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Gas Mileage - READ ONLY

517 messages,  Last post on Feb 14, 2000 at 1:31 PM

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Messages Page 52 of 52

#508 of 517 by cdean

Feb 09, 2000 (6:21 pm)

3.73 gets the same, maybe even better gas mileage than the 3.42. the 3.42 is a little too tall, 3.73 is just about right. Get the 3.73, get better power, and better mileage.

#509 of 517 stvokc by powerisfun

Feb 09, 2000 (10:24 pm)

I agree with cdean. Unless you live in a place that is totally flat and all your driving is highway, I think you'll actually get better mileage with the 3.73. Just so you can have a data point, my truck ('98 GMC K1500 ext-cab, 5.7L, auto, 3.73's) gets 18-19.5 highway in the winter and 19.5-21+ mpg in the summer. This is driving 65 mph. The newer 5.3L is actually more efficient, so yours should get that going 70-75 mph on the highway (once it's fully broken in, that is. My mileage kept going up till about 7-8000 miles).
   Keep in mind that because of the bigger tires on trucks the effective-axle-ratio-compared-to-a-car is quite a bit less than 3.73, in fact, you can calculate it in comparison to a car as follows:


       Reff = (Dcar/Dtruck)*3.73


  where Reff = effective axle ratio
        Dcar = tire diameter of average car
        Dtruck = tire diameter of your truck


For my truck, the tire diameter is 31 inches (P265/75R-16's) and for my wife's car the tire diameter is 26 inches
That makes my truck's Reff = 3.12. Most non-performance cars have axle ratios around 2.8-2.9, so you can see 3.12 not all that gas-piggish, and besides because of the added weight, trucks need a little lower gearing for good acceleration.
-powerisfun

#510 of 517 #541 mileage- 3.73 Vs 3.42 by mrhaney1

Feb 10, 2000 (4:59 am)

INFO:
 '97 C1500 Ex.cab SB 5.7 Auto,3.42 15 local 20 highway
  '99 silverado 1500,Ex cab,SB, 5.3 Auto, LS, 3.73 14 local 19 highway
     The '99 would pull my 34' TT with the'97 hooked to I beleve. Go with the 3.73.

#511 of 517 Brutus by gtt1

Feb 10, 2000 (6:16 am)

That is the average over the month and half I've had the truck. Today I went 225 miles on 16.125 gal= 13.9 mpg 90% flat at 70-75 mph. I noticed speed kill the mileage, using the Lariat computer 55 mph for 45-50 miles, I got 18 mpg. On the other hand at 75 for the same route, it dropped to 13-14 or so.(I know the computer is not the most accurate thing in the world) But as soon as I hit 2500 miles, the V10 woke up and finally had some of the power I paid for.

#512 of 517 by Brutus

Feb 10, 2000 (6:31 pm)

The computer is pretty accurate. I also have the Lariat. You're right about the speed knocking down the mpg. With the 4.30 axle ratio, its even more noticable. At 55mph running empty on straight hwy in Texas, no wind, I got 13.8 once running empty, but who drives 55? Like I said, at 70-75, I'm at 11.5-12. With your 3.73s, that 13.9 is right in line with what I've been hearing (13.5-14.5 average for 70ish).


By the way, diesel at the station up the street was only $.03 more per gallon than 87 octane, or so the sign advertised. It doesn't appear that we have some of the big discrepencies up here in Anchroage between the cost of diesel and gas.

#513 of 517 #532 (V6 hwy mileage) by dannyg

Feb 10, 2000 (8:50 pm)

Thanks for running a mileage test and posting your numbers for all to see. I hope you'll also let us know your mpg numbers if you take a long highway trip. As a V6 fan, I'm interested in getting more data!


Regards,


Dan

#514 of 517 F150 Milage trouble by mnford150

Feb 12, 2000 (12:28 am)

I hate to say it but, welcome to the club. As I posted earlier I have the exact same trouble with milage that you do. Even after installing dual exhaust with a much less restrictive muffler and replacing my air filter with a K&N I have seen no significant improvements in my mpg ( always 15 or less) I do seem to have a little more power, which I couldn't care less about. This truck already had all the power I required.


(note: I am not a lawyer, nor do I, or have I played one on TV. The following statements are not intended to be legal advise in any way)


As for collecting data to go after Ford, don't waste your time. Mpg is not a covered warranty issue with Ford. It is also not something that you can use most state lemon laws to pursue. ( As a note on Ford's concern for quality: oil use in a new vehicle is not considered to be significant until the vehicle is using a quart of oil every 800 miles)
If you do decide to pursue this legally with Ford you need to know that Ford, like many other major auto manufacturers, has been bidding out their warranty legal work. That means that law firms bid to contract with Ford to handle all their legal work associated with warranty issues over a certain period of time. ( i.e. $500,000 to do all of Ford's warranty work in the midwest region for 1 year) This is important to you because any action you may choose to take against Ford has no financial impact, as associated with legal costs, on Ford at all. Depressing isn't it!


I wish I had some other information for you , but I don't. Just tell anyone who asks, what you think of your vehicle. Also try to ignore all those great comments from people saying that you could get the same milage in a V8. They seem to forget that the only information available on mpg, for this vehicle was mistakenly inaccurate, in the most gracious of worlds.

#515 of 517 Note to self by mnford150

Feb 12, 2000 (12:29 am)

Next time use spellcheck

#516 of 517 by Brutus

Feb 12, 2000 (9:40 am)

All mpg figures are based on a manufacturers test in ideal conditions, meaning no wind, flat surface, perfect amount of overcast, perfect elevation. To make the claims any manufacturer has made (not just Ford), they definitely have it well documented to CYA before they put it in writing on 100 of thousands of trucks. Ford is no different from other manufacturers when it comes to advertised mpg.


But really, tell me nobody buys a full size pickup (or any other type of vehicle) with mpg as a deciding factor without first going out and doing a little mpg research of their own to get real world figures, do they?


The top priority for my purchase of my current truck was GVWR and how the truck handled at the max. Before I trusted the GVWR rating of the truck that was provided by the manufacturer, I did a little research to find out if it really could handle the weight I wanted it to carry.


When you buy anything, you really need to do at least a little research beyond what the sellers (aka manufacturers) claim. Their info may be legally correct, but that doesn't mean it applies to your intended use, in your intended location.

#517 of 517 Front Porch Philosopher by meredith

Feb 14, 2000 (1:31 pm)

For purposes of efficiency, this topic has been "frozen"....


please continue these discussions in Topic 1593 Gas Mileage - II.


Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host

Messages Page 52 of 52

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