Looking for Mileage Improvements

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Old Aug 8, 2011 | 10:17 PM
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Looking for Mileage Improvements

Hi and thanks for reading.

I've been lurking and reading for a while, and appreciate the combined wisdom here. I'm hoping all of you can shed a little light on the issue of mileage improvement to be had from a tuner. I had a 99 XLT with the 4.6 Triton for around 17,000 miles. I put a Gryphon on it and while I liked the improved shifting of the transmission only tune, and I tried the 87 towing, I never saw much of a difference in gas mileage. I consistently got around 16 in town and 19 to occasionally 20 on the road, regardless of the level of tune.

The XLT was 2WD and I wanted 4WD. Last weekend I bought a 2006 Lariat 4WD with the 5.4 engine. I have run less than a half tank of gas through it, but I can see the mileage is significantly less, as it should be for 1300# increased weight. I have heard anything from "great mileage inprovement" to "1-2 mpg" to "nothing, mileage depends mostly on how you drive it." If I don't pay attention, I'll be getting 13 or less in "town" where I mean typical suburban driving with some traffic lights, but no heavy traffic. If I watch it I can get close to 15.

I probably will not do much in the way of mods, although I do like the sound of a dual exhaust with a little rumble to it. I toyed with doing a Gots to the 99, but never got around to it.

For those of you with 4WD 5.4 trucks, with or without programmers, what kind of mileage are you getting? If you have a programmer, which one, what tunes are you running, and how much, if any, improvement in mileage did you get?

1-2 mpg doesn't seem like much, but as I figure it, at $4/gallon, breakeven on a $399 tuner is only a little over 11,000 miles.

Thanks for any info you can share.

Al
White/Gold 2006 Lariat 4x4 Bone Stock
 
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Old Aug 9, 2011 | 12:19 AM
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SFM
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'07 5.4 supercrew 4x4 3.73 rear.. city driving.. roush exhaust, no tunes. 12... maybe..
 
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Old Aug 9, 2011 | 12:51 AM
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06 f150 4x4 lifted 6" with 35" nitto mud grapplers, PHP canned tow tune and true dual exhaust with high flow cats. 15-16 on backroads taking it easy
 
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Old Aug 9, 2011 | 12:52 AM
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And that's the 5.4 with 3.73 rearend, 87 tow. Waiting on custom tunes and put on volant cold air, hopefully it'll go up some more
 
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Old Aug 10, 2011 | 09:55 AM
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1999Red,

the gas mileage you are seeing is pretty much all you will see. I have an 07 fx4 5.4 w/3.73 rearend and those are the same numbers I see. Just enjoy the new Lariat. If you worry about the fuel you will either A. park it and buy a small commuter car(like myself) or B. sale it for something with better fuel mileage.
 
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Old Aug 12, 2011 | 05:20 PM
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Thanks everyone for the input

I'm not particularly worried about the mileage, but if I could get more with a tuner and breakeven in a year or so, I'd do it. But it looks like I'm doing about as well as I can. Not sure I can justify $400 for a Gryphon or Edge based on that.
 
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Old Aug 14, 2011 | 04:01 PM
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Originally Posted by 1999RedXLT
Hi and thanks for reading.

I've been lurking and reading for a while, and appreciate the combined wisdom here. I'm hoping all of you can shed a little light on the issue of mileage improvement to be had from a tuner. I had a 99 XLT with the 4.6 Triton for around 17,000 miles. I put a Gryphon on it and while I liked the improved shifting of the transmission only tune, and I tried the 87 towing, I never saw much of a difference in gas mileage. I consistently got around 16 in town and 19 to occasionally 20 on the road, regardless of the level of tune.

The XLT was 2WD and I wanted 4WD. Last weekend I bought a 2006 Lariat 4WD with the 5.4 engine. I have run less than a half tank of gas through it, but I can see the mileage is significantly less, as it should be for 1300# increased weight. I have heard anything from "great mileage inprovement" to "1-2 mpg" to "nothing, mileage depends mostly on how you drive it." If I don't pay attention, I'll be getting 13 or less in "town" where I mean typical suburban driving with some traffic lights, but no heavy traffic. If I watch it I can get close to 15.

I probably will not do much in the way of mods, although I do like the sound of a dual exhaust with a little rumble to it. I toyed with doing a Gots to the 99, but never got around to it.

For those of you with 4WD 5.4 trucks, with or without programmers, what kind of mileage are you getting? If you have a programmer, which one, what tunes are you running, and how much, if any, improvement in mileage did you get?

1-2 mpg doesn't seem like much, but as I figure it, at $4/gallon, breakeven on a $399 tuner is only a little over 11,000 miles.

Thanks for any info you can share.

Al
White/Gold 2006 Lariat 4x4 Bone Stock


I think you had an Edge not a Gryphon
 
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Old Aug 15, 2011 | 01:11 PM
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Why do you think I had an edge? I had a Gryphon; I bought it from Bill and Corey. Maybe I used the wrong name for the level 2 tune. I never bought any custom tunes.
 
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