Gas mileage question
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Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 426
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From: Dover, DE
Gas mileage question
Fellers,
Considering a Tuner (Troyer of course) but wondering about mileage. Obviously gas prices suck right now, so degraded mileage is not a goal of mine. Have any of you noticed an improvement in mileage after tuning (provided driving habits are the same as prior to tuning)? Thanks in advance,
Griz
Considering a Tuner (Troyer of course) but wondering about mileage. Obviously gas prices suck right now, so degraded mileage is not a goal of mine. Have any of you noticed an improvement in mileage after tuning (provided driving habits are the same as prior to tuning)? Thanks in advance,
Griz
Same here!!
I haven't noticed any increase in mileage, but...I have noticed that my foot is stuck to the floor board.
I am going to try really hard to drive "normal" at my next fill-up, so I can get an accurate test, I will post my results.
I haven't noticed any increase in mileage, but...I have noticed that my foot is stuck to the floor board.
I am going to try really hard to drive "normal" at my next fill-up, so I can get an accurate test, I will post my results.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
From: Rhode Island
The only way to save on gas is to NOT go full throttle. The only problem with that is when you get a tuner you can't help but mash the petal! I have had mine for about 1 year and can increase my mpg's by about 2mpg IF I drive like a normal person.
Who the heck wants to be normal...13mpg avg(seen 12 and 14)
go get it!
Who the heck wants to be normal...13mpg avg(seen 12 and 14)
go get it!
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Griz,
I'd suggest using the SEARCH feature here to look up any of the literally thousands of previous posts on the topic of fuel mileage results with our performance tuning - it's all been gone over many, many times before, with lots of results posted, etc. Just FYI -
What determines the fuel mileage results are many things (a lot of which people aren't aware of) - the quality of fuel used & how the vehicle is operated & maintained are 2 big factors. Also, most people drive the vehicle harder after getting a performance part - it's human nature - and when you do that, of course fuel economy can't go up - but you'd be surprised how many people sometimes ignore that factor.
Many people buy "cheap" fuels, off-brand & no-name fuels which have a lower energy content, even some "brand name" fuels have lower energy - many people aren't aware of the actual timing & pervasiveness of "reformulated" fuels used for a good part of the year virtually everywhere in all 50 states (to the point that it's required by law to go to "summer blend" fuels by April-May in many areas), etc. "Reformulated" fuels are so pervasive because oil companies make higher profit margins in many cases, because they can dump byproducts of the refining process right in the fuel as an "oxygenating" agent which lowers the energy content (thus reducing fuel economy), instead of having to dispose of it as toxic waste (hazmat), etc. There are so many more factors that affect actual fuel mileage, so a number of people end up making invalid "comparisons" of fuel economy despite their best intentions.
All else being equal, almost everyone who makes proper comparisons do see some gain in mpg from our performance tuning when they can keep their foot out of the throttle - though it's only fair to point out that in our "performance" tunes we're not concentrating on fuel economy as much as on performance, as that is what it is - a performance product.
In our many vehicles over the past 12-15 years, we always see mpg improvements as a result of our performance tuning - but then we do our comparisons very carefully, drive the vehicle in a manner that is appropriate for comparison, take into consideration proper maintenance, fuel quality, tire pressure, alignment, and many other factors affecting fuel economy.
In our performance tuning, better MPG is really a byproduct of our primary purpose rather than the main goal - for example, any time you increase timing on a gas motor (as long as you use top quality fuel and don't go into detonation), one of the byproducts of additional timing is that it generally *lowers* the load on the engine a little bit - thus creating the potential for an improvement in fuel economy. Then whether that will actually translate into higher mpg in each individual vehicle is a matter of how the vehicle is operated, maintained, fed, etc.
The range that gets reported to us from those who do see mileage gains runs anywhere from about .7 mpg to 1.7 mpg for the overall average in these F-150's from our performance tuning. Some people see none, and some see gains of 3.5+ more mpg, and everything in between.
All else being equal, most people do see a small improvement in fuel mileage with our performance tuning - for example, those who like to use our premium gas maximum performance tuning, usually their fuel mileage goes up enough so that they average spending less than an additional $100 per year to use premium gas with our performance tuning *all* the time, as compared to running 87 octane fuel on the factory tuning (this assumes the average 20 cent per gallon cost delta between 87 & premium, about a 50-50 mix of city & cruising type of operation, and driving 15K-20K miles per year).
However - (and I'm sure you already know this), we do generally tell people to keep in mind that better mpg is not the real reason to buy performance tuning - it's a *performance* part, so the goal it to improve performance first and foremost - then if we can get better mpg too, that's "icing on the cake," so to speak.
