I own a 2001 F150 Supercrew 4x4 w/ 5.4L and am attempting to purchase a chip that will allow me to increase my gas mileage. I know alot has to do with the driving conditions. I am currently getting about 13 mpg and would really like to see 15 or 16 mpg (of course without changing the motor). There are more chips out there than there are trucks. Does anyone know of the most reliable or the worst to stay away from. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi TankerEd,

Good questions, & welcome to F-150 Online!

First of all, the truth is there is no such thing as a "gas mileage chip," so you can stop your search - it doesn't exist.

You've got a 2.5-3 ton truck there, with the aero profile of a small house - so you're never going to get "good" mileage, you've got the wrong vehicle for that. Also, if you're like most people, you're probably using the cheapest gas you can find (that's very common, unfortunately), and that is perhaps the *worst* thing you can do for fuel mileage. Steer clear of all no-name & off-brand fuels, and no Exxon, either - they're all lower in energy content (BTU's per gallon), and deliver less performance and fuel mileage as a result.

The chips you hear about are *performance* chips, they're not "gas mileage" chips - now as a by-product of the performance tuning specifically on part-throttle, the Superchips tuning usually does cause the fuel mileage to go up, and there are many posts right here available to read where there are before & after mpg comparisons. But you aren't going to be able to run on cheap low-grade gas and pick up 2-3 mpg gains from tuning on 87 octane.

Your best bet with regard to aftermarket tuning is to use the Superchips Micro Tuner, as it has multiple programs, for 87 octane and for premium gas, too, for when you want the largest power gains - the best power and mileage gains will come on the premium gas programs of course, as there we can use more timing. The 87 octane tune can get you a small improvement in mileage, but I wouldn't expect 2.0-3.0 gains.

In terms of who is doing the best job among the aftermarket chipmakers, hands down it's Superchips - they basically invented this industry 20 years ago, and they have the most R&D into these trucks tuning. The Superchips tuning is what you'll find most people here using simply because it works the best. That's the same reason we use them, because we get the best results with them - we couldn't care less about the name on the box, it's the results that count.

If fuel mileage gains are your *primary* concern, your best bet would actually be to do mods that have significant potential for improving mpg specifically - converting to electric fans and installing underdrive pulleys are the 2 best mods for mpg, and between those 2 mods you can pick up 2-3 mpg *and* you'll see another 25-30 HP at the rear wheels, too. It's a win-win situation that many people are doing.

I hope this info helps a bit, & please feel free to give us a call & we can go over this with you in more detail - our phone number is listed below & we're open Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, Eastern time.

Thanks for dropping by & best of luck with your truck!

 

Thanks for the info Mike. I think I will take your advice and start running a premium grade fuel rather than regular. I have always used Chevron in my vehicle. I will start with what you recommended with the electric fans and belts. Then go from there. I appreciate your assistance and will continue to monitor this site for any additional info.

 

Hi TE,

One quick point here, just FYI..............

Using anything more than 87 octane when running on the stock factory program in these (and most other) vehicles, or in any other vehicle that is tuned for 87 octane from the factory, is a waste of money. We recommend not doing that in these modern fuel-injected & computer controlled vehicles unless you are running a performance tune, like the Superchip. It's not like the older engines, where you fed it whatever & just set the initial timing accordingly - it's more critical now, a *lot* more than it used to be when most of us grew up.

You generally won't see better performance or mpg most of the time from using premium in a motor tuned for 87, and it can actually run *worse* - getting less performance & lower mpg. In fact, many of the owners manuals in these trucks say specifically *not* to use higher octane gas, to use only 87 - and that is correct, you need to use whatever octane level of fuel the motor is actually tuned for.

This is due to the burn rate differential - higher octane fuel takes significantly longer to light off, thus engines (especially fuel-injected engines) need to be specifically *tuned* for the use of higher octane.

Using 91-94 octane on the stock factory program can, in a worst-case scenario, cause less power, worse mpg and even driveability problems and a "check engine" light on the dash - this is why most of the owners manuals will tell you to use only 87 octane.

That changes with the Superchips tuning, because there we are specifically re-tuning the engine for that higher octane, so it has enough time to burn fully & you get the real benefits from it.

