Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Lovin' that fuel economy

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

For the first time in several months, I pulled out my fuel log and read it over for the heck of it. It sure is good reading! Looking over the figures, something caught my attention: In the last 18,000 miles, I've had only FOUR tanks netting LESS than 18mpg Yes, 32 out of the last 36 fillups have netted more than 18mpg!



3 of those sub-18 fillups were due to towing, although only about 1/3 of the tank was used towing on two of them. The only empty sub-18 tank was when I burned the whole thing running around town. My records show it took me 16 days of driving to use that tank up!! LOL



My worst on record was towing 2 snowmobiles on a flatbed across southern Idaho back toward Oregon running close to 80 and bucking a headwind. I recall the gauge seemed to be dropping alarmingly quick for a highway trip. That killed it, only got 17. 11



This truck at 77k is really running great. It seems since I did my fuel line upgrade I have been able to run it harder and have no impact on mileage. My worst tank since my fuel BOMB (6 tanks since then) was 18. 26, all running around town in record cold temps (took 15 days to burn the last tank BTW). The other 5 tanks have been:



20. 45 75% highway running 72-78mph

19. 48 50/50 highway/city

19. 89 50% highway, 40% city, 10% off-roading

20. 34 90% highway at 73-80 with a couple 100mph blasts

19. 55 60/40 highway/city

18. 26 100% city



Sorry to brag, but I love me twuck!



Vaughn



ps: Since I passed the 2000-mile mark, I've had only *3* fillups less than 17mpg, the worst being 16. 43 towing the boat. Nothing like a 2wd Shorty ETH



pss: OK I'll shut up now and stop rubbing it in Oo.

 

[parcher]

I've got 7500 miles so I'm not even broken in yet, last tank averaged 18. 3 mpg.

 

[Dsl_Duo]

The Other Side

Well I have 8500 miles so I'm not broken in yet either, but I do feel good about my now steady 12-13 MPG in short stop and go traffic.







When I tow I am getting 8-9 MPG and on the highway (not a lot) I get about 16 MPG.



Not even close to some of you, but a lot better than my old gasser (7-8)!



Dsl_Duo

 

[Chipstien]

I've been averaging about 17 MPG for the last 20 or so fillups. Not as good as some but then that isn't bad when you have to feed 400 horses.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Always at or above 21 mpg here! 60% highway, 40% city.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Originally posted by Evan A. Beck

Always at or above 21 mpg here! 60% highway, 40% city.

LOL Evan. . .



Down hill to work both ways, usually with a tailwind to boot. What do you expect? hehe he



Just yankin' your chain



You guys with low miles your MPG should steadily improve, mine did until about 50-60k, but part of that is adding mile enhancing BOMBs like the ATS manifold, Piers turbo and Dam Air for cool intake.



Vaughn

 

[andrewkoperdak]

I have one of the lightest versions of the truck with Std cab and 5spd I get 23 mpg on the highway calculated with my HP calc not the onboard computer. In town I get 19 mpg. WHen you exceed my mileage I will think you are bragging

Hugs and kisses baby

Andy

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

I did a 200 foot burnout tonight. I got , according to the computer, 3 mpg while smokin em both... ... ... ...

 

[HEYBOSS]

OK what gives, it looks like most of you guys are doing ok or is there that much of difference between auto 4x4 with 4. 10s



First fill up brand new my truck did 13. 5 this was in winter with a little idle warm up time. It really never did better than this, I've seen once, strictly highway 17. 3 at 70mph now this was with the comp on level 1x3 and 275 injectors. It's been doing an average of 13, this is all 85% highway and 15% city. One thing that didn't change either was towing, getting around 10 stock and 9-9. 5 with the 275's and comp on 1x3. Lately it seems to get worse doing around 12 (not towing)



The only thing I can think of, I use the exhaust brake a lot which I didn't have before, so lets see I idle the truck in the am and pm for about 10 minutes total with exhaust break on and then maybe another 4 minutes total before shut down, so we're looking at about 14-15 total minutes of idle time per day.



OK so 15 minutes of idle time would give me another 15 miles per day of driving (one mile per minute average 60mph) right? I would say I'm loosing about 100 miles per tank full which that would give at least another 3 miles per gallon?

BTW all my numbers are calculated per each fill up receipt since day one, truck has now 34k



Any takers, TIA

 

[Snow man]

fred,i have a similar configuration to yours,my average is 13. 5-16. 5 too,dont feel bad. My best tank was about 19 mpg,I actaully seen a mileage improvement with BD7's over the DD3,s those 7's got me 19 mpg at 75-85 mph with 4. 10's. The dd3's never got over 17. 5.

