Alright I know this has just about been beaten to the ground and have spent the better part of the last two days reading reviews on the Edge tuner but am having probs justifying it cost I guess.

Here's situtation: I drive bout 40 mile round trip a day in heavy traffic in big city. My gas mileage was never a prob until as of late. I prob avg 10-12mpg I have level kit and some Nitto Grappler 33.5's. I am to the point where I have got to fix this gas scenario. Its killin me financially. I would love more than anything to keep the truck and dont want to get rid of it. I wanna know from some you guys that a know a lil more about all this,

A.) Will the Edge tuner be able to get me back to around 18mpg like it was when i bought the truck brand new

B.) Would CAI mod also help increase my fuel Economy too?

Any and all help would be appreciated.

 

Nothing is going to help you in stop and go driving and heavy traffic, but maybe a set of 4.10's. A truck is not going to get good mileage in heavy traffic. The fact that it is now winter and they are using winter blends at the pump won't help either. I would say just drive like an egg is under the pedal. I'm averaging 14.7 on the highway , and usually get 18-19 in the summer.

 

I never thought much about the "Winter Blend" gas. That could def be one of my probs I suppose. I thought it was pretty strange how my mileage just seemed to get worse as the colder it got. All summer I avgd close 15-18 even with the tires so just thought maybe it was cuz I'm finally starting to get some mileage on it now. Its got like 30k on it (Actually fixin to let ford do 30k check up on before warranty runs out) Thanks for the info

If anyone else has more advice I'd love to hear it.

 

No mod will save enough fuel to pay for itself. A tuner will be good for .5 to 1.0 mpg, thats if you can keep your foot out of it.

 

It's going to be tough getting better gas mileage without spending significant bucks. Here are some ideas to try:

1. Inflate your tires as hard as you can stand, do not exceed the pressure indicated on the sidewall.

2. Experiment with tailgate up/tailgate down/removed, tonneau cover, bed cap, etc.

3. Experiment with different brands of gas - some vehicles get better mileage on certain brands. Go for the lowest percentage of added ethanol as you can. Don't worry about octane rating too much, balance cost against mileage whatever you use.

4. Examine any aerodynamic issues, this ties in with #2.

5. Resist the temptation to drive aggressively.

6. Consider changing all lubricants to top of the line synthetics that claim lower friction than standard stuff.

Before I'd throw big bucks into it, I'd consider buying a little 4 banger beater car for the commute if you don't NEED a truck for your job. One of those should net you a fairly consistent 30 mpg, cutting your gas bills in half.

 

Thanks for the advice. I've def gonna check into the air pressure completely forgot about that and hard to see it being down with the tires im running. I am already running Mobil 1 full synthetic. Have been now for about last 10,000 miles. I love that stuff! I have noticed i do seem to get better mileage on BP gasoline despite the bp logo on my outer gas cap. lol

I do have Honda 600rr that gets about 35mpg but just not real keen on riding it in heavy traffic. Not so much worried about me but other around me. If it ever warms up I might have to seriously look into esp with the news now reporting gas prices to $4/gal by mid spring!

 

Man, I'm in the same boat as you. The mpg is killing the wallet. I figure instead of modding the truck anymore, I will buy a used saturn/civic/etc and stick the difference into a savings account..

 

Stop and go traffic with heavier tires at all 4 corner's will really kill gas mileage.

 

Do not leave the tailgate down. This diminishes your mpg. Saw it on Mythbusters. A tonneau is supposed to help. I got a vinyl one...I think a hard top would be much better.

 

Shines, he has to experiment - I've seen it both ways.

To the OP: Do you have full synthetic in your tranny, TC, and both diffs too? Only the rear diff comes from the factory with full synthetic.

I'm out in SoCal right now - you ought to see all the scoots on the road these days in rush hour. The fact that gas today is $3.39 is getting pretty rough. My sister is even riding her V-rod to work more and more even though her Beemer gets 20 mpg commuting.

When I lived in Chicago, I got better mileage on BP than other stuff too.

 

my heart bleeds for individuals who buy a truck , complain about gas mileage then add things such as lifts-which hurt them aerodynamically and bigger tires which adds to more rotating mass

 

There are too many variables that come into play. The MythBusters results were only for their testing parameters. Consider weight. Consider cab configuration. Consider bed length. Consider gearing. Consider whether the tail gate down creates a different drag coefficient than tailgate off. Does he have a tool box? Nerf bars, grille guards, light bars, roll bars, ladder racks, et cetera all come into play.

Only one way to find out. Buy a Scangauge II and run your truck with different configurations until you get your desired results.

Don't forget that the conventional wisdom was to keep the windows up & use your air conditioning. All scientific calculations pointed in that direction. However, the MythBusters ran a couple of Ford trucks at 45 miles per hour around an oval track, and got better mileage out of driving with the windows down.

 

Ditto, mods usually don't pay for themselves in milage increases.

I gave up and got a used Ford Escort that averages 33 MPG (even better on the highway). The money I saved fueling the Escort over my old truck over 1 year paid for the car and 1 years worth of insurance. It was the best move I ever made.

 

another independent test showed tailgate up 17.6 tailgate down 17.7. So miniscual, you can't even consider it a difference. It was done through real-time MPG datalogging from the OBDII port. Seems slightly better than filling the tank and calculating, as you might get different amounts. With the window myth, the windows down actually DO create more drag, but only after you've reached an aerodynamic thresh-hold were the drag created takes a toll on the engines output. Below 40 mph, and depending on wind coniditions, it doesn't create enough drag to equal the parasitic loss of the a/c condenser, so you could, essentially save gas. Going 70, however, the amount of wind COULD create more drag on the vehicle than the a/c condenser can create on the engine, thereby reducing mpg. Just some thoughts....

p.s. fueleconomy.gov states "Quick acceleration and heavy braking can reduce fuel economy by up to 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent around town. New EPA tests account for faster acceleration rates, but vigorous driving can still lower MPG.

Excessive idling decreases MPG. The EPA city test includes idling, but more idling will lower MPG.

Driving at higher speeds increases aerodynamic drag (wind resistance), reducing fuel economy. The new EPA tests account for aerodynamic drag up to highway speeds of 80 mph, but some drivers exceed this speed.

Cold weather and frequent short trips can reduce fuel economy, since your engine doesn't operate efficiently until it is warmed up. In colder weather, it takes longer for your engine to warm, and on short trips, your vehicle operates a smaller percentage of time at the desired temperature. Note: Letting your car idle to warm-up doesn't help your fuel economy, it actually uses more fuel and creates more pollution.

Cargo or cargo racks on top of your vehicle (e.g., cargo boxes, canoes, etc.) increase aerodynamic drag and lower fuel economy. MPG tests do not account for this type of cargo.

Towing a trailer or carrying excessive weight decreases fuel economy. Vehicles are assumed to carry only three hundred pounds of passengers and cargo during testing.

Running electrical accessories (e.g., air conditioner) decreases fuel economy. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce MPG by roughly 5-25% compared to not using it.

Driving on hilly or mountainous terrain or on unpaved roads can reduce fuel economy. The EPA test assumes vehicles operate on flat ground.

Using 4-wheel drive reduces fuel economy. Four-wheel drive vehicles are tested in 2-wheel drive. Engaging all four wheels makes the engine work harder and increases crankcase losses.

 

fueleconomy.gov is a great site. We should all join, report our statistics, then post the results.