Ecoboost "stutter" at idle
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 133
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I side note, a cap will decrease wind resistance defying standard logic. What happens is the most aerodynamic shape is a teardrop shape, rounded up front with a longish tail. With the high squareoff in the back of a truck cap it creates a large area behind the truck of low air pressure, almost like pulling it backwards. It may be in poor form but check out this ecomodder link
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...d-cap-583.html this type of cao would yeild better mpgs due to the slope allowing the air to slide back down the truck reducing the 'dead' zone of air. The wieght of 200 lbs would cause a downturn in mpgs in 'city' driving due to start and stop, but be mostly unnoticed at highway speeds. The opposite is true for the shape, around the city the shape won't kill your gas mileage really, however once you hit the open highway you will notice.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...d-cap-583.html this type of cao would yeild better mpgs due to the slope allowing the air to slide back down the truck reducing the 'dead' zone of air. The wieght of 200 lbs would cause a downturn in mpgs in 'city' driving due to start and stop, but be mostly unnoticed at highway speeds. The opposite is true for the shape, around the city the shape won't kill your gas mileage really, however once you hit the open highway you will notice.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,185
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From: Cabot, AR
The truck is an XLT, Scab, 4x4, EB, 3.73 gears, 18" tires/wheels.
Those MPG figures were from the trip computer, but calculations by hand were only .2 per gallon more. I'm not a "hard" driver. Most of those miles were with the cruise set. The drive was on 87 fuel.
I've mentioned the low MPG several times to the folks at the dealership, and they keep telling me that things SHOULD improve a great deal after 3000-5000 miles....we'll see.
It took a lot of research to convince myself that the EB was the engine I wanted, and that was mostly due to the MPG/power claims. I'm more than impressed with the power the engine produces, but at the current MPG rate, I'd be just as well off to drive my old 77 F150 in regards to mileage.....and it's got a 400 in it.
Those MPG figures were from the trip computer, but calculations by hand were only .2 per gallon more. I'm not a "hard" driver. Most of those miles were with the cruise set. The drive was on 87 fuel.
I've mentioned the low MPG several times to the folks at the dealership, and they keep telling me that things SHOULD improve a great deal after 3000-5000 miles....we'll see.
It took a lot of research to convince myself that the EB was the engine I wanted, and that was mostly due to the MPG/power claims. I'm more than impressed with the power the engine produces, but at the current MPG rate, I'd be just as well off to drive my old 77 F150 in regards to mileage.....and it's got a 400 in it.
That heavy brush guard is definitely killing your mileage. Just a thought.
Last edited by Blue07STX; May 21, 2011 at 01:06 PM.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,185
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From: Cabot, AR
Your mileage seems extremely low even for as few as miles as you have on it. What does your instant gauge show while you are on flat ground with the cruise set at 70mph? I drove mine today for about a 20 mile stretch with the cruise set at 70 and the instant meter ranged from ~13 going up hills to pegged going down them on level ground it hovered around the 20mpg mark.
I average 17.2 or so with mixed city and highway driving. This is with me driving, normally I'm doing 80 or so on the freeway and I love to hear those turbos spin. I have been having a lot of fun reving this motor up and learning how to launch it like a drag car. I noticed that it seemed to pick up a little more pep around 3000 miles. I have even embarrassed a few of the bowtie boys around town. My truck is a Platinum SCrew 4x4 with 3.55s with the 20"s so our numbers shouldn't be that far off.
One thing that pops to mind is how much do you let the truck idle? This can
kill the recorded mileage but the truck actually is getting much better.
I average 17.2 or so with mixed city and highway driving. This is with me driving, normally I'm doing 80 or so on the freeway and I love to hear those turbos spin. I have been having a lot of fun reving this motor up and learning how to launch it like a drag car. I noticed that it seemed to pick up a little more pep around 3000 miles. I have even embarrassed a few of the bowtie boys around town. My truck is a Platinum SCrew 4x4 with 3.55s with the 20"s so our numbers shouldn't be that far off.
One thing that pops to mind is how much do you let the truck idle? This can
kill the recorded mileage but the truck actually is getting much better.
You must be the one that flew by me when I was driving the posted speed limit of 70 mph on the freeway. No wonder you EB guys are getting poor fuel mileage.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,165
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From: Cabot, AR
It it was Sterling Gray there is a pretty good chance it was. I haven't seen another Platinum EB in that color around here. I wouldn't say it is poor mileage, I am getting a good 2.5MPG more than my 05 with the 5.4L and having more fun doing it.
