I am looking for better gas mileage from my new truck. I am currently getting about 16 on the highway. That may increase after I get more miles on it. Does anybody know about any power chip that might help get better gas mileage????????

 

That question is up for debate. My experiance with the Superchip on a 99 5.4 is about a 10% increase with the addition of the chip, K&N Filter, and Flowmaster 2-chamber mufler. The drawback is that you need 90 octane with the chip. A supertuner may offer more options - check out the posts in the suprchips forum.

There are other mods that also are reported to increase fuel milage:
Underdrive Pullies
Electric Fans
Synthetic Oil (lots of debate here)
FIPK system instead of K&N
Free flowing catback system
Cobra water pump w/o fan shaft (used with e-fans)

But the biggest thing you must realize is that you have a full size truck and gas milage is terrible in a truck. You may be able to increase it a couple of MPG but it will never be economical to drive.

 

I'd love to get 16 on the highway...or anyway for that matter.

I purposely bought a 4.6L on the assumption that I would get slightly better gas milage with a smaller engine. I guess I was wrong. Now it is a 4x4 and it is a full size truck that a smaller engine has to push around...but 12-13 mpg is starting to wear on the wallet at times.

I've done some of the suggested mods to try increase the milage, but to no significant end. I'm still getting about the same as prior to the mods, and I've been keeping pretty accurate records since I bought the truck.

Tsq'd has suggested the best mods to increase milage. I have done the electric fans, FIPK, synthetic oil...and probably the best overall mod...the Superchip. It runs pretty well, but still no better on the milage.

Good luck...let us know if you find the secret!

 

I have to agree w/ the other replies here. I have a 5.4 l reg. cab truck with a Diablo chip, K & N filter and exhaust and I'm averaging 14-15 miles to the gallon. With a truck you just have to accept terrible fuelmileage. Another thing I wanted to tell you is that whole thing about a smaller engine getting better fuel mileage is one of the most common misconceptions in the automotive industry. Think about the physics of it, it takes a certain amout of energy to move your 5000lb truck regardless of what engine is making the power. A small engine will work more towards its peak to move it and a larger engine will work less. This explains the fact that on this forum, people who have 4.2/ 4.6/ 5.4 are getting relatively the same gas mileage +-10%. I know that now with rising petroleum costs, its tough to fill up and see your hard earned $$$ pumping away, but thats the reality of the situation. At one point I purchased an 86 CRX to go back and forth(60 mile round trip) to work to save gas and wear & tear(.35/ mile). Well this won't improve your fuel mileage, but maybe it'll hurt a little less to know we're all suffering from the same affliction. Take Care!!! JR

 

What?

No one has suggested a Tornado or fuel line magnets?

Steve

 

What about fuel line magnets - I've heard that those are an urban ledgend. Do they really work?

 

Thanks for the reply's. As the theory about the bigger engine sound like it would work, I do disagree. My las truck was a f-150 extended cab that had a 4.2 with a manual transmission. Now my average fuel mileage was 16.5 through all realms of operation. I was able to get 22 out of it on the highway a couple of times. So the smaller engine did give me a better gas consumption. Now when I bought this truck I knew that gas mileage was going to be a lot worse. (Ok just a little worse) I would love to see it in town getting at least 16.5 like the V-6 did. As one of my friends say, and I agree. You cannot substitute cubic inches. So with that said, I will probably just live with it. I will have to try some of the recommended mods though.

 

Almost as well as the Tornado or Slick 50.



Magnets, Tornado, & Slick 50 - all smoke and mirrors to separate you from your money.

 

One more question. Does the chip void the warranty???????

 

From what I have read on the computer chips secton, the superchip or supertuner will NOT void your warrantee. If worried when you take it to the shop, simplyremove it from the system and no one will know the differences.

To get the absolute word, leave a post for Mike Troyer on the computer chips section. He'll give you more information than you ever thought possible.

 

Other factors:

What gear ratio did the 4.2L have as well as your new truck? Same configuration, 2wd or 4wd, supercab/Supercrew? Also, manual transmission generally are more efficeient than automatics. Manuals tend to put down about 85% of flywheel power to the wheels vs. 25% to automatics. Thus, less work th mated engine needs to do.

What about a bed cover? Supposed to help with highway mileage.

I never got more than 16mpg with my 99 Supercab 4wd with 3.73 gears. My 03 Supercrew cannot seem to muster 12mpg.

 

My 2000 5.4 4x4 is now getting a pretty constant 18mpg. Up from 16mpg. I had the Ford dealer retard the timing some to stop the constant pinging. Added fuel mileage was a bonus.

Ford also done that work for free.

I'd say might be worth a try having them reflash the PCM. 8 years /80,000 miles it should be free.

tom

 

I'm averaging about 15 with my 03 5.4 2wd reg cab. Your extended cabs and 4x4s weigh more then mine but I have the 7700 package with light duty F250 axles (axle code 26) and big brakes and springs. I get about 11 mpg towing 6500 lbs. I guess I can live with that. I put an ARE glass bed cover on a couple months ago and if it helped my mpg I haven't noticed it. I reset my trip meter and check my mileage every three tanks full and its just about the same.
Mike Cummings

 

I have put this in a few posts on people looking to save gas money one way or another.

The gas prices mght not be the same now, as the first time I did it, but all the same, the principal applies to the topic.

You might feel like you are doing better with the weekly outlay for gas money being less, but over all the savings are not there, unless you have very high priced gas, and drive lots of miles per year. Adding more mods increases the time for ROI. I think with all my mods, I am about 15 years break even at 0% cost of money

-------------------< From previous postings >----------------------------

If you look at something like electric fans to remove drag on the engine, in hopes of saving gas money, try this on for size :

Same example of 15,600 miles per year.
If you mpg went from 15 to 17 ( high side of mpg gain with E-Fans, so this is best case )
The gal used per year @ 15 mpg is 1040
The gal used per year @ 17 mpg is 917.6
This saves 122.4 gal of gas per year, at a cost of 1.44 ( Chi prices ) is an anual saving of $ 176.26 per year.
To just recoup the costs of electric fans is 2.27 years with the saved gas money. This is removing the cost of money from the 400.00 you paid on the E-Fans ( either the missing interest from a money market account, or worse case if you bought them with a CC over time ).
The lower the cost per gal of gas, the longer it takes to break even.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I just bought my 03 f150 5.4L about 2 months ago. The gas mileage depends on how I drive. I recently put a Jet Performance chip, K&N FIPK, and a Hypertech Programmer in it. I did all that to get more power not for better gas mileage. Don't forget you don't by a truck for gas mileage. If you want good gas mileage buy a Honda hybread car or something. You buy a truck for many reason's, but good gas mileage is NOT one of them.