I have an 05 Lariat with the 5.4 engine and am not happy with the power or the gas mileage I have been getting with my truck. I have spoken with the dealer several times and have also contacted Ford directly; no one has any ideas on improving the mileage or power. Anyone have any ideas for me? I have about 5,000 miles on the truck.

 

here is another genius.... Listen Ruderonnie... 300 horses and 6000 pounds? you do the math. If you want a damn race car, buy one!

 

Ok, first off, ignore that first response. While not entire in-accurate, I little harsh.

So, what kind of mileage are you getting? I would suggest, if the dealer hasn't already, is get the most recent computer flash. Might not help mileage, but it'll help the shifting and throttle response. That'll help feel like more HP.

There are quite a few variables to milage. What gearing do you have? Along with that , what tires? If you went up to larger tires, you've geared it down. I've seen that affect mileage. Also speed, and stop/go will have a lot to do with it. If you're mashing the pedal to that HP you want, mileage will suck.

While I don't have an 04+ F150, I do have the older 03 with a 5.4 2 valve less HP SuperCrew. 3.73 gears and stock tires. I get 15-17MPG on the Interstate depending on winds. Around town 13-14. If you do some searching, there are a lot of threads for you to compare to what others here are getting.

 

wise ***!! its pretty funny and not entirely false, but give the guy a break. He is prob concerned and figured that only his 5.4 is getting the poor gas mileage....join the group

 

My 05 FX4 has plenty of power...for towing that is. Never had a problem towing the boat or tandem BBQ trailer. As far as mileage it's a V8; keep it at or under 2K off the light and mileage improves. Drive it like a porsche and expect to pay. I haven't seen over 17mpg and towing 12mpg...but I expected that.

 

go buy a 4 banger ford ranger if you want fuel milage.buy a lightning if you want power.you've got a great truck that falls in the middle.now drive it and enjoy!

 

Ruderonnie-

I also have a '05 F150 Supercab Lariat, trailer tow,3:73 gears . I was not satisfied with the mushy shifting and sluggish performance- I purchased the Excaliber II Tuner. I have 3 settings: 87 Octane Performance, 89 Octane Tow, and 92 Octane Performance- The difference is like night and day, GREAT performance and 1-2 mpg improvement including harder shifts and raised shift points.
If this is the only thing you do to your truck, just do it!!

 

Try a EDGE Evolution programmer. Worked for me.

 

Hate to break the news to every one, but buying a tuner for mpg is like buying a 747 for peanuts.

Ruderonnie, Welcome to FTE!

Unfortunately some times we get some people that are a little brash at times. I hope that they didn't scare you off.

It would be helpfull for us to know what type of mpg your are getting, and what type of driving it is.

 

Well here's a comparison for ya. I have an 04 lariat S Crew. 4 WD with the 5.4 and 3.73 gears. I get a consistent 16 MPG on my trip to work. The speeds range from 35-60. I have had this truck for a month now. I felt it was a little low on power so I brought it to the dealer this afternoon and they did a reflash on the computer. IMMEDIATE difference! Much more power and the mileage increased by .3. I know, not a huge difference but still better. Tell them that you are having driveability issues and have them check the software on your ride. Also.... something to keep in mind. Your truck is nowhere near broken in yet! They do have a rather lenghty break in period but worth it when you get there. I bought this truck with 19,000 on the clock and paid almost $20,000 less than it was when new

 

F150s are not a Porsche, but wanting or needing more power or efficiency is not unrealistic. There are several reasons I went with a Ford when I bought my 04, but I did expect better fuel mileage and towing power than it has. Yes, it will pull my trailer, but not as well on the hills as 02 GMC 1/2 ton did and around town the truck gets 1 to 2 mpg less than the GM.

A Superchips on the 91 tow program has helped, although I would rather not spend the extra $.20 per gallon for the fuel (not as big a deal @ $2.25 vs $2.45 than when regular was under $1.50) An AF-1 has not seemed to do anything, but maybe with an exhaust the combo could help both power and economy. Possibly going to full synthetic on all lubes may also help, but have never seem any concrete evidence on the F150 if there really is a difference.

 

I just put the Edge Evo tuner on my 04 FX4 SCrew and have had amazing results (also have k&n intake and magnaflow exhaust) Mileage is about the same, but my foot has been in the gas more than normal because the throttle response and firmer shifting makes for more enjoyable driving.

 

My bone stock '04 standard cab 4X4 with 5.4 and 3.73s gets 13-15 local running and 18-19+ on the highway. It gets 12 MPG towing my 25' ultralite camper with a BMW motorcycle in the bed. The mileage is driving like ther is an egg under the gas pedal. Brisk driving kills the mileage.

 

To all who wrote, thank you. I am 70 years young, so I don't hotdog around in my truck. I have the 3.55 rear end in the truck. I don't tow anything with it. I get about 12-13 mpg combined. The best mpg I've achieved is 14.9 on the highway with the tailgate down. The dealer did reflash the computer shortly after I got the truck. Everyone keeps telling me the mileage will improve with increased miles on the engine.
Since I have owned a pickup starting in 1959, and a Ford starting in 1970, I know that I'm not going to get good mileage as I would with a car. The EPA estimate for the truck stated 15 mpg city/18 mpg highway. Do I need to rig a sail in the bed of my truck to help with my mileage?

 

Don't know if the sail would help...but a reasonably-priced tonneau cover would!

With the aerodynamics of these trucks nowadays, driving with the tailgate down can actually hurt mileage. A tonneau would allow a smoother airflow over the bed, plus keep the junk that accumulates back there from blowing out at highway speed.

Truxedo and Extang make some relatively inexpensive yet functional roll-up covers. Look for ones that use velcro instead of snaps to keep the cover down (a lot easier to deal with in the winter when the cover shrinks due to temps).

Keep the revs at 2000 or less when accelerating from a stop (gentle pressure on the pedal)...that alone can add up to significant savings over time. And make sure the tires are properly inflated!!

I also have the 3.55's, and my combined mileage averages around 14.9, peaking close to 18 on the highway (70 mph).