My 2000 F-150 sucks fuel, can anyone out there tell me why?????

 

Define "sucks fuel" please.

 

8 mpg highway,I think that is alittle much....

 

>8 mpg highway,I think that is a little much....


Yes, I should say so!! I just did a 650 mile trip in my Excursion V10 and averaged 17.5 highway. Of course, you don't want to hear that, do you?

OK, so what has been done to the truck? Are there any aftermarket mods? Tires? How exactly are you calculating your mileage? What has the shop done for you? If you have taken it to them before and nothing changed, then you need to change dealers. Please list the things done to your truck to help correct this problem.

Here are some common sense checks.
[ul]
[li]tire pressure
[li]brakes dragging
[li]clogged air intake
[li]noticeable performance loss compared to identical truck
[li]method for computing MPG is accurate
[/ul]

There's more but reply back with that info and we'll get started!


Ken

 

Thank You for the reply.
Nothing has been done to this truck except fot oil changes, and tire rotations, tires are Good Year 17"
As for the other questions the tire pressure is where it should be,Brakes are ok,this was checked when I had the tires rotated.
But he did mention that it was still locked into 4 wheel drive, this was the first time I had put into 4 wheel,and when I did I heard a loud grinding and sounded like something dragging, so I stopped took it out, backed up and had the tires rotated.
It never made that noise again,that was at 1500 miles.I have a 89 F-150 4x4 with a 300 six mannual,so at first I did'nt pay much attenion to the full, because the new truck had the bigger motor and auto.But then when I filled the tank and wrote down the gallons and the miles I drove on the freeway, thats how I came up with the mpg.
Everyone I know with the same truck with the off road package says the same thing, there is something wrong,along with the guys at the dealers,but no one seems to know what it is, the only light that comes on is the low fuel light.
This truck is driven on the freeway, I live 1 mile off the freeway so it has 37,000 on it right now, and still under warranty.
Hope this helps.This truck had 1.4 miles on it when I got it,so I know I did'nt do anything to it, I am the only driver.

 

if its still under warranty cant you just run it down to the dealer and see what they have to say.

 

Are you completely sure that it is out of 4x4? When you shift into 4HI you really shouldn't hear any grinding. Maybe it (Xfer case)didn't completely unlock. Maybe the front hubs are still locked. That would certainly explain the poor fuel mileage.

Have you ALWAYS gotten this kind of crappy mileage? How long have you been tracking it?

 

I do not have the mannual lockouts on this truck, all I do is turn on the 4x4 button , and when I take it outof4x4 I stop , turn it off, the 4x4 light goes off, and then I back up about 15 to 20 feet, and then put it into drive and go.
The noise I mention only happened the one time (the first time I used the 4x4,)
Like I said I am tired of getting the run around from these dealers,so I dropped it off the other day and told them to find out what is wrong with it, and to fix it or keep it...
If you can't fix it, I want a new truck.....
So what do you think is the problem without seeing the truck????
Thanks

 

I have for the last year and half, I have taken it to four dealers here in Wis. three in Minn. and to two in Neb. when I was working out there for Warner in omaha.
They all ask me if my light came on..
What light? the only light I ever see is the low fuel light that comes on all the time just about.
They are refering to some other dash light I believe, it must be one of those idiot lights...

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Feb-02 AT 00:16 AM (EST)]>They all ask me if my light came on..
>What light?

Laurie, they are asking about the "check engine light" (it may also say "service engine soon".)

First guess...your transfer case is hung up in 4HI or your hubs never unlocked. Irregardless if the 4x4 light is on or not.

Still kinda wonder about the air intake restriction.

I would definantly have 'em run a full diagnostic to see if any error codes came up. Although, they probably did do that. It's a cryin' shame that 9 dealers couldn't find the cause. It seems so easy to troubleshoot. Guess too many dealers employ "parts-changers" these days. The art of troubleshooting is left to message boards like FTE.

I don't believe for a second that it is normal. I'm sure the window sticker on an identical truck on the lot doesn't list 8 mpg for highway!

 

I agree, My window sticker said 16 to 18 highway and 10-12 city which I still have.
I really love that truck,but don't like the fuel mileage,I also told them about a couple of other things about the truck the second week after I got it,like when you start it, you can hear the lifters tapping until it idels down and in the winter the foot feed is like froze, so you have to be careful starting out.
Well I guess I will find out what they say tomarrow if I will still own this truck...
Thanks for all your information....

 

>I agree, My window sticker said 16 to 18 highway and 10-12
>city which I still have.

You STILL get 10-12 in the city!!



Make sure you update us tommorrow!! Or whenever you first get a chance to.

 

No, I still have the sticker with the fuel mileage on it.
As far city miles I don't, I don't drive in the city that much,I might have all of two hunderd city miles.
I'll let you know what happens when I go down to the dealer tomarrow, I got a feeling they are going to tell me they found nothing wrong, that I just have one of those gas hogs, like they told me before.
If that's the case, the truck will stay there.

 

>No, I still have the sticker with the fuel mileage on it.

Oh, I feel kinda dumb now....

>If that's the case, the truck will stay there.


While you're there ask 'em to let you drive an identical truck (or at least one with an identical powertrain) to see if it feels (accelerates, cruises etc.) the same as yours.

 

Okay, Thanks again for all your help...