So lets hear the ideas. Im sure everyone would like to know since most of our trucks get 17 and under mpg.....

 

but ill add more.... cold air intake, bama chip, tannoue cover, take out any extra weight, ive heard a bug shield can help give you like an extra mile every year lol, proper tire pressure, thiner tires, a type r sticker

 

Narrower tires
Overinflate the tires
Cap or bed cover...I get 26 MPG Imperial, around 23 US MPG with my cap and the 3.0 Xcab
If highway driver taller tires, if city dweller, smaller diameter tires
Drive like a little old lady
Remove roof rack, light bars, door handles, antennas, mirrors, wiper blades.
Kill the AC
Wash lumps of mud off
ditch the 4.10's for 3.73's
Get rid of excess weight
Gut truck, remove door panels, carpet, floor mats, headliner, leavetools at home, ditch the spare tire,
Slow down approaching lights and try to roll the greens and not have to come to complete stop.
Keep truck tuned.
Underdrive pulley's

 

use the a/c on the highway instead of windows down, reduces drag, but if your in stop and go use the windows other wise your loosing millage

 

piece of 2x4 under the gas pedal.

 

Use Vent instead of AC
80-85 degrees outside though

 

From the exhaust and K&N I had my MPG increase from 13.5 to about 16. Now driving like an old lady and trying to roll to reds instead of drive to them I got about 16.8. I don't use A/C but I do use the vent/floor which I've heard still uses the A/C? If I'm just doing a short run I roll down my window ONLY and open up the rear window. Seems to be working well for me.

Although once winter hits and 4x4 is on every day the MPG will probably be back around 10...

 

i dont even want to think about that now!!!my 14-15mpg is good enoufgh cant emagin 10 agan

 

 

^^^^^^id wait on the 33s

 

Overinflate the tires.. I run at ~35 PSI in my ATs. Go easy on it. Shift at or before 2k whenever possible. Never exceed 65 MPH (55 if you can help it) on the super slab.

Changing my driving behavior to drive this way was the biggest gain I've seen so far. I jumped from a 16-17 to a 18-20 MPG just by driving this way. And now that I'm used to it, it is second nature and doesn't bother me at all. People get all kinds of pissed at me when they get stuck behind me on a highway on ramp, but I've learned to ignore the fingers, flashing headlights, and near misses as they use the breakdown lane to pass me. Some even seem to expect it. Afterall it is a pickup truck, not a sports car!

 

On most of the various vent positions, with the heat/cold **** all the way to the most cold position, the AC periodically cycles on and off. If I put my vent **** on the position where the air comes out of the front of the dash and by the feet, the air is just as cold as if I turn the A/C on. I've switched back and forth between the two positions many times to test this and can tell no difference in the temp of the air coming out of the front of the dash. I asked my Ford dealer's mechanics about this two summers ago and they confirmed what I just said above. When its 90+ degrees out, once I cool the truck off with the blower on the third or fourth position I can run down the road with the blower on the lowest setting and the cab is plenty cool for me. Try it.

 

I found the biggest thing for me was not down shifting just to slow down, let the breaks do the work. I also started shifting sooner, around 2000-2500 insted of 3500-4000, Just doing that I got more out of my last tank

 

The best way to save gas is to drive conservatively. Car pool when necessary. Making 2 trips count instead of 6.

However, the on ramp of a highway or interstate is another thing. Those are there so you can get up to speed with the rest of the traffic your trying to yield into. You save no less gas by gradually speeding up than you would if you accelerated up to the flow of traffic and slowed down.

If your slow tailing it on the on-ramps i'd be pissed at you too because now other people have to over compensate for your laziness by flooring it to pass you and to match the flow of traffics speed.

 

An alternative is to do the infamous 'A/C mod'. This lets you override this behavior and disable AC in all modes. I run in defrots 99% of the time.. but didn't want to use the AC unless I had to.

 

AC compressor operation allowed:
Max AC
AC
Vent/Floor
Vent/Defrost
Defrost only

AC compressor operation not allowed:
Vent only
Floor only
Off

 

The AC mod is very easy. Simply locate the purple wire coming from the back of the HVAC dash panel. When this wire is hot, the PCM is allowed to operate the AC compressor. Interrupt the wire with a toggle switch and you can disable the AC compressor at will.

It is good practice to operate the compressor weekly, even during cooler weather. This keeps the seals and moving parts lubricated and helps to reduce AC system mold and odors. These are the reasons why Ford has it running in so many different HVAC modes.

 

ok so wait... if i have it on vent and floor i am loosing the same amount of gas mialage as using the AC setting? Because i have noticed that thew air is nice and cold when its on that seting, but i am worried that i might as well just use the damn ac.

 

That's exactly what my Ford dealership mechanics told me. For that reason, the A/C mod isn't a good idea.

 

IMO, there is nothing wrong with the AC mod as long as you accept the responsibility of remembering to run the AC compressor regularly. In the stock configuration, Ford tries to ensure that it will happen by enabling the compressor in 5 of the 8 possible AC mode positions.

 

Eh.. I could give a damn. If the compressor dies because of a lack of use, then I'll just let it sit, dead as a doornail and worry about replacing it when I trade the truck. I never wanted AC anyhow.

Although I've noticed that the defroster is a lot less effective in this truck than it was in my '99.. that is w/ the AC disabled. I did not have AC in my '99 at all, and never really seemed to have problems w/ it. However in the new truck I have problems if I don't enable the AC. That's probably the only redeaming value I've seen from my AC system so far..

 

That is correct. Sucks, doesn't it. I did the AC mod as well, best thing I ever did as far as HVAC. Just remember to turn it on once a week or so as has been said and you'll be fine.

The 2x4 under the gas is not a bad idea either.

 

For better gas milage add the following mods:

1. add Grappling hook to front bumper. Get behind semi or large veh and fire.

2. Add pedals and chain drive sprocket.

3. Fill tires with helium.

4. Buy your truck a case of J/D and hide the keys, then have a party with your truck. You'll wake up the next day and still have as much gas as the day before.

5. Add a draw bar to the front bumper and removable windshield and then adopt 2 horses.

6. If you have a little brother...tell him you'll buy him a snow cone if he'll get out and push.

 

Install large diameter tires out back and small in the front - that way, you're always going downhill...

 

Here's some other great solutions! Definite must haves right here..

http://www.pickupspecialties.com/Tornado/Tornado.htm
http://www.nmoa.org/Products/fuelsaver.htm