An update for the ecoboost

Truck has 7703.6 miles
Total 442.6 gallons used
Averaging 17.42 mpg with the truck being daily driven an average speed of 35.44MPH
Best tank is 19.98mpg worst is 15.72. I have yet to tow with the truck.
And for reference the dash's read out is typically within .2 mpg from hand calculated

 

I have had my Ecoboost XLT Supercrew since March. I really like it. My question is do any of you feel a “shudder” when you start from a dead stop. This does not feel like a engine miss but more like a torque converter or If I didn’t know better the tires spinning just a bit. I is a little worse when I am hooked to my travel trailer. This only happens when starting from a dead stop. It only last until the truck is moving about 1 mph. Any input would be helpful.

 

it sounds like axle wrap, especially since you mentioned its worse with the trailer. the 08-10 super duties had this issue

 

what is axel wrap?

 

When power is applied an axles natural reaction is to rotate. The springs can only prevent this so much. The vibration you feel is the pinion angle changing. It's worse with a load because it requires more power to move it

 

I have an EB Lariat 4x4 3.55 5.5ft box, running boards and internal vent shades. Also a Truxedo lopro tonneau cover.

I had 2500 miles prior to making a 2700 mile round trip from New Hampshire to Chicago, Mackinaw City, to Montreal and back to New Hampshire. Also with stops in Erie, Indiana, Ludington MI, Sault Ste. Marie MI and ON and Mattawa ON. 4 adults and truck bed full of luggage and 2 coolers (for fish from Lake Huron ) Averaged about 5mph over limit. Combination of cruise and foot control. All terrains covered from hilly to flat. I reset the 2nd trip meter to keep track of complete trip and averaged 19.6 which is very close +/- based on varying fill up techniques. I had one tank on the NY thruway that avg 17.5 (I noticed a difference in running right away so I think it was more than indicated 10% ethanol) and 2 tanks later avg 22.1. The instant mpg gauge is still from purchase and shows 18.8 for 5700 miles on odo. I got stuck in traffic jams in Niagara, Chicago and Montreal for 30 - 45 mins. I also spent an hour at the Customs line returning to USA. I'm pretty happy with those results. This V6 made my 2001 4.6L feel like a 4cyl.

Update, I just returned from a mid Feb. trip to Florida. About 1400 miles each way. Averaged 19mpg on the trip down. Averaged 12.5 on the return trip, but I was towing a uhaul car hauler with an 84 Blazer full of stuff for about 6900 lbs. West VA and Penn. hills were nothing. Avg. 55-65 mph. Going uphill at 65mph passing tractor trailers and still pulling like it wasn't even breaking a sweat. When I kept it at 50-55 I was getting 14 mpg. This V6 is sweet! BTW - I do have a low speed shudder being addressed by the dealer that Ford acknowledged and is working on a fix.


Dean

 

Man.... I am not getting NEAR the fuel mileage you guys are. I have not taken any trips in mine, really only in town and city freeways.... if I baby the crap out of it and don't let it idle any more then necessary, I can squeeze 16-16.5 mpg, or about 400 miles to 24 gallons. If I drive it normal, running around the speedlimit, accelerating with traffic, idling in traffic and short warm ups, I get 15 mpg(hand calc) and often times see low 14s on the Instant average meter.... This is in Houston area so no highway, point A to point B per tank stuff...A decent amount of idling and stop lights with mixed in freeway driving. This is about 2 mpg better then my 5.3, 2wd crew cab Silverado was...

One thing I did notice is, when I fill out and compare the gallons it takes to fill it up vs. the gallons the ECU shows it to have consumed, its consistantly 1-1.1 gallons LESS on the dash display... For example last night I filled up and the pump showed 24.49 gal and the dash display showed 23.6x consumed... That makes the average mpg on the display read about .5-.6 more then hand calc... Not a huge deal but.....

I just leveled my truck and wheels/tires will be going on monday so the MPG is about to drop some more.....