One other point - if you opt for our *custom* tuning, which is what most people here do for the past 1-2 years or so as that is what gives the best results, we can make one (or more) of those custom tunes an "MPG" tune, for lack of a better term. That type of tune will be set up so that you have the best chance of mpg gains - meaning it's designed with mpg in mind first, rather than all-out performance - so that is always an option we can offer in our *custom* tuning.
I hope this info helps a bit, & please feel free to give us a call to go over all of this in proper detail, etc.
I'd suggest using the SEARCH feature here to look up any of the literally thousands of previous posts on the topic of fuel mileage results with our performance tuning - it's all been gone over many, many times before, with lots of results posted, etc. Just FYI -
What determines the fuel mileage results are many things (a lot of which people aren't aware of) - the quality of fuel used & how the vehicle is operated & maintained are 2 big factors. Also, most people drive the vehicle harder after getting a performance part - it's human nature - and when you do that, of course fuel economy can't go up - but you'd be surprised how many people sometimes ignore that factor.
Many people buy "cheap" fuels, off-brand & no-name fuels which have a lower energy content, even some "brand name" fuels have lower energy - many people aren't aware of the actual timing & pervasiveness of "reformulated" fuels used for a good part of the year virtually everywhere in all 50 states (to the point that it's required by law to go to "summer blend" fuels by April-May in many areas), etc. "Reformulated" fuels are so pervasive because oil companies make higher profit margins in many cases, because they can dump byproducts of the refining process right in the fuel as an "oxygenating" agent which lowers the energy content (thus reducing fuel economy), instead of having to dispose of it as toxic waste (hazmat), etc. There are so many more factors that affect actual fuel mileage, so a number of people end up making invalid "comparisons" of fuel economy despite their best intentions.
All else being equal, almost everyone who makes proper comparisons do see some gain in mpg from our performance tuning when they can keep their foot out of the throttle - though it's only fair to point out that in our "performance" tunes we're not concentrating on fuel economy as much as on performance, as that is what it is - a performance product.
In our many vehicles over the past 12-15 years, we always see mpg improvements as a result of our performance tuning - but then we do our comparisons very carefully, drive the vehicle in a manner that is appropriate for comparison, take into consideration proper maintenance, fuel quality, tire pressure, alignment, and many other factors affecting fuel economy.
In our performance tuning, better MPG is really a byproduct of our primary purpose rather than the main goal - for example, any time you increase timing on a gas motor (as long as you use top quality fuel and don't go into detonation), one of the byproducts of additional timing is that it generally *lowers* the load on the engine a little bit - thus creating the potential for an improvement in fuel economy. Then whether that will actually translate into higher mpg in each individual vehicle is a matter of how the vehicle is operated, maintained, fed, etc.
The range that gets reported to us from those who do see mileage gains runs anywhere from about .7 mpg to 1.7 mpg for the overall average in these F-150's from our performance tuning. Some people see none, and some see gains of 3.5+ more mpg, and everything in between.
All else being equal, most people do see a small improvement in fuel mileage with our performance tuning - for example, those who like to use our premium gas maximum performance tuning, usually their fuel mileage goes up enough so that they average spending less than an additional $100 per year to use premium gas with our performance tuning *all* the time, as compared to running 87 octane fuel on the factory tuning (this assumes the average 20 cent per gallon cost delta between 87 & premium, about a 50-50 mix of city & cruising type of operation, and driving 15K-20K miles per year).
However - (and I'm sure you already know this), we do generally tell people to keep in mind that better mpg is not the real reason to buy performance tuning - it's a *performance* part, so the goal it to improve performance first and foremost - then if we can get better mpg too, that's "icing on the cake," so to speak.
One other point - if you opt for our *custom* tuning, which is what most people here do for the past 1-2 years or so as that is what gives the best results, we can make one (or more) of those custom tunes an "MPG" tune, for lack of a better term. That type of tune will be set up so that you have the best chance of mpg gains - meaning it's designed with mpg in mind first, rather than all-out performance - so that is always an option we can offer in our *custom* tuning.
I hope this info helps a bit, & please feel free to give us a call to go over all of this in proper detail, etc.
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Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 426
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From: Dover, DE
Thanks Mike!
Mike,
Thanks for the in-depth explanantion. I plan on calling you soon. I'm sure I speak for us all when I say, "Thanks for helping us get the most from the trucks we love."
Thanks for the in-depth explanantion. I plan on calling you soon. I'm sure I speak for us all when I say, "Thanks for helping us get the most from the trucks we love."