I have a 2000 F150 EXT cab 4x4 short box offroad
5.4L EFI
4 speed automatic
3.55 gear ratio
<a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=37919709&siteid=39251846">tires </a>P265/70R-17

My question is can I do anything with it to get better mileage? I get about 10-12 mpg on the highway and about 8-10 in town... I really don't know much about this stuff so please be bare with me. I don't hot rod around so it's not that.. I have taken it in and they said that they couldn't find anything wrong.


Any suggestion would be great help

Thanks

 

Hi ramon1460. Welcome to FTE

I'm sure it wont be long and you'll get some replies here.
The guys on here have lots of good info.

 

I hear ya....

I wrote off some of my bad mileage to "newness"..but I've documented every drop.... Sadly, I went from 89 to 87 octane
to keep the prices lower.
I'm at 5,000 miles (in 3 months), and have burned about 340 gallons.

My tire size is the P255-70-16 Goodyear radial.

DN

 

Those are some low numbers! You absolutely sure youre right foot isnt heavier than you think? I had your same exact setup, only a 2001, and I got 15 in town, 17-18 on the highway. What kind of terrain do you drive in normally? ALot of miles I put on mine were in some hilly country. I cant think of why yours is so low. Did you have them check for any codes in the computer? How many miles on your motor? Something doesnt add up here.

Rich

 

Mid/Central Maryland...
Not quite Nebraska, but still.

By far, its the only "issue" I have with it.
I keep an ongoing computer file (Excel) of every fillup,
cash or charge.

14.98 was my last calculation. No boats, trailers, just gentle, quiet commuting...
I'm not someone heavy into passing, road rage, slipstreaming
or anything else like that..No holeshot starts from stoplights, either..

After my first calcs at 2500/3000 miles, I began to get concerned,
checking tire pressures, free-rolling capability, etc.

Everything seems fine..... I'm just now getting "used to" my truck getting lousy mileage.

Its a little unnerving seeing all the diesels getting 18-20..

Someone else here suggested the K&N air filter products net almost <one> full mile per gallon...(which I feel is a lot when added up)
but the whole rig for my truck is $250.00/275.00...yikes.

At 260 horses, my truck is plenty powerful... albeit I almost never "feel" it due to my driving habits.
But I do occassionally need it for hauls (not yet!), camping and landscaping. As the prices soar, my enjoyment is diminished,...
so much for 46 more payments~~~

 

I'm getting about 15.5 around town, avoiding parking lot traffic, and being fairly easy on the throttle. Up and down a few hills.

02 F-150 4x4 FX
Auto
3.55 gears
11,000 miles on the clock.
K&N drop in

Pete

 

wheelMA1,

I am sure that my foot isn't to heavy . I live in southwestern Minnesota some hills but not to bad... When I did bring it in they said they checked the computor and that was fine and it didn't show any codes.. I have 30,000 miles on my truck and the 30,000 miles that are on it it hasn't pulled anything and was not beat on at all.. I to am not someone heavy into passing, road rage, slipstreaming and no holeshot starts from stoplights...


daven,

Know that you mentioned the K&N filter, I did put a K&N filter on it when it had about 14,000 miles on it...

 

Fuel mileage on these trucks is notoriously bad. You'll find many, many posts on the subject in these forums. In October I bought a 97 F-150 5 speed 4.2L and was getting 12-13 mpg off the lot. I also noticed a distinct lack of power in 5th gear. I tend to have a heavy foot and I'm a somewhat agressive driver. So I did some things to try and bump that number up and I've had some success.

The first thing I did was replace my air filter with a K+N. This is the best thing I've done yet. I imediatly felt the difference in available power at all RPM's, and the increase in power in 5th was significant. I also got an extra 2-3 MPG out of it consistantly.

Next I replaced the plugs and wires to make sure I was getting optimum performance there. I'm glad I did for the simple fact that 3 of the plugs broke just taking them out. If I'd have held out longer I may have had difficulty removing them. I did get SLIGHTLY better milage out of this, but not enough to get excited about.

I then replaced the exhaust with a Magna-flo free-flow exhaust. I didn't see anything in the way of performance or MPG increase, but it does sound cool.

I've recently installed a soft bed cover, and I'm awaiting the results of that. I also experimented with different types of gas with the following results. I find no increase in milage between premium and 87 octane, although I think the engine runs better on the good stuff. I found that Shell gas gives me consistantly the best milage over other brands. Citgo gives me the worst.

I've heard that switching from the stock engine driven fan to electric fans gives a big boost. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to try that.

Hope this helps some.

 

Hmph. It wouldn't let me edit my post. Anyway I forgot to mention that now get between 15 and 16 mpg on average, at times I've seen 17 and even 18 on the highway, but cruise control plays a big part in that.