I have a 2003 SCrew and I am definitely feeling the burn with gas prices these days. What is the best chip to increase gas mileage, and what is the average increase I could expect to see with a chip set for max fuel efficiency?

 

Don't expect much if any mpg gain's out of a tuner. After around $1000 in mods (tuner, intake, exhaust) and all of which are supposed to yield power & mpg gains... I've gained nothing (power yes, mpg not really). Still hovering in the 15s. I'm hoping I can squeak into the upper 15s and maybe even see 16 someday with a easy right foot and the PCM learns some more.

It's gonna take YEARS before I save in gas what I spent in mods. Even with a $300-$400 dollar tuner it's gonna take awhile before you recoup your investment.

If it's killing you that much it maybe time to consider trading it in for a nice family sedan or somethign of the sort. You'll not only have a HUGE increase in MPGs but you'll more than likely lower your car payment as an added bonus. If this isn't an option, just do the little things - check tire pressure, air filter, oil, and don't drive like your at Daytona. All those things can raise your mpg's higher than a tuner could ever hope to do.

 

That's kind of what I thought. Trading in is really not option, so basically I was looking at buy a dirt cheap used rice burner to drive to work and back or a tuner. Just wanted to weigh the 2 options against each other. Thanks for the info.

 

Hi Slayer,

You CAN actually get better MPG with tuning that is done specifically for better fuel economy - we do that all the time, every single day here.

Now I would NOT say to expect to be able to have a custom tune "pay for itself" quickly, of course that is always going to take some time to do.

On average, on a MPG-specific type of tune for a 3-ton SuperCrew (if it's a 4x4, with any fuel and a driver on board it's 3 tons+, and only a few hundred lb less if it's 2WD), we generally see results averaging improvements in MPG of anywhere in the .7 - 2.1 MPG range, just to give you a rough idea - there is no way to give you any one specific number, there are far too many variables, not the least of which is how you drive and what fuel you burn - and many people make the mistake of buying the cheapest gas they can find, which only assures the worst fuel mileage in most cases, and a dirty fuel delivery system and engine, with higher maintenance costs - so never buy gas based on price alone, that is virtually always a mistake.

We can improve MPG as well as improve the driveability and many other aspects via tuning - however, if ALL you care about is MPG over everything else, then I would say to think about maybe doing different types of modifications that have more potential for consistent MPG gains in all types of driving conditions - and by that I mean doing a conversion to electric cooling fans and a set of underdrive pulleys - we have kits for both of those for these vehicles. Between those 2 mods, you get about 25 Hp at the wheels, and generally anywhere from about 1.5 to 3+ more mpg.

So it's really a matter of what you are trying to accomplish and how you want to go about doing it - but never think that it is not possible to improve MPG via tuning, as we do it every day here. I've got a low-11 second Lightning that weighs over 5000 lb with me in it and a full tank of fuel, puts down over 500 HP at the wheels and runs a higher stall speed torque converter that can still get 17 mpg on the highway and 15 MPG in the city - we've got another 2004 F-150 that is supercharged and has our electric fan kit and cat-back exhaust, etc., and it gets an easy 20 mpg running at 65 mph on the highway with the cruise control on.

The are MANY factors affecting fuel economy - tuning, the fuel that is used, tire pressure, alignment, and so many others - along with doing modifications that are generally thought of as performance mods, but have good potential for an increase in mpg.

The main thing to remember is that any time you increase power, you have the potential for better mpg as the engine doesn't have to work as hard. It's a matter of what you are willing to spend to get it, and what your preferences are. For some, they will pick up an old $1000 beater Honda to drive around, and get 25+ mpg, and they are very happy with that - me personally, I'd never get caught in a death trap with that little sheet metal around me, I want a tank around me because I have been in a big crash - and I have also seen numerous other accidents where a smaller vehicle is hit by or hits a larger vehicle, and it's not pretty, the smaller vehicle always loses big time - but that's just how I feel about it! Everyone is different, of course, and a lot of people drive smaller cars for better fuel economy - to say nothing of just plain luck in general, good or bad - you know.

I hope all of this diatribe has been of some small help to you - enjoy your SuperCrew & best of luck whatever you decide!

 

Mike you say:
What are underdrive pulleys and how do electric cooling fans increase MPG?

 

Underdrive pullys are slightly smaller and reduce the drag on the motor and thus reducing parasitic loss of horsepower. Efans (electric fans) do the same by the removal of the stock fan and replacing it with 2 fans driven by the alternator. There are several concerns you should consider when installing the underdrive pullys, mainly if you have oversized tires or highpower accessories but even this can be overcome with the tuning by bumping the idle up just a touch.
I believe that is the way Mike explained it, but if you have questions you will be very pleased when you give them a call, they are the best at getting you where you need to be!
Ted

 

The fans are just that "electric" and do not rob power from the engine.

 

Hi Sam

Ted & Marc's explanations pretty much have that nailed for you - converting over to our electric fan kit completely eliminates all the power the engine has to expend to turn that heavy factory mechanical fan & clutch assembly, so you gain power to the rear wheels as well as save gas because the engine is now not having to use any power to turn a mechanical fan - and tuning that mechanical fan is called a "parasitic loss" of the engine's power.

Same goes for the underdrive pulleys - now what they do is to slow down the *entire* accessory drive chain (alternator, power steering, A/C compressor, etc.) to free up even more power and once again, save fuel because the engine does not have to expend as much of it's power to turn those accessories as hard.

We design the underdrive setup so that you still have adequate charging, cooling, power steering assist, etc., yet save gas & get more power.

So the bottom line is, those two types of mods (e-fans& underdrive pulleys) reduce parasitic losses, and thus send more power to the rear wheels while allowing the engine to use a little bit less fuel all the time - a win-win scenario, which is why those 2 mods are so popular with our customers.

Pl erase feel free to give us a call to go over this in more detail, or to get a package deal on those 2 modifications, we're happy to help.

 

Mike.. or anyone that knows.. is the underdrive pulleys and e-fan an 'easy' do-it-yourself or something better left to professionals?

 

Thanks Mike, great information.

My truck is brand new. Any insight on if these mods would affect (or void) the warranty from Ford?

 

Sam, that's been a huge discussion here for some time. A little search will turn up more than you will want to read.

 

Hi Slayer420;

Well, I did both, and I'm no professional

Patience, the right tools, attention to detail, some buddies for support and some cold ones to celebrate the mods after, should suffice.

The instructions are good.

You can do it.

For Sam: nope.

Cheers
Rock pusher

 

Thanks for the info. I will be contacting them shortly to see about getting these mods.

 

Hi. You're welcome.

Here's another thread with other folks' experiences:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...93#post1829493

Cheers
Grog
Genus: Homo Erectus

 

For Slayer,

One thing I want to point out is this: for installing our electric fan kit, that should NOT be done by anyone who does not have some good general experience working under the hood, doing wiring work, using a simple voltmeter/ohm meter, etc.

Our docs are good, and it's not hard to do - but it is NOT something I would encourage the "novice" to get into, for example - it simply requires someone with automotive experience, is the best way to put it. It does NOT require a professional mechanic, and we have seen as least as many poor installs done by "professional" shops as we have seen done by vehicle owners (sad to say).

Just keep in mind that to do the e-fans, you'll want to have some good general underhood experience before tackling them - for anyone with that experience, it's not had to do, just takes a few hours to get it all done.

I hope that gives you a bit of perspective on that - I just didn't want anyone to think that ANY vehicle owner can do it even if they have never worked under the hood before, as I don't feel that is true - though it CAN be done by anyone with decent general automotive experience installing things under the hood.