 

[HEYBOSS]

I did have at one time a 4" exhaust but removed it due to bad drone, I'm now back to 3' with resonator only, It also seems to run a little hotter on egts and definitely takes a lot longer to cool down, I wonder if the 4' would help along with an afe air filter (still running stock filter). Will be going to 4" exhaust soon. Do you think DDII's would give better mileage over the 275's?

Would get a few more horses out of it for sure

 

[rwitt]

7500 miles on my truck and have been as low as 15. 03 mpg towing to 20. 66 mpg empty highway. Normal daily driving gets me 17. 5 to 18 consistently.

 

[mberry]

Originally posted by rwitt

7500 miles on my truck and have been as low as 15. 03 mpg towing to 20. 66 mpg empty highway. Normal daily driving gets me 17. 5 to 18 consistently.

I'm right there with you rwitt. I would probably do a little better at the Newcastle/Auburn elevation than I do here.

 

[Chipstien]

Originally posted by Snow man

fred,i have a similar configuration to yours,my average is 13. 5-16. 5 too,dont feel bad. My best tank was about 19 mpg,I actaully seen a mileage improvement with BD7's over the DD3,s those 7's got me 19 mpg at 75-85 mph with 4. 10's. The dd3's never got over 17. 5.

What do you think of those 7's? I too am looking to go up from dd3's to BD7's or 8's. How do they compare? Sorry to get off track.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Fred,

I have about 46,000 miles on the 01. I have never seen these 20-21 mpg tanks. I see around 13 to 15 per tank. Never more. Once coming home from Colorado, I saw 19 mpg. That was 80 mph non stop for 560 miles. I figure 13 to 15 is pretty good. I "use" my truck on a daily basis. Towing hauling and stuff.

 

[M Barnett]

The only thing I can think of, I use the exhaust brake a lot which I didn't have before, so lets see I idle the truck in the am and pm for about 10 minutes total with exhaust break on and then maybe another 4 minutes total before shut down, so we're looking at about 14-15 total minutes of idle time per day.

There isn't any doubt that idling kills mileage. Maybe you could use a timer to warm your engine a couple hours before leaving in the morning. I'm lucky to live where it doesn't get very cold and a couple minutes idle and I'm ok but I keep the rpms down to about 1800 till she warms up. Getting 20 mpg everyday driving.

Michael

 

[wlowe]

12,000 miles on my truck and my overall average mileage has been between 17 an 18 MPG. Got 20. 5 MPG on a long trip once, that's my best. Considering the weight of these trucks the mileage is incredible. No complaints here, beats 8 to 12 MPG with a big block gasser.

 

[fritzbo29]

hey folks - I have 45,000 on my 2001 4x2 QC SB ETH, and run 23 hiway 65 and under, and 21 70 and over. have a 150lb fiberglass tonneau cover and a reese 16k slider hitch that rides under the cover at all times. also hauls my near 300lb a$$, speaking of weight. My mileage did go up a little (1. 5 mpg) after I got a 5th wheel and take it out once a month. Pulling that thing my mileage is crappy - 12 or so, but it is 11+ feet tall. But it LOVES to pull it, and may have helped the engine to 'mature', whatever that means.



I'm not complaining. My truck gets what it gets. I don't know why some similarly equipped trucks don't get at least 20mpg on the highway. They should unless it is all in the right foot. Never had mine reflashed. I am a bit of a wimpy driver, but when that POS smoking pre-turbo Ford is in front of me I bury the right foot to lessen my risk of lung cancer.



Cheers to everyone on this awesome board

Fritz

 

[wlowe]

Looking at the posts it seems that the two biggest detriments to fuel mileage are the Automatic Transmission and Four Wheel drive units. Apparently the perfect Fuel Mileage truck would be a two wheel drive, stick shift, short bed, single cab, 3/4 ton CTD, (with a cats tail hanging out of the grill and a little propeller sticking out of the rear hitch).

 

[Snow man]

I think the biggest detriment is the 24V engine. My 96 truck was heavier,a 4x4,excab long box,and it had an auto it got 18 worst tank ever,and steady 65-70 mph would get you 23-25 mpg. My 2000 is off by over 5 mpg,even when it was stock,12V's simply get more MPG, IMO.