Need better gas mileage

[slippery]

What are a few things to do for better gas mileage?

[guspech750]

Buy a Chevy Volt.

Store MM in garage.


Sent from The White House on taxpayers dimes.

DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

[RubberCtyRauder]

If Canada is like parts of the US..Winter Blend fuel will decrease mileage 1-2 mpg..plus winter driving uses more gas due to colder engine, takes longer to get to operating temps etc. Clean MAF, IAC.

[Bradley G]

Do not install a supercharger! :P
What are a few things to do for better gas mileage?

[ChiTownMaraud3r]

If Canada is like parts of the US..Winter Blend fuel will decrease mileage 1-2 mpg..plus winter driving uses more gas due to colder engine, takes longer to get to operating temps etc. Clean MAF, IAC.

Not to mention the longer warm up times before leaving somewhere = huge waste of gas.

[fastblackmerc]

Buy a Prius

[Bradley G]

^^ what he said ^^ Other things that can help ; tire pressure , clean air filter. throttle body service, tune up if plugs are old, fresh oil change.

[whitey]

The largest difference is how you drive. I have had up to 22-23 mpg with driving speed limits, slow acceleration, smoothly pushing on throttle and coasting.... however its no fun so i usually get about 17 mpg in winter and 18-19 mpg in summer. Things to do to your car which might make a small difference are clean air filter, clean maf, iac, steeda u/d pulleys, proper tire inflation, and such. Also use cruise control whenever possible.

[tbone]

My last tank I only got 8.5 mpg. 8.5! :(

My wife only got 15 and she normally gets 22 in the same driving conditions, so I feel slightly better about it.

[RF Overlord]

What are a few things to do for better gas mileage?Tire pressures, front end alignment, and driving conservatively will all help, but if you're concerned with fuel economy, why did you buy a 4200 lb luxo-barge?

[WhatsUpDOHC]

I have been thinking about this. Would there be any increase in mileage with a "Highway Tune"? Performance/shifts would not be an issue but a tune geared toward highway mileage that you would throw in before a long trip.

(Disclaimer: I know its a brick and not a Prius, etc.)

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

The stock tune locked the converter by 25 mph and upshifted very fast out of every gear...I don't know how much more of an economy tune you could get than that. To top that off, I did not get any better mpg stock than tuned w/ aggresive shift mapping. I think the vehicle weight and engine is what it is...not an economy car

[Vortech347]

Using cruise control and not speeding gives me 18-19 combined. 24ish highway. I usually get in the center lane and set the cruise at 68. You guys in the single digits either have something wrong with your cars or you floor it everywhere. Even some of my nastiest driving with my high HP mustangs I've never had that happen. INCLUDING a day of running open track or auto-x and coming home.

I have a friend with a 6.2L new super duty. He drives with his foot constantly rocking on the gas pedal. Drives me nuts ridding with him but told him he's killing his MPG. The computer on his truck always says 11-12. We took a short road trip, he let me drive, I used cruise, and got it up to 16.

Edit: Tire pressure is a biggie too. Make sure they are aired up right. Usually in the winter I have to add 4-5psi to bring them up to spec.

[slippery]

LOL I didn't think I would get chirped so hard . I have an 03 cobra with a 2.3 vmp blower so I know about bad gas mileage . I was just curious and hoping there would be something to help out a bit. A prius is for softies that haven't gotten their man card yet lol

[Mr. Man]

Cruise control doesn't work for me. I find I am better able to anticipate hills and such that the car can't. When I use cruise the car shifts all over the place trying to maintain speed. It may work better if you live in a flat part of the Country but if you have lots of hills forgetaboutit.
Just a constant even pressure on the go pedal will gain you the best MPG. Of course proper tire inflation and keeping your MM in tip-top running order are also keys to good MPG's

[Motorhead350]

Draftng behind a semi track from ten feet back will increse your gas mileage by 40%.

True story bro.

[L.Mark]

Draftng behind a semi track from ten feet back will increse your gas mileage by 40%.

True story bro.


True that...or find you a rabbit that is taller than you like a suburban or the like...:D

[Vortech347]

Cruise control doesn't work for me. I find I am better able to anticipate hills and such that the car can't. When I use cruise the car shifts all over the place trying to maintain speed. It may work better if you live in a flat part of the Country but if you have lots of hills forgetaboutit.
Just a constant even pressure on the go pedal will gain you the best MPG. Of course proper tire inflation and keeping your MM in tip-top running order are also keys to good MPG's

Tons of hills here. If you have a steep hill coming up you know the car will downshift click out OD BEFORE the car bogs down and looses speed.

Works great.

[Bluerauder]

The largest difference is how you drive.

