work this one out (my rusty 30 YO mind isnt working so well, but basically I found the break even point by multiplying the Premium MPG times the Regular MPG, then Divide by 2 and Divide by 100... - I think the numbers work out... - At least if you divide the First Regular MPG by the Regular price and divide the Premium MPG by the Premium Price the Cents per mile is equal at the points stated...
OK ran the numbers and they don't add up (Sorry - working through this online...)
Here's another way of figuring the Break Even point...
Increase in Price of gas / Original Price of gas EQUALS Increase in Mileage / Original Mileage
SO
.20 / x = 2 / 19
Or X should equal 1.90 - So the break even points using this example is 1.90 - That's assuming a static gain of 2 MPG - If the gain were more or less it would seem much more complex. - This seems good as it the answer would drop to 0 if the MPG increase was nothing... - Setting them equal (IE 19 MPG gain on a 19 MPG car), you would still get a nice anser - 19/19 = 1 = .2 / x - Work that out and you get x = .2 - so at 20 cents you would break even doing the upgrade in gas to get basically a 100% MPG gain.
Wow - now that was a fun challenge! Beats my Sudoko's anyday...
Hammer away!
Billy
gas28man
02-22-2006, 04:19 PM
Wow, so the big fool (me) was right, I guess. So somewhere back around when gas was $1.90 a gallon, all I needed to get was 2 mpg better with premium (assuming my observations of better mileage are not just my imagination) for me to come out ahead in the long run by buying premium all the time, assuming a 20-cent differential between regular and premium.
Right now, here in the Nashville area, gas is going for $2.15 for regular. I wonder how many mpg better my mileage needs to be? Obviously somewhere in the high 1.X range. Makes me all the more enthusiastic to apply some real science to my mileage calculations to see what the difference really is.
Guess I've got a new hobby.
Thanks a bunch, Billy!
Rick
Chet42
02-22-2006, 04:21 PM
Thats some calculation.
My 3.0L doesn't like the higher octane fuel, because the computer can't retard or advance the timing to compensate for the lower flash point of the fuel and i end up getting pre-ignition pinging.
The 3.3 and 3.8 have knock sensors to compensate for this by advancing or retarding the timing when using medium or high octane fuels, the 3.0L doesn't have a knock sensor, all variables are controlled by the ECM.
Its as simple as that.
Chet.
gas28man
02-22-2006, 04:26 PM
Right you are, Chet. You've got a distributor, and the 3.3/3.8 family are distributorless. I was suspicious of that setup when it first came out, but I'm coming around to this newfangled stuff. ;-)
Rick
zebra
02-28-2006, 06:34 PM
I am so worry...my Dodge Caravan 1996 SE has a fuel consumption - 19 litres gas I drove 100 km !
Do you know what is the problem ?...I drove in downtown Vancouver but I think is too big that fuel consumption !
Thank you.
P.S. Should I have to go to service ?..they will charge me ?...average ?...
I have a 1 year guarantee from Lubrico ...
Chet42
02-28-2006, 06:57 PM
Yes have it serviced, because, either you like driving really fast or the engine is in need of a major tune-up.
Prices vary from shop to shop, but with that fuel mileage it sounds like your engine needs some major repairs. Even with an Oxygen sensor gone bad i can still get half decent mileage.
A major tune-up on average for 6 cylinder will turn you around $350.00 to $400.00 and that's a bit on the high end, shop around for a good independant shop and it may be lower, that should include parts and labour, providing they don't find something else wrong.