There are plenty of posts here from people who have run premium on the stock program and have not had any noticeable symptoms - and then there are some posts from those who have had significant problems from doing that - it varies a good deal, but the basic rule of thumb is to use the octane level the engine is actually tuned for - any more is a waste of $$$ (unless maybe it's pinging).

So if you're going to be running on the stock factory program (tune), we recommend sticking to 87 octane - just use a good quality 87 octane, steering clear of off-brands, no-names and no Exxon.

This is just FYI of course, you do whatever makes you happy, & best of luck!

 

I have a 1998 4.2 V6 F-150, I bought it used several months ago but unfortunately the owners manual was not with the truck. Since I bought the truck I have been using 87 octane fuel from Shell. Is this a good quality fuel, it is often more expensive then other brands, but is it worth the sometimes extra 5 cents per gallon? I am assuming that since the 4.2 is the most basic engine put into these trucks is it tuned to run with the 87 octane or a higher grade? And one more question... if I install a Superchip do I have to upgrade to a 91 or 94 octane fuel and will the gain in mpg be enough to make up for the difference in cost between grades? I am new to this and am doing my best to take care of my truck as well as possible and to make it into the best truck it can be with the limited funds that I have. Thank you for any help you can give me.

 

Hi there trucksNbaseball,

Sounds like a Jax Beach native - I used to spend a little time there off & on back in the early to mid 80's when I was out on tour. Had a blast on "the other side" of the RR tracks, which only someone from there would understand - that's where the players (musicians) all lived - those were the days!

Shell is generally a fine fuel here in the East, and is certainly worth a few cents more per gallon as you'll get better performance and fuel mileage as compared to the cheaper off-brands & no-names.

Yes, your truck is tuned for 87 octane from the factory, so that is what you should use - unless you get a Superchip.

Now if you do decide to get a Superchip, you will have to switch to premium gas (93 octane here in the East), and no, the additional fuel mileage from the Superchips tuning normally does not make up for *all* the average 20 cent per gallon cost delta between 87 & premium, though it does make up for a good bit of it - the way it usually works is, driving 15K-20K miles per year, most people average spending about $100 a year more for gas. In a worst-case scenario, driving the truck like a race car all the time could potentially cost you as much as $100 more per 10,000 miles driven with the Superchip on premium gas - very few people actually drive or treat their vehicles like that, so most end up spending not more than about $100 a year more for gas running the Superchips tuning on premium gas, just to give you a rough idea.

The Superchip will help not only by adding power of course, but also helps your driveability a good deal as those 4.2 V6's are weak below 2500 rpm, even though they have a decent 205 HP output stock - they're just weak down low, and the Superchip will take care of that.

There are a couple other options - we can make a custom Superchip for you so you can stick with 87 octane, but the power gain will be much less - about 5-7 HP at the rear wheels on the 4.2 V6 models on average, thus very few people have us do that -but that is available. We also have a 2-program chip available, the 2-program Superchip Flip Chip, and some F-150 owners use them with an 87 octane tune on one program, and then our normal premium gas performance tuning on the other. It has a simple 2-position toggle switch so you can select which program you;re running on.

Feel free to give us a call to go over any of this in more detail, go over pricing, options, etc.

Congratulations on your F-150, we hope you enjoy it & hang out here with us in your spare time!

 

Well Mike you had me ready to buy right now, but then my power steering pump went out and the money set a side for my truck went right into that. Looks like that Superchip will have to wait till summer. Thank you for all of your help and i'll get back to you later on that chip.

 

I own a 2003 lightning,and was strongly advised to use only 93 octain, Is this right?

 

I ran a minimum of 91 in mine with no issues, you sure don't want to put 89 or 87 in it though as it is tuned from the factory for 91+.

 

Hi trucksNbaseball,

Ouch!

Well, these things happen sometimes, M&R (maint. & repair) is an ongoing expense, and unavoidable if you want to keep the vehicle in proper condition - All you can do is repair the vehicle & try to let your budget recover!

Good luck with that & take care!

 

Hi Franks Red 03,

Congratulations on your Lightning!

The Lightning requires a minimum of 91 octane from the factory - the reason it doesn't require 93 octane in factory stock condition is simply because west of about Texas, the pump premiums are only 91 octane. So from the factory, the Lightning is tuned for 91 octane so those living in those areas where 91 is the highest octane premium can safely operate the vehicle without damaging the engine.