Agreed ^^^^. The biggest single factor in MPG is your right foot. Tire pressures will help to a point. Proper alignment will help to a point. Routine maintenance will help to a point. But heavy acceleration and hard braking will knock down any gains there and then some. Drive like an old lady coming home from Bingo for the best MPG; but don't expect miracles. If you are getting 18 MPG around town and 23 MPG or better on the highway, you are doing well.

[Motorhead350]

Ok I will be serious.

1. Keep your trunk empty as possible.

2. When overtaking a car, make sure your car does not down shift.

3. Get a TUNE. This will help, but it will take time before your slightly increased gas mileage for $$$ will start paying for itself.

4. Keep your stock 3.55 gears in

5. Change your gears if you want to a lower set, but I do not know much about this.

6. Lose weight.

7. Drive like a grandma.

8. Do not listen to the music of Ministry.

[VMARAUDER]

I learned quickly that Marauders were not built for "gas mileage"
So as it goes....."Happy Maraudering"
:burnout:
:burnout:
:burnout:

[GreekGod]

My way on the highway -- I think the lowest numerical gears Ford made for the 8.8" was 2.87. I have had an 8.8 put together for my supercharged Crown Vic with a 3.08. Not "normal" to go with hi-way gears in an MM, but some of us drive more than a 1/4 mile at a time.

====================

[IwantmyMMnow!]

Cruise control doesn't work for me. I find I am better able to anticipate hills and such that the car can't. When I use cruise the car shifts all over the place trying to maintain speed. It may work better if you live in a flat part of the Country but if you have lots of hills forgetaboutit.
Just a constant even pressure on the go pedal will gain you the best MPG. Of course proper tire inflation and keeping your MM in tip-top running order are also keys to good MPG's

Not trying to ruffle your feathers, Eric, but I've never had the issues you described and it certainly ain't flat around here. I can set my cruise at 70-72mph and climb 'up the mountain' on both I-26 & I-40 and never have any issues. Even driving around town at 35-45mph I don't have any shifting issues, and most of the time I have the OD on.

To the OP: the biggest increase/decrease I've seen in my MPG while on road trips is keeping the RPMs below 2500 (which is about 75-76mph on my car); I usually get 22/23mpg on road trips as long as I keep it at/below 75mph. City driving MPG will depend on your right foot habits when taking off from a stop; I get around 17/18mpg, but if I go through a phase of 'spirited' driving, it drops down to 16mpg quick.

[GreekGod]

Perhaps Mr Man has the OEM programmed tune? The OEM tune is notorious for always up and down shifting?

====================

[Mr. Man]

Not trying to ruffle your feathers, Eric, but I've never had the issues you described and it certainly ain't flat around here. I can set my cruise at 70-72mph and climb 'up the mountain' on both I-26 & I-40 and never have any issues. Even driving around town at 35-45mph I don't have any shifting issues, and most of the time I have the OD on.

To the OP: the biggest increase/decrease I've seen in my MPG while on road trips is keeping the RPMs below 2500 (which is about 75-76mph on my car); I usually get 22/23mpg on road trips as long as I keep it at/below 75mph. City driving MPG will depend on your right foot habits when taking off from a stop; I get around 17/18mpg, but if I go through a phase of 'spirited' driving, it drops down to 16mpg quick.


Perhaps Mr Man has the OEM programmed tune? The OEM tune is notorious for always up and down shifting?

====================I've driven cars with CC for many years and have always found I can do better with my foot. I've driven all sorts of powered cars and never had luck with any of them using CC. Now that said I also do not generally do anything else in the car while driving either, so my full attention is on what is going on ahead of me. I rarely even listen to the radio.

We Avg 23/4 MPG's when we go out to the Midwest in the MM, both before and after the Zack tune. I never really computed the around town MPG's but I'd suspect they are on par with everyone else's and I don't see the point of CC in around town driving.

If you guys do better with CC more power to you, it just doesn't work in my favor. :)

[RF Overlord]

I think the lowest numerical gears Ford made for the 8.8" was 2.87. 2.73...I have them in my Grand Marquis...that gets 27 MPG on the highway.

[Motorhead350]

2.73...I have them in my Grand Marquis...that gets 27 MPG on the highway.

Wow. That's really good.

[JoeBoomz]

Such a heavy vehicle, while still fairly aerodynamic, will still be heavy on gas.

In our house we love our big vehicles but we did buy a small light car for when we want to save on gas and for commuting. It uses a THIRD of the gas compared to any of our other vehicles. The gas savings alone are larger than the car payment, so in our eyes, the car is "free."

[TiTo35]

Get a bus pass...

[Vortech347]

The difference in MPG would not be worth the price of the swap and how horribly sluggish the car would be.