Just wondering how accurate the fuel mileage computer is. I have not used but a quarter tank in my truck so far. I have to switch computer modes because it drives me crazy to watch the numbers never excede 12.6 mpg.

 

The MPG computer is not accurate, here's how I fixed mine...drive around until you are up to normal operating temp then turn the OD trans off.

Next do a few one wheeled burnouts (it helps if you are turning a corner on wet pavement) and get the throttle up to 5,000 RPM's a few times. If you want you can find some 4 banger econo-boxes and leave them in the dust a few times between lights instead.

Now you need to find a steep hill and just as you start down the hill press the reset button on your computer, mileage should now read 30+ mpg.

 

rckeith1,

I know you're kidding! No one in his right mind would do what you suggest after only burning a 1/4 of his first tank of gas! ;-)

I've got 300 miles on the truck so far, and today I saw it the mpg guestimater reach 14.8. Most of this was backroad driving with a couple miles on the freeway.

Next question. Any way to increase the mpg update rate? I saw one in a Dodge that constantly updated, so you could tell what happens to your mileage when you stomp the accelerator. I didn't see anything in the owners manual that mentioned being able to change the update frequency, but I'm finding out that there are quite a few "undocumented" features.

 

Had one in an 89 Eddie Bauer Aerostar that had both average MPG and "instant" MPG. I loved it and have been wanting the same thing since then. My Lariat is on order; and I was disappointed when I read that it didn't have instant MPG on the computer.

 

djLariat,

Where did you read it?

 

Owner's manual. I guess I mis-spoke (mis-typed!); I read through all the info on the trip computer and found NO reference to the "instant MPG". [Though I don't have the truck yet I registered with my VIN on Ford's site so I could read the manual.] With all of the info showing on the display, I had really hoped that Ford would include that feature.

I really felt better in the Aerostar when I could cost down a hill(or mountian pass) and see the thing register 99 MPG. I just ignored it when I was going up hill and it said 7 mpg.

The Lariat shows to have a "Trip elapsed drive time"; but the Aerostar also included: "Average speed of trip" which was also good info on long drives

 

This is a fun thread!
I want to ride with rckeith1 when he does the next computer adjustment. We'll use someone else's truck.
Seriously, the 12.6 may be accurate. I don't have a readout on my XLT but my first tank was 13.4. At 5,600 miles, I just filled up 20 of 27 gallons and got 18 calculated mpg. The trips included 200 highway miles, half of which were in the rain (no criuse control.)
The rating on the sticker was 15/19 so I'm pretty happy.
Now, if gas does hit $2.00 per gallon this Memorial Day weekend I will be using my truck primarily for washing and making payments on. We'll be taking the Mercury Sable to the family reunion-about 700 miles there and back.
I sure hope that we can take the truck.
2 teenagers + 2 adults = 3 fights over who gets to drive. Dad makes the payment so he decides who, if anyone else, gets to drive.

jimmyj
04 F150 XLT SCab 5.4L in Dark Shadow Gray-lovin'it

 

IMO the MPG readout is often optomistic. However, I'm glad my FX4 won't have it. Reason: my 2001 SD has the MPG feature and is probably the reason I've decided I hate the truck so much, its annoying to glance up and see 12.4MPG, so watching that and the gas hand at the same time have really made my feelings about the truck turn negative. However, my 97 F150 doesn't have this feature (only an XL) and I hardly ever calculate my mileage and love driving the truck, I know I can get ~325 miles out a tank full (24.5 gallon tank, usual fill up ~22gallons) which equates to ~13.5-15 mpg depending on my driving style for that tank full. However, I'm not constanly reminded of it by the computer calculating my MPG. Just consider what I told you, a 2001 SD v10 Xcab is getting 12.4mpg (computer, my calculations say ~11), but a 97 F150 regular cab 4.6L v8 is only getting 13.5-15 mpg (my calculations). I must be a terrible driver and maybe my age should be equated in (22) and I'm always running late so I take it out on my engines. If I had something that gave real time calculations I'd probably go insane.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the big 3 should concentrate on quality, not quanity. Instead of increasing the quanity #'s (HP/TRQ), they should focus on increasing the quality of their engines so they'd be more efficent. I'm no tree hugging freak that's predicting the environment to collapse in 10 yrs by no means. I'm sure the v10 is more efficent than the 460 it replaced, but the rate of increased engine efficency doesn't hold a canlde in the wind compared to the advancements in vehicle safety. I may be well off the subject here and have no clue what I'm talking about but I think it's something they should investigate. Maybe the reason for the lack of DRAMATIC increases in engine efficency is related to cost of production, in which I totally understand. If a semi-efficent vehicle costs $30K and the same exact vehicle only VERY efficent costs $50K, assuming the present value of money we're better off paying $30K, keeping $20K in our pockets for gas and other investments while owning the vehicle. If looking at the whole picture I just described, I suppose we're paying the same amount of cash either way out of pocket. The only incentive is the environment. Heck maybe I'm a tree huggin economist, that's not good next I'll be ordering a pocket protector and driving a hybrid forget it, I don't mind 13mpg!

 

Well, I knew what I was getting into when I bought this truck, and I figured if I could get 15 mpg commuting to work I'd be happy. That might not happen, but 14.5's close enough. If I start getting depressed, I'll switch the display over to Miles to Empty. With the 36-gallon tank, it showed 543 miles to empty after my last fill-up. That's enough to bring a smile to any face (just don't think about what it will COST to fill it up!)

 

The MPG computer updates instantly. I got to messing around with it tonight and I reset it while stopped at a red light and sitting there at idle it went 13.5, 13.4, 13.3 dropping a point about once a second, I almost had to run the red light!

There is a significantly steep hill nearby, I reset coasting down that hill and it read 68 mpg but it dropped fast once I got to the bottom.

I then took a longer drive, I reset the computer just before I got on the freeway, I drove about 10 miles on the freeway, then about 2 miles on stop and go side streets, got back on the freeway and drove back, then another couple of miles on stop and go side streets. Now I babied the throttle, keeping it around 65 on the freeway and on the side streets I eased into the pedal only enough to keep up with traffice. Driving super easy she read 20.2 when I got home.