I just recently bought a 2000 F-250 5.4 V8 SD Supercab 4x4 with 15,000 miles. Does anyone know of ways to get more gas milage? I have thought about a new chip and a cover for the back, but do these options really help that much? Does leaving your tailgate down help at all? Thanks.

 

A tonneau cover or hard cover will add a little to mpg figures. A K&N and cat-back exhaust will add some too. Figure 1mpg with all 3. Computer chips are "performance" chips. Some folks claim a little in mpg gains but for the most part they don't add any. You also have to use Premium fuel. The problem with all these add ons is you spend a dollar to save a dime. I've seen studys that show having the tailgate up is better than down. You can argue this all day long however.

 

A bed cap or tonneau will improve gas mileage maginally.

The K & N will let more air in, will marginally increase gas mileage, but may also let more dirt into the engine and decrease its operational life expenctancy.

The chip may improve torque and power. However, with premium gas costing $.20+ cents a gallon more, it will cost you more to move the truck any given mile.

The only way to increase gas mileage (decrease cost per mile driven) is to slow down. If you drive 55, you'll get 3 to 4 mpg better than if you drive 75. You'll get the gas mileage improvement even driving on mountain roads. This is due to the truck having the aerodynamics of a brick.

2000 F250 SD Lariat SC 4X4 5.4 V8 short box w/8,000 miles

 

What mileage are you getting? I just had a run of 259 miles and averaged 16.3 with 2WD 250SD 5.4 4.10 rears fiberglass cap 37000 miles on cruise control about 80% of the time at 65. When the truck was new about 7000 I had a summertime run on the PA Pike without cruise and averaged close to 75 mph without cruise and obtained 16.4. Because of the 5.4s torque curve it likes to run in the 70s with the 4.10s

 

My owners manual for my F250 says not to run with tailgate down(or off) because this will INCREASE your fuel consumption.It seems kind of backwards to me but that's what Ford has to say about it.
As for what I've found,whether running with the tailgate up,off,or with my 5th wheel tailgate in place(which is most of the time) it just dosen't seem to make a noticeable difference at all.
I think the biggest stumbling block to good fuel economy is having to use winter blend gas.I live in British Columbia where it can get pretty cold and you can easily lose 10% to 15% as compared to running summer blend gasoline.
Lets face it.Big heavy trucks that use gasoline engines are going to burn a lot of fuel.
Dave

 

Ditto, I consistantly get 10-10 1/2 mpg whether i'm loaded or empty, summer or winter, i live in the midwest so we may not get the diff. gas. Face-it, these trucks were made to move mountains, not sip the petro, sorry.

 

Thanks, I am getting 10-11 mpg on my F250 SD 4x4. I am really looking at fiberglass Tonneau Covers and Caps right now. They are just kind of expensive. If anyone knows of a good place to get one for cheap, please tell me. I am really enjoying my new truck.

 

Generally speaking, the additives and type of gas you use in your truck will effect gas mileage.

Gasolines with MtBE (methyl tertiary butyl-ether) will get 3% to 5% poorer mileage (depending upon the amount of MtBE)than gasolines without MtBE. MtBE is an fuel oxygenate additive which will improve your air quality.

Another common gasoline oxygenate is alcohol (ethanol, aka drinking alcohol). I have not read of any fuel mileage loss associated with a gasoline ethanol additive. However, gasoline containing another alcohol additive, methanol (aka, rubbing alcohol), should not be used in your truck because is will dissolve many of your fuel line gaskets (don't drink it either). You'll know that the methanol is dissolving you fuel system gaskets because your rig will be on fire.

Also, gasoline with an ethanol alcohol additive will tend to keep your injectors clean and will keep your gas 'dry' by mixing with any water in your fuel system and flushing it out. Alcohol also enhances vapor pressures in a gasoline fuel mixture.

