Wow that is some bad mileage. My F-550 with 4.88 gears and a big enclosed utility bed gets about 11 or so. I have been looking at what I can throw at it to get better numbers also, but I cant justify spending the money with how long it will take me to recoup costs with potential MPG increases. The only thing I am considering is swapping from the Visteon back to the stock or other upgraded filter.

 

-Check your FICM voltages and make sure you're seeing a consistent 48-49.5 volts KOEO, cranking, KOER, and under hard acceleration. If at any point it drops below 45 volts, the FICM needs to be repaired. As I've recently learned and contrary to popular belief, there really isn't anything wrong with the stock FICM calibrations. ARZ2AL11 is what you should have if you have the latest calibration with inductive heating. ARZ2AL01 is the first inductive heating strategy that killed FICMs. AMZ2AL10, AMZ2AL11, and AMZ2AL12 are non inductive heating flashes that are better in a sense, but don't like the cold too much. Any of these FICM calibrations are good, especially if you tow regularly and don't like having to watch EGTs like a hawk pulling a grade or otherwise.

-Clean your EBPS (Exhaust Back Pressure Sensor), tube, and fitting at the driverside exhaust manifold. When this becomes plugged, the truck doesn't fuel properly and the turbo also doesn't spool like it should. It still works, but doesn't fuel for the best performance. A 5/8" wrench will remove the tube at the head, a 10 mm socket will remove the nut holding it to the valve cover, and a 1 inch deep socket will remove the sensor. Thoroughly clean the tube, sensor, and fitting at the manifold with a wirebrush from harbor freight. Use carb cleaner to clean the tube and sensor. Reassemble and drive.

-Check the MAP nipple at the intake manifold. This nipple become plugged because of the EGR recirculating exhaust gases to the intake manifold. Remove the hose with a pair of needle nose pliers, and use either a wire hanger or the straw from a can of brake cleaner or WD-40 to clear the nipple. Once cleared, start the truck to verify air flow, then reinstall the hose.

-Clean your EGR valve. Clean you EGR valve with Berryman B12 carb cleaner and reinstall.

-Injectors. If you have one or more failing or weak injectors, it will affect engine performance as the FICM will compensate for the injectors to the point of failure. Something I've found that works and is a win-win, is Hot Shot Secret. I started using HSS December of 2008 when I had an injector sticking on my 7.3 Excursion. Since then, I treat my trucks with it every so often and the product does what it says. If it doesn't keep your receipt and Lubrication specialties will send you a refund. I recently used this on my 2005 Excursion on a trip to and from Florida two weeks ago. Before I left, injectors 2, 4, and 7 were acting up and I had a noticeable miss at speed on the freeway. After 1600 miles of driving, I averaged 17.5 mpg getting to Florida and coming home from Dothan, Alabama, I averaged 19.5 mpg. Prior to using HSS along with Schaeffers 9000, one a similar trip, I would average 16 mpg if I were lucky. While it can't save every injector, it does an amazing job of cleaning up the oil system on these trucks vital to it's performance. You can get HSS at Autozone or Tractor Supply.

-Fuel pressure, the blue fuel spring is a wise investment that keeps fuel pressure up and never below 45 psi.

-PCM strategy. If you have the latest which starts with "VXCF9", you may or may not have ended up with one of the bad files that were meant for an international truck and not your 6.0. I know for a fact that VXCF9H7 is a good PCM strategy as far as the latest is concerned. VXCF0, VXCF1, and VXCF4 are older but good strategies.

-Clean your MAF sensor if your '05 is equipped with one. I had to clean mine and it made a world of difference.

 

Good info. T. D. I've got a few things going on with mine and will check these things. Enjoyed the visit.

 

It was an absolute please my friend!

Hope to catch up again soon!

 

We ran a number of SD's under test conditions. The duallys always had significantly lower fuel mileage which I attest to, two more tires rolling resistance, big hips wind resistance, and lower gearing ratio.

TD's comments in both posts I concur wholeheartedly. Historically I've had the original non-heating injector program and I could always get better then most fuel mileage for my trucks configuration.

