I have a 93 F150 XL with the 4.9 Straight 6 enigine. It has twin tanks and get 200 miles per 16 gallon tank. Can anyone offer good ideas to increase mileage?

 

Start with a full tune up. Cap and rotor, plugs and wires. Check the timing also. I would also run a can of seafoam in the gas tank to clean your injectors.

I'm sure some more people here will chime in to give you more info as well.

Welcome to FTE......

 

pay attention to your tire pressures

get it in high gear as quickly as possible

watch your right foot

 

I will do a tune up today, I also heard that replacing the O2 sensor may help alot.???? I bought this for my son but wish I could steal it back. LOL The engine has been neglected I fear. IE: Oil pan gasket was shredded and pan needed replaced, ect. But is does run well. Just seems to suck gas.

 

no real magic answer.

 

every oil change i check the tire psi and make shure there at the rated psi. change your diff oil,old thick gear oil is harder to turn. another thing i did was to put on a flowmaster muffler and a K&N airfilter. get rid of things like bugshields,roll bars,anything that disrupts the airflow over the truck. a nice set of stock sized plain jane tires help to

 

don't forget the fuel filter

 

Sensible driving.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

 

Dont drive with your tailgate down always keep it up I know it sounds crazy but its true.

 

I've done about everything possible to improve gas mileage on my 90 300. It got 13 mpg when I bought it, and had not been tuned up in a long time. I changed nearly every sensor, new coil, cap, rotor, wires, plugs. Changed fluid in tranny, power steering, and both differentials. Aligned, balanced, rotated and finally replaced tires.
Went to taller tires and light weight wheels from a Ford van. Now it gets 13.5 MPG.
Only time I got signifigantly more was a 200 mile trip. All interstate, and cruise set at 55. Pumped the tires up from normal 38 to 50psi. Drove me nuts to drive that speed, and rode terrible, but I did it just to see what effect it would have mileage. Got 15 MPG.
I have seen guys brag about getting close to 20 with the 300, but MY truck is not going to do that. I check my mileage every fill up and have for the last 17,000 miles. He gets an occassional 12 or 14, but consistently gets 13.5 mpg.
I love my truck and especially the low rpm power of the 300. Nothing like pulling a hill at 35MPH in overdrive, and turning around 1000 rpms. He just isn't real effecient. I love him anyway.
Frank

 

John,

I have kept up my 1988 Ford F150 EFI Custom 4.9L 4 speed to get the best gas mileage possible.
As my fellow Forum members have stated, you can do a lot and still not get a big improvement. Tire pressure is very important, I always make sure that I am good there, I also have the lightweight Ford alloy wheels off an E 150 Custom van. I get into high gear as soon as possible, and go easy on the right foot most of the time. I let off the gas when I see red lights down the road rather than power up to them (as long as nobody is right in back of me) and coast down inclines when it seems like it is possible to keep up my speed.
I have a less restrictive exhaust (glasspack w/duals) and better breathing airfilter, and I still get only 16 or 17 mpg on a good tank with the wind at my back. I would rather drive my Ford anyday though instead of a foreign design (owned 2 new Nissans), or even a Dodge (had a V-8 Tradesman). I like the history of the company and take comfort in the knowledge that if maintained my motor can go 300,000 plus miles and has the torque to pull big stumps right out of the ground, not to mention 7 main bearings and a gear driven cam. If anyone has any other tips to improve gas consumption let us know, but this is what I have done. I would like to put a 5 speed with overdrive in for taking her on long trips and that would certainly help.

Johnny



1988 Ford F150 Custom 4.9L EFI
1990 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 AOD hatchback H pipe with Flowmasters
1993 Ford Mustang LX Coupe 5 speed



................................God Bless Henry Ford.........................................


Ford F150's Rule the Road

 

Yes, this forum has been a great help!!! Thanks to all.

John R

 

My daughter is getting bad gas mileage in her 93 explorer. I'll be putting in a set of plugs, a fuel filter, and probably an O2 sensor. Other than that, she buys her own gas so I reminded her that the biggest improvement would be for her to tie a string to her right big toe and pull on it while she is driving. She got the message.

 

I've got a 5.8 in my truck, and it gets 10 mpg no matter how I drive it.Got a friend with the identical truck,heck it's even the same color and he gets around 15 mpg. You either get a good one or a bad one.

 

In addition to what has been said I would say get an e-fan and ditch the mechanical fan, get rid of the power steering + air pump + AC (if you have it), use stock size wheels and tires, get a free flowing exhaust and get an aluminum drive shaft.