Finally, plain old gasoline with an octane rating above 87 at sea level (you can use a lower number if you are at a higer altitude) will give you excellent gas mileage. Generally, the lower the altitude and the colder the temperature, the more toluene/benzene in your fuel will result in better fuel mileage. The benzene and toluene increase the fuel mixture's vapor pressure (like ethanol). Running summer fuels (comparative lower percentages of benzene/toluene) in cold climates will result in poorer performance even with appropriate octane ratings.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-Feb-01 AT 05:03 PM (EST)[/font][p]I don't Know How you guys are checking your gas milage . buy heres what i have 99 SD Lariat 5.4 AT Standard cab 4x4 with 4:10 Gears , 2:65 Tires And 50000 Miles on It. I have Never Seen Higher the 15 Mpg . City I get 9.5 to 10.5 Highway i Get 13 to 14 . Thats All by the Trip computer on lariat packages. That is really close. I also Pull a 19ft Bass Boat and Get 13 HWY. thats here in IL. But When ever i go out of the state My Milage Will increase At least 1 - 2 MPG

 

I check my mileage by the trip odometer mileage. Filling at the same pump parked in the same position. My truck is 99 Super Duty 250 XLT 2wheel drive 5.4 engine 4.10 rear limited slip 265-16 tires extended cab, trailer towing package with class 5 hitch 8 ft. bed with ARE fiberglass cap which I recommend. they have a nice web site which sometimes gives a discount coupon toward your purchase.
16.3 like I say. I had 4by4s and I don't recommend for anyone to buy one unless you really have a use for it period. You pay for it during the entire peroid of ownership If you pull a trailer in the rugged outback fine, a horse trailer on a farm or to an event which sometimes gets rained out. You would be suprised what a set of tire chains will do in the Rockies.
I don't tow much but if I did a lot the only way to go is the Power Stroke Diesel which is the workhorse of the pick up truck family, bar none and stay away from the v 10.

 

I've read it all over this site and others, the 4WD version of this truck pulls your gas mpg way down. tinman_75 is right, if you don't need 4WD don't get it. But if you like to ride high and scare the S**T out of poeple when you creep up on their rear, there's nothing better. I've also noticed tha when it's cold the tranny likes to hang in drive(at)till it's good and warmed up, which really sucks the gas too, is their a code you can change for that or some other way of making it shift sooner when it's cold. It can't be to good for the motor either.

 

Im getting 9 mpg with my 2000 f-250 v8 not towing a thing! Im buying a new 16ft landscape trailer this week... im dreading what i will be getting once ill be towing! I here every body talkin about how there getting 15mpg with my same truck... is there somethign wrong with mine?

 

This reply is for 250xlt
My 92 F250 Xcab 4X4 with its 351/auto/3.55 gears will max out at about 16.5 to 17 mpg(Canadian gallons,which are about 20% bigger than your US galon)when unloaded and on the highway.I drop to about 9 mpg when I tow my 7000# 5th wheel.Nine mpg for your unloaded truck sounds a bit off!By the way,I've had to pay up to $3.60 a gallon for regular gas this year and right now it's down to about $3.20 a gallon.I find myself riding my bicycle to work most of the time now!
Dave

 

B+B Performance in Ct. 1-203-481-0367.
Ask for Jared.

 

My mileage isn't a very good judge of the V10's potential, unless you want to see what the worst mileage could be. I drive almost all short trips of 5 miles or less on hilly terrain in stop and go traffic. On top of that, the fuel here is oxygenated for half the year to reduce emissions, which reduces mileage even further. With that said, I get 8.5 mpg around town. Mileage gets up to 9 mpg with summer fuel. For comparison, my old F150 regular cab, short box, 5 spd manual with efi 5.0 V8 in it and 3.55 gears used to only get me 9.5 mpg under the same conditions.

Best mileage ever was all highway, with non-winter fuel, at 60 mph with no load where I got 13.5 mpg. With my extremely large slide-in camper loaded on my dually truck, I get 10 mpg at 65 mph on the highway. This slide-in weighs about 4000 lbs and sits almost 12 feet tall when loaded. The wind drag is a big mileage killer, so even though it's lighter than many trailers/fivers, it is very tall.


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2000 F350 CC DRW Lariat 4x4 LWB 4R100 V10 4.30ls with Torklift tie-downs/Superhitch and Rancho RS9000 and Ride-Rite air springs.
1998 Alpenlite Pendelton 11'10" Slide-in camper with all options.