I am looking for ways to improve my MPG, I have installed a K&N filter not the system, changed plugs, no codes.
I am wandering about exhaust, different intake system etc ???

 

Intake and Exhaust probably wont help. They are sized large enough so the engine can operate at max RPM, therefore they can probalby handle 3k RPM with little to no restriciton.

I would do a chip, with that being said I have an Edge Evoltion on my 04, and it has not seemed to help MPG at all. However I dont drive a V8 truck so I can get good gas mileage. I get 15MPG and I would consider that good (my 88 with 300I6 got 12MPG). I'm sure someone will chime in about how they put a drop in K&N in and are getting +2 MPG.

Bottom line is its a big truck with a big engine and it eats alot of gas. Short of disconnecting a few fuel injectors you probably wont see any vast improvement in mileage that would ever pay off

However if you are using it as an excuse to talk a wife/GF into new exhaust for your truck then more power to you!

 

Drive downhill more often than going uphill?

Do the obvious stuff first--don't haul needless weight around, keep your tires inflated to the max, get rid of any ornaments such as bush guards, etc.

I get a consistent 14-15mpg empty on mixed driving. I topped out at 18mpg on a straight freeway shot going 65mph, lightly loaded. I don't drive with a heavy foot. My wife OTH, is lucky to check in with 13-14mpg doing the same route, but she drives a lot more 'spirited' than I do.

I doubt there's much you can do to improve mpg tremedously. A tonneau supposedly helps a tad on freeway runs, but it won't do miracles, and the return on investment won't be for a long timeif you buy it strictly to improve mpgs. It's a big and heavy truck that looks aerodynamically like a brick, and it drinks as such.

 

i have an 04 screw with the 5.4 4x4 with a cap. i have a k&n filter in it and a cat back dual exhaust and ive gotte 17.5 highway..IMO 17.5 isnt that bad running 75mph

 

Driving habits play a big role in fuel efficiency. If you are forced to burn 10% ethanol, you will see a drastic reduction in mpg. Check out this thread.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ular-87-a.html

 

I purchased a ScangaugeII from Autozone,and drive by it,My economy improved "markedly" by paying attention to it.
Mods typically dont help economy,driving habits however do.I was amazed at the information this little jewel is capable of giving.It has paid for itself already.

 

What does it do for you aside from giving you an early heads up of pending issues? $170 is a little pricey for having an instant readout of your MPG.

- Wow, that was a little harsh sounding. I didn't mean it to be, I am genuinely curious.

 

Actually that is probably the favorite thing about my edge. I can select from many parameters to monitor. I have mine set on MPH, engine oil temp, tranny temp, and AVG MPG. I have changed my driving habbits alot because of the MPG thing. Plus monitoring the tranny temp and engine oil temp I can monitor any changes that may occur.

 

I went with underdrive pulleys, a Meziere electric water pump and dual electric fans off of a Ford Contour....along with about 45psi in my tires and my mileage went up measurably. Probably 2-3mpg.

 

I have an 05 xlt 4.6 with (KN air sistem , vortex tb spacer, gibson dual sweepside edge programer set at level 1 ) with all this i get 14 to 15 city and 18 to 20 highway with 1000 lbs of tools all the time but the best is to ease off on the trotlle. 65 mph 2000 rpm is where i get the best results.

 

No worries,Im not offended in the least The ScangaugeII will monitor probably 30 different sets of parameters,as well as an "on board" OBDII reader.For some reason,my portable OBDII wont read my 07.The ScangaugeII will.I havent had any codes thrown,but if (when) it does,I can immediately read them,and clear them as well.
I got two AZ giftcards for Christmas last,and used them to "defray" the initial cost.I purchased the Mirror mount,and it looks like OEM.
Agreed...This is indeed somewhat pricey to see your MPG,but the fact that it shows "Trip average" and actual real time mileage,as well as Tach,Im perfectly happy with my purchase.

 

I got an SCT X3 from 5startunning and its amazing for the power. It really woke it up. All custom tunes. As for mpg increase they stayed the same but more power. Over the weekend on an all highway trip I got 16 mpg with the cruise set at 75-78. Usually I get about 14.

 

Thanks to everyone, it sounds like with the e10 fuel (which is all I can find) I am stuck with 15-16. Thanks for all the input it saved me some money.

 

I believe it. This doesn't come without sacrifice though.

I'd be nervous about the underdrive pulleys killing your accessory drive systems such as power steering, A/C, alternator, etc.

And your cooling mods certainly would improve efficiency, but they come at the expense of the ability to handle heavy loads in hot weather. I see you live in Canada, so if you don't tow many heavy things it probably works just fine for you, but I wouldn't recommend it to most.

And finally 45 PSI in your tires will cause abnormal wear and your tires WILL wear out sooner.

I agree with n5926g about the ScanGauge. I've had mine for almost a year and a half and I LOVE IT! I bought it for the ability to display live sensor data, as I was concerned with my transmission temp in my '07 F150 while towing. It was able to monitor that as well as much more...the MPG gauges were a bonus for me!

As stated, driving habits have the most impact out of everything mentioned here. When I was a professional truck driver we were taught that driving habits can affect MPGs by as much as 25 percent! That's equivalent to nearly 5 MPG for these trucks!