 

If the ecoboosts have 3.73 or anything more (is 4.10 an option?) then the mileage takes a hit. Guys with the 3.31 (iirc) and the 3.55 do much better from what I hear. This is usually true anyways

 

8850 miles on my FX4 Screw 3.73. No matter how you slice it its a 17.6 average highway/ city if you go 75mph speed limit on the freeways mixed hills and flat. Can't coax any more out of it. But I am happy with the vehicle---thats what counts

 

I only have around 540 miles on my 2011 F-150 XLT Supercab 4X4,EcoBoost,3.55 gears.I only drive 8 miles each way to work 4 miles at 50 mph and 4 miles at 40 mph.I'm about to fill up for the 3rd time and i'm averaging a little over 17 mpg since new.Ford says not to even check the mileage till after 1,000 miles but my first tank was 17.6 mpg.It is almost 2 mpg better then my 2010 F-150XLT Supercab 4X4,4.6 3V,3.73 gears that had over 6,000 miles on it.

Later Mark.

 

For the first three months of ownership, I experienced nearly the same thing....11-13mpg in town, and no more than 16 on the highway. In those three months I built a 3 type pages list of issues with the truck and got it into the dealership. After a week at the dealership, with them not being able to find any "codes", they went to FoMoCo for help. Ford had them reflash the PCM and TCM. When I went to pick it up, I learned that since my truck was built in mid Feb, Ford has issued two completely new versions of software for all F150 engines produced between 1 Jan-1Apr 2011....mine got the latest version. Since the reflash, none of my previous issues have shown up, and now I'm getting 16-17mpg in town.
After talking with the Service Manager, I came to understand that unless a customer brings their truck in with issues, they will never know about the software upgrades. I'm the kind of person who will not ignore even little things when it comes to dropping 40K on a new truck....if it isn't "right", I will keep taking it back to the dealership until I get satisfaction.
In this case it appears to have paid off.

 

I just filled up again tonight Computer said 14 gallons used in 266.9 miles for 19.06 mpg.Hand calculated 14.587 gallons used in the 266.9 miles for 18.29 mpg.I'm very happy with the mileage as the truck now has only 650 miles on it.

Later Mark.

 

Great news, glad to here it. Is the new software for the trucks built in those dates a TSB? Did you have to pay for the reflash? Mine is built in that window and has some of the same troubles. Just want to be up to speed if I were to go in and ask to have the same things done. Thanks!!

 

'11 Screw XLT 3.55 EB long bed 20" tires. 42 miles to work one way mostly highway with lotsa construction this summer. 3300 miles on the truck and all I can say is wow!!! I came from a Honda Ridgeline which was close to 18-19 mpg when I babied it and this truck gets just over 20 driving the same way. Pretty satisfied with that overall.:r ocker: I have yet to pull the boat or take it on a long highway run but so far.........so great!!!!

 

I'm not sure of the TSB, but I think I did see a reference to that particular TSB on another forum.
I did not pay for the reflash...the truck was in for all the issues listed at the top of page 22 of this thread, and after 8 days in the shop, I think FoMoCo was grasping at straws to find solutions, and told the dealership to reflash my truck.

Personally, I think there are two things that are very important if you're having issues with your truck.....

1. DOCUMENT IT. Don't just go into the dealership and say...."The truck is doing XXXXXX". Write it out clearly and precisely...give a copy to the service writer when you turn your truck over, and leave another copy on the seat/dash for the Technician.

2. Make sure that the dealership opens a Repair Order (RO)....which documents the issues you outlined in your list. How do you make sure they open an RO? Before you leave the dealership with your truck, insist that you be given a copy of the work order or RO (some dealers will not give copies of the actual RO) and keep it for your records. When an RO is opened, it is a signal not only in the dealership's computer system, but if FoMoCo gets involved, it's in their system too. An RO is concrete evidence that a given issue has occurred with your vehicle, and it is the way that FoMoCo tracks issues/trends, and works on solutions.....and hopefully a TSB eventually arrives with a solution.

The morning that I was turning my truck into the dealership, I heard not less than three other people who were also turning in vehicles for work say to service writers....."I don't know exactly what's wrong, but somethings not right!" YEH! That's REALLY helpful!