But you are here in the East, where pump premiums are higher across the board as compared to out West - typically 93 octane is what you find here. We recommend that you use at least 93 octane at all times, and don't use more than 95 octane unless you have the engine specifically tuned for it in a custom chip. Don't ever try running a mid-grade like 89 or 90, that isn't enough octane for that supercharged motor and can cause detonation - it can also cause *inaudible* detonation at speeds above 100 mph, due to the additional timing the PCM adds in that vehicle (and some others) at higher speeds.

The supercharged 4.6 Cobra and supercharged 5.4 Lightnings & Harleys are *not* protected by a knock sensor system - well, they have one but it's not active, because some of the mechanical noise of the supercharger is in the same frequency range that detonation occurs at - thus Ford can't get the knock sensor to stop being activated all the time, so it's inactive all the time as a result - bottom line is, you have no functioning knock sensor to protect you, so tuning & fuel quality is important - especially if you have done or will be doing any modifications to increase power & performance like most of us Lightning owners do.

If you were out West, then you would have to use the 91 octane pump premiums out there, thus you couldn't make as much power with modifications like tuning, boost, etc. as the East coast L's can. Don't get me wrong, the West coat L's can still be modified & can be made to run very strong - they just can't take quite as much boost or quite as aggressive tuning as we can support here in the East on our higher octane pump premiums.

Luckily for you, here in the East we have plenty of great quality 93 and sometimes even 94 octane pump premium gasolines - and that is what you need to use. If you have access to Sunoco's Ultra 94 octane, use that as it's the best pump premium available.

In general, steer clear of *ALL* cheaper fuels - don't buy gas based on price, and never use any off-brands or no-name fuels, and no Exxon, either - those are all lower-energy fuels (fewer BTU's per gallon), and energy content is every bit as important as octane. You can have 93 octane but still get detonation due to the BTU content being too low - this is the problem with Exxon fuels here in America on modified vehicles - Exxon is a clean fuel, but low in energy. Some of the better fuel brands that do well here in the East are: Sunoco, Citgo, Shell & Texaco/Chevron. There can be a few others that can be OK, but those I listed are generally the best, ranked in the order I listed them.

We serve thousands of Lightning owners, and we specialize in the performance of this F-150 platform (every model) - if you'd like to go over anything performance-related about your Lightning, performance mods, etc., please feel free to give us a call & we'll be happy to help you with the performance of your Lightning.

To give you an idea of what can be done (just in case you may not be aware), our 2001 Lightning runs on 93 octane pump premium, runs 16-17 PSI boost, and has just about every external bolt-on mod along with our tuning, of course. It runs well into the 11's in the 1/4 mile (and this is on the stock engine and factory Eaton supercharger), and is still fully streetable and dependable. It also gets about 3-4 mpg *better* than it did when stock, too. Bone stock, it got 12.2 mpg cruising @ 80 mph with the A/C on - now it gets 15.5-16+ mpg under the same conditions, and that's *with* a 2600 rpm stall speed torque converter, too.

The performance and mileage improvements that are possible in these Lightnings is amazing, and dependability can be maintained too, with proper tuning & driving.

Best of luck with your Lightning, & let us know if we can be of assistance!

 

I hope you can get your work done after spending so much time answering all of these questions. Or, maybe this is part of your job.

Anyhow, I've tried to catch you on several different threads here to find out what I should do.

I have a brand new 2004 F150 STX 4.6. I haven't had a new truck for 19 years and didn't realize that there had been so many changes since my '85 F150 XLT Lariat 351 4V HO.

I don't know if I've set a record or not and I'm sure it may be hard for some to believe but my new STX is getting 23.5 MPG.

I sure don't want to do anything that will screw that up in any way. But, I would like a little more performance out of the 4.6 and I also would like to change tire size a notch or two. The '04 Ford Expedition has 17" tire also but have at least 2 sizes large in diameter tires with a 4.6 engine.

I'm using mid-grade Conoco fuel and think it may be contributing to my good fuel mileage.

