Hello , I am new dont to this site, so if i post this in the wrong place sorry, I have a 2003 ford F-250 with a 6.0, I am only getting about 13 mpg , what can i do to improve that. Thanks

 

I am filling up in the areas where diesel is less diluted. On CA diesel I barely make 12 mpg with my flatbed, on Colorado fuel, or G-diesel from Nevada 14 is quite common.
That beside calculating the most efficient speed.

 

Just like with any engine - slow down to about 2000 rpms, no jackrabbit starts, lighten the load by emptying non-essentials, proper maintenance, proper or higher tire psi, alignments,
ther are other things that might help - better exhaust flow, better air flow (but stock is best filtration) and most other things will cost more than they are worth...

and...... don't drive
it is a heavy vehicle that we drive.. so not much you can do other than downsizing...

 

How about a K&N coo air intake will that help.

 

Not really. Most intakes wont make a difference.

 

K&N can make minimal improvement on the performance at WOT, but will not affect the mpg. What it will affect is engine life as the extra dust it allows to pass will grind the pistons.
Also the below 2000 rpm advise is just generic advise. My diesel truck at 65 mph turns almost 2500 rpm and is still economical. It is going to 2800 rpm that make it sucking much more.
Than again, this is generic answer as the real factor is the speed not rpm

 

On a 6.0Laftermarket intakes can dust the turbo vanes and you'll be looking at turbo work combined with the same MPGs. There's really not a lot of cost effective mods you can do on the engine side of a 6.0L, it seems like the guys in the 6.0L forum who are seeing MPG improvements from tuners are running hot 80-120HP tunes that a stock engine can't take, meaning the cost of studs (IIRC $2500-3500 seems to be the going rate) any any other engine mods will negate any MPG gains you'll see for a whole lot of miles.

But....
Power Hungry Performance - FICM Reprogramming
Go look at PHP's Econ FICM tuning and PCM rollbacks, they claim a small bump in MPGs; but as with all tuning it's really about more power/response and economy gains are ancillary. At $225 it's one of the lowest cost engine programming choices around, but results reported on FTE have seemed mixed. Some people swear by it though.

 

I always swear my vehicles get better mpg after floor vacuuming.

 

Ummm, didn't you get the memo? With diesels, you have to claim that you get over 20 mpg, that's how you justify the purchase and operating costs...

But seriously, in order of benefits to cost:
1) Slow down. These things have the aerodynamic qualities of a chipped brick. Even 10 mph will make a 2 mpg (or more) difference.
2) Accelerate slowly.
3) Reduce weight. Get all the heavy stuff out of the toolbox and bed.
4) Reduce windage all you can. Lower truck. Run narrower and shorter tires. Eliminate anything that sticks out in wind. Add a taller/deeper valance (spoiler) under the bumper to reduce turbulence under the truck - like what Ford has done on later models.

 

For fuel economy mws is correct, and I believe driving style has more to do with it than any kind of mod that you can do. Remember that every time you touch the brake pedal you are burning fuel; this is because you are bleeding off the energy that your fuel paid for into heat that's dissipated into the environment. So getting off the accelerator early and coasting to a stop is much more efficient than powering up to the stop sign and hitting the brakes. Higher speed costs fuel economy because wind resistance increases much faster than the rate of speed increase, so higher speeds are nearly always less efficient than lower ones as long as your transmission is in it's top gear.

For mods I would suggest keeping most everything stock. Big tires increase rolling resistance and lift kits increase wind resistance. High HP tunes can increase your engine efficiency, but only if you don't actually use the extra power that you are capable of making. Aftermarket air intakes or filters have the potential to wipe out any minuscule gains you may get with high repair costs after you dust your turbo. Damaging your engine with a high HP tune without supporting mods would easily wipe out any fuel gains you get even if it's substantial...you can buy a LOT of fuel with $3,000!

 

[quote=mwsF250;11565150]Ummm, didn't you get the memo? With diesels, you have to claim that you get over 20 mpg, that's how you justify the purchase and operating costs...

LOL, In Maine I don't trust any truck with an "off road" tank in the back, pretty sure that's how the diesel guys save on fuel up here....yes I'm jealous 6.8 v-10, glad to know from the thread that my mileage isn't too far off though. And less maintenance expense, LOL

 

Depends on your definition of "LOT"
Driving V10 across the county will burn it in a week.
Potential for engine damaging with tunes is why I keep my all stock. Per comparison with similar truck, my burns less than others, so can't complain.
Than there are million factors that affects mpg. Having manual I switch to neutral on any grade that will give me 1 mile of free-rolling. On those 7 miles grades I don't hesitate to let it go 90 mph (have good radar detector) and than learn to use the power curve. On my truck the torque is way better at 60 mph than at 55 mph, so even we have 55 mph limit for towing -seeing upgrade I speed up to 60+ so I can take the grade without downshifting.

 

Alter your driving style. Use very light throttle pressure and always keep your RPMs below 2000.

 

Hey all. I recently purchased an 07 F-250 with the 6.0. Traded in my old 97 with the 460 and upgraded to an extended cab too. I miss my stick though. The truck came with an Air raid intake on it. Should I be concerned about it? Should I buy a stock intake from Ford? It has 78k on it now, don't know how much with the aftermarket kit. Turbo was inspected by the dealer before I bought it and they said it was fine.

 

Post an ad on craigslist that you will trade someone straight across for a stock unit. Stock intake is said to be good to about 500 hp, so there is no need to run after market. I did the same thing with my K&N FIPK. It was just to noisy for me on my 6.8L. Good Luck!