Help with bad MPG
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
i have an '03 F250 SC auto and have been getting in the mid 12's for MPG. i thought something was wrong, but after reading this thread, i guess it's about average. i'm going to check my tire (285/75/16) pressure and change the fuel filter this week and see if anything changes.
i traded my 5.4 for the diesel and am very happy. the 5.4 got horrible mileage!! and towed my snowmobile trailer even worse. towing with the 7.3 is awesome!! will give an update if the mileage improves.
p.s. truck is bone stock with 35,000 miles.
i traded my 5.4 for the diesel and am very happy. the 5.4 got horrible mileage!! and towed my snowmobile trailer even worse. towing with the 7.3 is awesome!! will give an update if the mileage improves.
p.s. truck is bone stock with 35,000 miles.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,738
Likes: 103
From: FL
Originally Posted by enduringexplorer
If fuel mileage is a concern, sell the PSD and get an F150. Superduty's and Powerstrokes are meant for work and hauling, not fuel mileage. If you want the big truck, get a big wallet. Good luck!!
...and back to the matter at hand, Go by what some of these other fine gentilman have mentioned.... 1) fuel filter 2) change out the oil, (i had crappy oil in my motor and the millage went down (especially when the oil has much more to do on a diesel as opposed to a gasser) 3) try getting your fuel somewhere else, i got some crappy fuel at a station for a while, so i switched and it went back up. 4) run some power service or other additive through there and see if it helps at all, 5) never go by the console because it's never right.... good luck!!
-Robb
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
[QUOTE=Robbgt]Sorry there buddy, but i'm also going to have to differ with you there... I had a 95 F-150 w/ a 302 (well maintained) for a while, and driving it with a light foot i could get maby 14 or 15 MPG, that was mixed city and highway... towing my 18' fiberglass run-a-bout i would get maby 7-9 doing 55.... With my stroker, i can get between 16-19 mixed driving, and between 13-15 pulling the boat around on the highway.... My vote goes the other way... PSD....[/QUOTE
Gotta agree with that as a 96 f-150 owner. I got 17-18 at 55. and 14 pulling a punie horse trailer may be4K . I get 15-20 ,,20 best ever and never again but still wiht my psd, and i can haul big a$$ horse trailers
Gotta agree with that as a 96 f-150 owner. I got 17-18 at 55. and 14 pulling a punie horse trailer may be4K . I get 15-20 ,,20 best ever and never again but still wiht my psd, and i can haul big a$$ horse trailers
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 616
Likes: 0
From: WHITE LAKE, MI
No, you missed the point. Why would you spend $12,000.00 more for a PSD Superduty to save 3 mpg. The average driver would require about 10 years to save enough in fuel to pay the additional cost of the PSD, not to mention higher maintenance and higher insurance. If you need a PSD or a Superduty for that matter, because you routinely pull over 10,000 lbs, or you need to carry 3-4,000 lbs in the bed, it makes sense. To pull the occasional 4000 lb horse trailer? An F150 is still the better investment. I just drove a new F150 Supercrew with the 5.4. I went 150 miles. 75 miles on e-way @ 80, 75 miles on 2 lane @ 55. Averaged almost 25 mpg. My PSD won't do that, and neither will anyone elses.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 42
I agree, I have heard so many different claims. And you cannot trust the overhead read out. My father-in-law has a new Crew Cab FX4 King Ranch Stroker 6.0 Auto. The readout always says he is getting 19. I borrowed to make a quick run up to Austin and I found it is only making 13mpg. My dad has a 1990 f-350 straight 7.3 crewcab dually 5 speed. The next time I went to Austin I took it. Austin is about 360 miles from mcallen, give or take. The 1990 took 20 gallons to get there and 20 to get back. Most of the time I was running 70-75.
I know that my father-in-laws truck being an FX4 makes a difference on the mileage, but damn, its brand new with the 6.0 and making 13 while my Dad's 15 year old truck made 18mpg on the same trip. Its discusting because I ran the same speed in both trucks.
There are serveral different things a person can do to get better mileage- like keep it under 2500rpm, additives, dont floor it, lol, etc...
The more people I ask, though, more still prefer the 7.3 over the new 6.0. And honestly, no one I have asked with a 6.0 has told me they get any better than 15mpg.
I know that my father-in-laws truck being an FX4 makes a difference on the mileage, but damn, its brand new with the 6.0 and making 13 while my Dad's 15 year old truck made 18mpg on the same trip. Its discusting because I ran the same speed in both trucks.
There are serveral different things a person can do to get better mileage- like keep it under 2500rpm, additives, dont floor it, lol, etc...
The more people I ask, though, more still prefer the 7.3 over the new 6.0. And honestly, no one I have asked with a 6.0 has told me they get any better than 15mpg.
