What to do next?? (and a Ford suggestion)........
#16
08-24-2005 | 11:43 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,506
Likes: 6
From: Puyallup, WA
Well, I've got the rig below and I get on average around 15 mpg (daily driver, minimum 40 miles/day)... My best hwy run to date has been 19 mpg. That was setting the cruise at around 64 mph for a 326 mile run with some in town driving thrown in.
My trucks got over 147,000 miles on it. Been towing the trailer in the pic for some 3 years now.
Changed the plugs about 4 years and some 80,000 miles ago. Have never run any kind of injection cleaner, intake cleaner or done anything to the MAF or any other sensor in the thing. (original O2's and all).
What's 'killing' your mileage is the short distance runs..... I bet if you took that thing out on the hwy and ran it really good, over time, your mileage will get better. Heck, you'd probably see a nice 17-18 mpg figure on a full tank hwy run alone!
Hopefully, those short runs are allowing your engine to reach full operating temp for a little while..... If not, then you'll end up with a 'gummed' up motor over time....
Good luck!
Mitch
My trucks got over 147,000 miles on it. Been towing the trailer in the pic for some 3 years now.
Changed the plugs about 4 years and some 80,000 miles ago. Have never run any kind of injection cleaner, intake cleaner or done anything to the MAF or any other sensor in the thing. (original O2's and all).
What's 'killing' your mileage is the short distance runs..... I bet if you took that thing out on the hwy and ran it really good, over time, your mileage will get better. Heck, you'd probably see a nice 17-18 mpg figure on a full tank hwy run alone!
Hopefully, those short runs are allowing your engine to reach full operating temp for a little while..... If not, then you'll end up with a 'gummed' up motor over time....
Good luck!
Mitch
#17
08-24-2005 | 04:35 PM
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
^^ what he said. 13.5 Mpg is pretty poor, on average I get 14 city with a S/C'd 5.4L, and usually around 17 highway. All the stop and go city driving especially with a heavy truck is very detrimental to gas mileage. Try not to come to full stops if you can, pre-judge and prematurely brake to roll through the light if possible. BTW this is why I bought a 1991 Mazda Protege 
26/ 32mpg
26/ 32mpg
#18
08-25-2005 | 12:35 AM
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 87
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Ya, I agree. I do recall gettin' around 18mpg on the highway and that's even towing a jetski & runnin' A/C, etc.
However, I've really close a couple times this week to buyin' a nice little used car so I'm thinkin' it'll probably happen. Then I can keep the truck a low-mileage unit & maybe make it a *forever* keeper.
However, I've really close a couple times this week to buyin' a nice little used car so I'm thinkin' it'll probably happen. Then I can keep the truck a low-mileage unit & maybe make it a *forever* keeper.
#19
08-28-2005 | 11:38 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
When I purchased my 99' (3 months ago) I was getting about 12.5 mpg. Since then I cleaned the tb (CRC throttle body cleaner), cleaned the Mass air sensor (CRC electrical cleaner), and used what I consider the greatest product ever created for trucks; SEA FOAM!!!! , injected 1/2 bottle into tb, 1/2 bottle in crankcase, and one full bottle in gas tank. Great stuff!! , now I get 15-16.5 mpg (depending on how many miles I tow the boat). I've also used the sea foam on the wifes Chrysler, the lawnmower, and our boat.