Remember that high RPMs aren't efficient, and that every time you have to use the brakes you are bleeding off energy you bought and paid for with your gas. So if you let off the pedal early and coast most of the way to a stop, you WILL save fuel doing it because you don't have to waste as much energy stopping.

It's funny, I miss my F150 for fuel economy! My '08 PSD truck would be very lucky to see 16 on the highway, babying it at 65 MPH! Mixed is between 13-14, and strictly city driving is between 10-12!

 

I'll address your concerns one at a time in the order you presented them to me.

First the Pulleys and their effect on the vehicles charging.....

I too had heard the horror stories about underdrive pulleys and to be honest, most are unfounded internet myth in my opinion. Yes, some of the early 5.0L Mustang kits back in the day caused charging issues because most owners opted for the "race only" kits for maximum benefit, without considering the consequences they would have on the vehicles accessory system. Especially when you consider many were paired with the very weak 75A stock alternator these early Fords were equipped with.

Later kits were more evolved and pulley ratio's were not so extreme in nature that they could seriously compromise charging and cooling at low engine RPM. Combine that with the fact that all Fords built after 1996 were now available with a minimum 95A-140A 3G/6G internally cooled unit (ours the more desired 6G variety) and that the 2V and 3V modular engines were designed with a far more efficient cooling system....not to mention a top end made almost primarily of aluminum and composite materials that dissipates heat far more effectively than the previous iron headed 302W/351W OHV engines of the past and those concerns are eliminated completely.

I've been in the Mustang and Ford game since before I was old enough to drive and have owned or worked on nearly everything Ford has had to offer at one point or another and I can say with 100% certainty I've never come across any vehicle with pulleys, electric fans or otherwise that has come across charging, or cooling issues that weren't attributed to either a bad battery, or high mileage, worn out charging/cooling components.

I will admit, I did experience the slightest dimming of the lights at idle when the vehicle was brought up to full operational temperature. But keep in mind 99.9% of our driving habits are spent beyond 750RPM, not below it. Still, even though I was experiencing no charging, or reliability issues, I went one step further with my set up and pony'd up an additional $60 for a smaller 48mm factory Ford alternator pulley and accessory belt to bring pulley ratio's of the charging system back up to stock levels. Problem solved.

Furthermore, as stated before, the underdriven ratio of the modern Modular kits are conservative enough that there are no labouring affects at idle and/or low RPM levels for either the power steering, or the A/C system. My vehicle performs and drives just as it did the day I drove it off the lot. I'm very finicky about what I do to my vehicles. I believe that it is never "OK" to sacrifice drivability, or comfort in the name of performance. If a modification I make doesn't result in the same, or is an improvement over the stock drivability that it originally came with, then I won't keep it. It’s as simple as that.

As far as the cooling system goes. The Meziere Electric water pump unlike the factory mechanical unit is not dependant on engine RPM to provide maximum flow effort. Besides the fact that it's more consistent at all RPM than the stock mechanical unit, the Meziere pump flows 55GPM of coolant in comparison to the factory pumps 43GPM. If that doesn't tell you this pump is capable enough, put it in perspective.....a big block 385-series 460ci V8 mechanical water pump flows 53GPM by comparison.

As far as the fan set up goes. The stock Ford Mechanical fan on our trucks actually doesn’t do a bad job of moving air through our radiator. I’ve read that they’ll pull anywhere from 4,000-4,500CFM which is way more airflow than our trucks require, even the most extreme climates. The dual Ford Contour Fans flow about 500-1,000CFM less than the stock mechanical fan (about 3,200-3,800CMF), but still more than adequate for our 5.4L. Especially when you consider the improved and more consistent cooling made available by the electric water pump....and hey, if you're still a little nervous about it, you can alway swap our the stock 192F thermostat for something a little cooler (although I really wouldn't go anything below a 180F if retaining maximum fuel economy and emmisions are your goal).

As far as temperatures in Canada go. I’m sure we’re not pulling down the kind of repetitive sweltering heat that some of the States in the Deeper South are seeing on a regular basis, but our summer months are every bit as hot as about 90% of the US. Temperatures regularly climb above and hover between 80-90F in the summer months and can get well over 100F in heavy stop and go traffic.

Finally, while I will agree that excessive tire pressure can lead to abnormal tire wear, it really all depends on the type of tire and the kind of driving you do that determines exactly how much (if any) you experience. If it were a car tire, or a wider, mud or sand oriented tire, I would agree with you whole heartedly. But light truck tires are built with harder casing and higher load ratings than your average car tire, which really doesn’t lend itself to distortion so much. Where 45psi may mean a quick death for your average car radial, its not really all that excessive for a 6/8/10ply light truck tire. Also, keeping the tires closer to the factory width will also ensure a more even tread wear.

If anything, a slight sacrifice in ride quality is more likely to be experienced than excessive wear….but even with my 20-wheels and 45psi in the tires my ride quality is still nearly as good as it was when the tires were inflated to the factory 32-35psi specs. As it sits, I’ve got over 20,000km on my factory Pirelli Scorpions at 45-50psi and there are no signs what so ever of abnormal, or excessive wear. And I do a lot of highway driving.