Something interesting happened on my trip this weekend....

[MagnumFreak]

I had to take a trip in the Magnum this weekend of about 1000 miles round trip (yeah I know it is a tough job but someone has to do it). Anyway, I am cruising along about 80 mph CHECK the gas mileage and I am very happy as the car is getting around 21.5 mpg. About 250 miles INTO the trip I notice that the air bag light is on. Not the passenger airbag but the general air bag light. I wondered what it could be, I needed a break anyway so I pulled INTO a parking lot and switched the car off. I knew that I was getting near 150 hours so I checked the time and YUP sure enough it was exactly 150 hours. Went in and took a break. Came back out started the car and no air bag light. Interesting. Started cruising down the road and after about an hour I checked the mileage again. 23.4 at 80 mph!!!!! HUH!?!?! Thought it might just be a fluke so I monitored it for the rest of the trip. It stayed in the 23 range for the rest of the trip including the return trip today! Could it be??? The car doesn't feel like it has any additional power but the mileage change cannot be denied. I will run some tests over the next few days to see if there is any change in the 0-60 times.

The car exhaust has always had a smell to it that made me think it was running a bit rich. Now that smell is gone. It is almost as though it has switched to another fuel map. Anyway, I thought you guys might find this interesting.

Also, the airbag light never came back on. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.

The legend of the 150 hour change lives on!!

[Zog]

Ski-Doo snowmobiles ( I know, it isn't a car) are set up with a break-in chip that lets go at 10 hours. I believe the timing is somewhat retarded before the chip lets go. This 150 hour break-in wouldn't surprise me a bit.

[TheMissing]

How many miles did you make on a tank of gas?

[MagnumFreak]

I know that I got about 400 miles on the first tank (about 17 gallons used two left in the tank) which took me FROM Augusta Georgia to a little north of Nashville Tennesee. I drove the rest of the way to Paducah KY stayed there a couple of days then drove back to a good ways south of Nashville before getting gas again. I still have about a third of a tank left. I don't have my paperwork in front of me right now but I think it was about 405 on the second tank and that included a little around town driving, not much though. I know I was getting about 375 or so per tank before when it was all highway driving. I will CHECK it in the morning when I go to work where I was getting about 23.5 or so normally. This will give me some idea of improvements at slower (around 65 to 70 instead of 80) speeds.

[bigjim]

I have had mine 3 weeks and put 3800 miles on it. As I posted in another thread I get 22 mpg with re-formulated gas and about 24 with straight gas. Did you pass through an area where real gas is used? My airbag light did the same trick around 3000 miles. Dealer checked it this weekend and reset codes. Time will tell if it is a problem or a fuel map change. I do long haul regularly so I get the chance to make some interesting observations.

[MagnumFreak]

The increased mileage actually started before I got gas somewhere other than normal. It is interesting though I will know more in the morning when I go to work.

[MAGNUM8R]

Yo. Freaky Mag,
Sounds just about right, I am averaging 21 MPG with a 40 mile commute 5 days a week, this includes traffic and city driving. Just over 5K miles now, and I do stand on hard pretty regularly. (Who could resist?)
It sounds like this is a good thing, but pretty interesting. It amazes me that your dealers work with you like they do, I'm still chasing the balance issue with BA stereo. My dealer would rather take the car for a day and do nothing after it disappears behing their "employees only" wall. I will give them another chance at the 6K oil change.
It only gets better, I love my RT!
Later,
'8R

[E8502]

That's cool stuff MagFreak - keep us updated on any tests or changes you come across.

[Tommy T.]

The legend of the 150 hour change lives on!!

Oh no, here we go again!!!

Actually I'm amazed that the doubting Thomases haven't posted here yet. Oh well, give it 24 hours.

-- Tommy

[MagnumFreak]

They can't argue with facts. Anyway on the way to work today I tested the mileage again to see if the change is true. Well, it is. Mileage is up about 1.8 mpg on the trip to work. Amazing. A friend of mine told me that they may have run the car rich for the first 150 hours to keep FROM running the engine too lean and burning it up. Couldn't test power this morning because I did not have enough time. Will test in the morning. Gotta love these cars.

[C4me]

Whatever it is ............................... I notice that my C feels more "settled in" than it ever has. I have 11K now and it just seems to get better. Which, by the way, should rule out the usual feeling of getting used to the car. Many times I've felt like cars have lost their edge but all it really amounted to was me getting used to it. Not this one. Lucky ...... I THINK NOT! Let there be legends!

[schwarz633]

How are you viewing the hours? I tried the key on/engine off/odometer reset button routine and all I got it to do was scroll through the trip1/trip2/odo displays. Can't seem to locate the hours in the EVIC diagnostic mode either.

[AndyK]

Key on, in "Park", hold down the dash odometer button until it switches to "hrs 22" or something to that effect. Just have to hold it for like 10 sec.

[mikespy]

I have tried to see hours also and it doesn't seem to work on my vehicle. I have done what was mentioned with the reset button and no hours come on. The only thing that happens is the software version and then the guage check. Can hours only be checked/displayed on newer software????

[Blanchman]

Yea, the milage is one of the reasons i bought tihs car, albiet HAVING a hemi didn't hurt either.

I just put some magna-flows on, so I'll have to see if that helps my milage at all. I hope it does. I usually drive pretty conservatively, at least while I'm communting. I have a very similar situation to you, I commute 20 miles each way, about 80% at freeway condidtions. I average about 20-21, according to the EVIC. I've noticed that the mileage is directory porportional to the number of lights I hit. Accellerating off the lights does not help alot, even gently.

Using the (Milage traveled / Num gallons) to fill, I am averaging right on 17 MPG. This is not as good as I would like... but, its OK. But, I also have a hemi to play with, and since i put on those Magna-flows, things have definitely taken a turn for the worse !! Go figure.....

Loving that sound... sweeetttt....