Could you make any recommendations about what I should consider?

thanks

 

I have the MicroTuner from SuperChips and love the way it has awakened my truck.

See sig below for truck perticulars.....

I get about 2 mpg better with the tuner's programming and at present gasoline prices in my area, it costs me......

With the tuner and premium gasoline----9.4 cents-per-mile
Without the Tuner and regular gas ------9.4 cents-per-mile

Soo....I am breaking even on fuel costs while reaping the benefits of a much better performing truck. It is no hot-rod by any means, but it shifts crisply and runs a little stronger. Alot more enjoyable to drive every day than with the stock programming.

When gasoline prices were higher a few months ago, it was actually a little cheaper to run the Tuner's programming and buy premium gasoline. The higher the prices go, the better the 'Tuner looks (as long as the cost delta between 87 and 93 octanes remains the usual 20 cents or so per gallon).

BTW...on the subject of gasoline brands (not octane) I have experimented with off-brands (cheaper brands) of both 93 and 87 octane. I consistently get ~1mpg better with Amoco or Texaco/Shell. That backs up what Mike has stated about using quality fuels which have a higher BTU content.

Hope this helps someone

P.S. Factory tuning and 87 octane......13.5 mpg
MicroTuner and 93 octane............15.8 mpg

 

Hi STXDriver,

WOW! Whatever you're running that truck on, I think I want some - we've never seen a true 23 mpg from *any* half-ton vehicle, that's an abnormally high mpg result.

Using 89 octane mid-grade instead of 87 isn't going to make a significant impact on your fuel mileage on the stock factory program, so that isn't the basic reason you're seeing that kind of mpg - actually, I don't know why you're seeing that, it's so high it would make just about anyone question the calculation just because it's such a high mpg number. Now that particular fuel you're using may have a great BTU content (energy content), so that certainly could be a contributing factor, but another 2 points of octane isn't going to be the basic reason you're getting 23+ mpg, just to let you know.

In terms of getting better performance from your new 2004, things are a bit sparse right now, and will continue to be for a few months - this is due to the fact that it's an all new platform for 2004 with a completely different PCM (powertrain computer) than the 1997-2003 models - it now also has throttle by wire (ETC, or electronic throttle control), and numerous other aspects that mean it's going to take a*lot* more R&D to get performance parts made for these 2004's than any of the previous model years of F-150 - even the 1997's, which was when Ford did the last redesign of the F-150 and introduced the Modular engines to that platform, even the radical changes we had to deal with for the 1997 model year aren't as pervasive as the 2004's.

Right now we're working on the tuning, Air Force One is working in the intake, Magnaflow is working on the exhaust - and so on. So it won't be too much longer, I'd say within a few months you should be able to get many of the common performance mods you see people talking about here - they're just not available *today* due to all the new scratch R&D needed for the '04's.

Anything you do in the way of installing larger (taller) tires, or even just wider tires is generally going to *reduce* your fuel mileage due to the increased load on the motor - no 2 ways about that.

Right now, you can do things like our electric fan conversion & underdrive pulleys, those will help get more power to the rear wheels without hurting gas mileage - that will actually help mileage a bit. And we can probably muster up a drop-in high performance air filter element - but I'd wait on the filter until there is a proper intake kit worth having, so you don't waste any money.

Just about anything else in the way of performance mods will have to wait until enough manufacturers have had enough R&D time to design new products for the all-new F-150 for 2004 - that's the real issue, the fact that it's been changed so much, from engine mgmt to ETC to so many other aspects - the air intake tract has changed, exhaust has changed, so many things have changed, making almost all of the performance parts for the previous generation of F-150 (1997-2003) unavailable for your 2004 right now. We're in the same boat with our own 2004 5.4 F-150 Lariat we just bought - we're having to wait a little while to get the mods done we want to do as well - bit it's worth the wait, and it won't be too terribly long.

What you might want to do is to give us a call to go over this in more detail, and we can also put you on our email list so we can let you know as each new performance part (that we deem to be worthwhile & acceptable, that is) becomes available for the 2004 F-150. That way you'll be ahead of the curve, so to speak, and will have the shortest wait for your performance mods. Just a thought.......

Thanks for your post, & I hope you enjoy that brand new 2004 F-150 - you've got quite a truck there, congratulations!