Hello ,looking for ways to save gas with my 2004 fx4,without parking it.

 

Hi and welcome to FTE! Be sure to read this to help you around this site: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=300691 There are also State, Provincial and International Chapters located near the bottom of the main forum page.

Thread moved to Alternative Fuels, Hybrids and Mileage forum. You should get some help here. Or even look around this forum a bit.

See ya on the boards!

-Matt

 

Keep the RPM's UNDER 2k and 60 or below on the highway. That is just about it. I put 400-500 miles per week on my Super Duty V10. This year I have estimated on the balance sheet of using about $6100 worth of gas this year. The kicker is I have just a few more months to pay for the truck befoer it is mine, and I spend $491.78/month which ='s $5901.36 hence cost more to operate it than to own it.

Just doesn't seem to add up at times.

P.S. conocophillips had 86% increase in the 3rd QTR

 

...and keep your tires inflated properly!

Ya know? Sometimes ya just gotta bite the bullet and live with it. I mean, ya bot the truck to use and drive and not sit in the garage. Having it sit and rust costs you in depreciation in addition to insurance for something you don't use. Then yer tempted to own another daily driver car that gets 2x the mpg as the truck. Owning 2 depreciating vehicles + insurance then could actually cost even more expensive than the gas you otherwise use to fill the truck had you driven it more often. Most people don't think of it that way...

To me, driving my truck and hauling all the crap I do is hell of a lot more fun and practical than a hybrid that can't carry more than a few bags of groceries...depends on one's lifestyle I guess. That's the price of admission... Plus, I'd rather get rear-ended in a 3-ton truck than a tiny little sedan. Simple physics...

 

Its the price you pay when you want to play...... Change up your driving habits

 

Yeah,if you what to play,you have to pay.

 

If you would be willing to spend some cash on performance parts, click on the link.
http://www.motorhaven.com/
Improve the air intake and exhaust & you'll gain mileage &/or power.
AL.

 

Keeping RPM below 2000 will not do it as when you lug a engine to0 far down below its power curve, it will use more fuel instead of less to make HP needed to move truck because it take the same HP to move it regardless of engine RPM. 30000 RPM is more realistic.Some tips are to run tires at of near maximum pressure. Also use stock sized tires with a smooth tread because big cleated tires can easily take a few MPG off of average. Also do not lift it as that adds drag and hurts MPG. Do not idle a lot, when you are going to be sitting for more than a minute or so, shut it off. In traffic try to plans stops and get out of throttle a bit sooner rather than staying in it until last minute. Frequent oil changes of 3k or less keeps oil clean and minimizes internal drag and use 75w90 in axles. THis are all minor things but they add all up. One more thin if you limit cruising speed to 65 or less that will help to as fuel usuage really climbs with speeds over 60 or so.

 

I basically just accelerate smoothly and steadily, but not quickly, avoiding jackrabbit starts. Try keeping a constant speed. Staying between 55 and 65 on the interstates (depending on your tolerance for getting passed) is a HUGE saver and is probably why, even loaded down with 700lbs of crap in the back, I was able to approach 20mpg on a truck only rated for 17 on the freeway.

Minimize a/c use, especially in town

Keep it tuned up (clean air filter, clean oil, good plugs and wires, lighter diff fluid, etc)

Keep tires inflated and aligned

Get a vacuum gauge and determine your engine's highest vacuum level (this is usually where you'll get your best MPG)

Drive ahead, try to coast up to red lights instead of stopping more last minute. Sometimes you can get there after it turns green still doing 10 or 15 or 25mph, which means less acceleration --> better MPG

By doing this I am routinely getting better MPG than the notoriously conservative EPA ratings say I should be getting. In-town average is 13.45mpg, with the best being 14.19mpg, truck is rated 13city/17 freeway. And as mentioned above, highway ratings are similarly higher.

 

Gas is expensive these days, but it would more likely than not be more expensive per mile to get rid of it. In addition to the above, you can save money by keeping the vehicle longer than you anticipate and not suffer from the depreciation of letting it go. People tend to spend more on depreciation, taxes, and insurance on new vehicles than they do on fuel.

My '79 town car with the 400m gets me about 13 mph in the summer, and about 10 to 11 in winter, but to sink 20 to 30 grand on a new vehicle plus the fuel, higher taxes and registration costs, and much higher insurance would take me lots and lots of miles in the old Lincoln, and I'd still have money left over.