i got an 2008 f150 4x4 with the 5.4L v8, woundering what could be done to get better gas milage and also with out voiding the warrenty thanks

 

Sell it and get a Honda Accord. Seriously though, nothing you can do is going to garner more than a MPG or two. Easy driving is probably the most effective. Any mods you can do are for the most part not cost effective and would take for ever to offset the cost if fuel mileage is the only reason you're doing them. But, guess you could argue every little bit helps.

 

Keep the RPM under 2k at all times. It's amazing how much difference this will make. It's tough to do though.
Anticipate and coast up to a stop as much as you can get away with, and then some.
Buy smaller tires. Get the stock 235/??/17. I'm looking for a set on the aluminum rim sold on the 2010/11.
Remove step bars and lift kits, which increase wind drag.

 

keep weight off the truck. clean the truck and the bed if you have anything in it. anything helps when it comes to random stuff weighing you down. One of my buddies is so serious about it he took off his spare tire his muffler and odds and ends to cut the weight off. He says he gained 1MPG but if he gets a flat hes screwed. Since gas is up to 4 bucks here in maryland iv been trying bunch of methods to save gas. So far the best method is driving my gf's jeep instead of my truck haha

 

Yep, sell the truck. Check out a Focus, -if you can find one.

 

from OP's sig those are not helping.

your right foot. do normal stuff tune ups fuel filters air filter clean the TB make sure the o2's are workin good.

and if you want throw an E-fan on there thats good for 1-2 more MPG

 

What's your mpg now that you think you need to improve it?

Those tires, lift, light bar aren't helping at all.. All cause more drag.

Get a vacuum gauge and never let it go to zero and see what that nets you..

Face it, you are driving a 3 ton brick and it wasn't built as an eco friendly vehicle..

Either drive it and enjoy it, or park it and look at it..

I'm getting ready to start my Summer camping run and will be towing a #5000 TT and I'll be glad when I get 10 mpg towing! I won't be parking it for some time!

Mitch

 

This thread needs to be closed and locked right now. No other statement can be made to top this one!!! There's nothing more to be said because nothing can follow this one...We're done.

Just like I told you in my first post...all these tips these guys are giving you will make driving your truck a chore and completely miserable...and you might pick up a MPG or two from it, but even then it won't be consistent.

 

It's a good question. You can put two people in the same truck and each will get different gas mileage. Where you drive plays a big part, but so does how you drive. Add both together and the difference can be 3-4 miles per gallon.

Case in point. A coworker gets about 16.5 in his 06 Scab, then he sells it to his son who is now getting 12.5 in the same truck. He is the master of coasting to a stop, and he lives out in the country.

My Dad and I have the same basic Screw. Now that winter has past and there is no more snow my dash is up to 12.5. When I drove his last month it was reading 15.8. I paid close attention to the tach when he drove, and the engine never exceeded 2000 rpm. No, not once that I saw. I've been trying real hard to do that, but it is tougher that I could have ever imagined. It's tougher for me because I stop for a light or sign every mile or so.

 

Plan ahead... I've seen close to 18 all around town before. I'm good at this

Staying under 2k is easy

 

I lost almost 2 mpg when i put 325 60 18 tires on mine. I now have 275 70 18 and got almost all of it back. those wide tires really hurt.

 

A tune can net better fuel economy.

My canned Superchips program added hp and fuel economy.

 

What kind of mileage do you guys see? I am almost all highway driving (in Michigan, mind you) and on an average tank I can get between 15 and 16, though usually closer to 15. '01 Screw 5.4L @206,000 miles.

I know its rated at 18 highway, but the only time I saw those kinda numbers was when I had a 300 mile journey at 55 mph, cruise set (actually managed 19.7 mpg, go figure.) Since, I haven't even come close. Had one tank that got 17.2 mpg but I swear I had to drive so far up semi's a** to get it...

 

Bear in mind that your mpg readout is going to read 1-2 mpg optimistically, or more. It's a computerized guess more than anything because there are no fuel flow measurements involved. The tires are really killing you... could be worth 2mpg loss. Might read worse if your odometer is not calibrated properly to compensate for the tire size.

Galaxy and Mitch150 summed it up best. There is only so much work you can get out of a gallon of gas and most of the mods you can do are designed for power increases, not fuel economy. If there are concurrent gains, it takes years to recover the costs, if not the life of the truck.

 

If your taking a long journey, it helps to know which way the wind is blowing, and at what speed.