Being vehicle guys in my industry, we always talked and tried methods to improve our own mileage and here are a few things that I do to reduce my fuel consumption that anyone can do.

Of course, Max tire pressure that would not cause center wear. Synthetic oils wherever. With the 6.0 any stiction relieving oil additive to improve injector operation;I have recomended Archoil. 62mph is a sweet spot for just about all vehicles, above seems to bring on an aerodynamic penalty. If there is a bus or tractor trailer on the freeway I will drive behind that, or in the next lane a little closer to the back where the low pressure region is, but behind is better even at a safe distance. Behind a large vehicle I will go 65+ and it still benefits. Bed covers do work. Old guy accelerations, anticipation of traffic lights. If the walkway has a pedestrian countdown, use it to advantage to know how the traffic light is about to operate. It's better to be steady and slow in congested traffic then stop and go, both which either convert energy to heat during braking or use high energy to return to a speed. A/C when needed only, otherwise just fresh air.

Far out things we tried and worked. Manual or automatic, neutral and coast on downhills as this partially makes up for the uphills. When you have to deal with long, sophisticated stop lights, do as they do automatically in Europe, shut off and restart the motor, or put the truck in neutral instead of pushing against the torque converter. We even tried neutral with an auto when braking towards a full stop. It's amazing how much our motors push against the torque converter and brakes when stopping. Shutting off won't change the OH values, but will show in the hand calculated numbers.

As goofy as some of that may sound, when you have a bunch of test drivers and engineers taking the time to play around over 25 years you end up with a good database.

 

DOC,id have to gain a little just to catchup with you.

 

All the info is great. TD that was awesome info and I'll check everything. Thanks. I appreciate it. Let's keep the thread going, I'm sure there is more we can do to improve out mileage counts.

 

Am I the only one who thinks 14mpg city with a drw is pretty decent?

 

Every crew cab DRW FX4 guy around here is getting 16 or better and nobody quoted lower than 15.5 in the city. Not just the idiot gauge either. I've seen the numbers.

 

Man, that is some really good fuel economy. At least I think so. I used to have an 08 F450 manual transmission with 4.88 gearing. Deleted the dpf and tuned. Best I got back and forth to work was 15mpg, and that was some stop and go driving but not constant stop and go that I'd consider true "city driving". I would've been stoked to average 16mpg.

Sold the F450, now have an 05 Excursion 6.0. Tuned/deleted EGR and cat, 5" lift with 35" tires, 3.73 axle. I get around 15mpg consistently back and forth to work which again is semi-stop and go.

 

i am seeing 12-13 around town and 16hwy running 65-70. running close to a 34" all terrain tire with 3.73 gears.

 

All those big tires take away from mileage. All the guys here are running pretty much stock, except blue spring and maybe atlas 40 on the Ficm. They're all doing much better than me on mileage. My next door neighbor has exactly the same truck and year and he is averaging 14-15 in city and 17-19 on the freeway. That's both idiot gauge and calculated. He has a 4" exhaust too. Let's keep it going. TD has some great info so scroll up for it. I'll be doing everything he suggested and will post changes as they come in.

 

Jack, I'll have to split some hairs with you there. I read this somewhere and it makes sense to leave the transmission in gear when going downhill. The PCM will shutoff fuel as the motor is kept turning by the momentum of the truck. Put it in neutral and it'll have to inject fuel to keep the motor running. Works for gas or diesel. Yes a tiny amount of fuel is needed to maintain the engine running in neutral, but we are splitting hairs.

It's pretty obvious on the 6.0 when it does this as the motor goes eerily quiet!

 

Man those are some really magical trucks. 15.5 city I consider astronomical.

 

My biggest gain came when I installed the Edge Insight monitor and discovered that my thermostat was bad. My ECT was in the 170's. My truck seemed to be running fine. It got a little smoother after I installed the new thermostat. I would never have know if it wasn't for the monitor. I put a Mishimoto 200 degree thermostat in and that made a huge difference. I started out getting 13 - 14 MPG.

After that I put the blue spring kit in and I installed the Atlas 40 FICM tune. I hand calculated the my last tank at 17.0 MPG. I usually get between 16 and 18.