What are the best gas mileage upgrade mods?

[zach harrison]

I'm committing to keeping my ST for another 3-4 years and upgrading shocks, tires this week. I do a lot of highway driving for work and would really like to increase the MPG, wouldn't we all though



Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Dreman]

The best mileage upgrades have to do with the driver. You have to drive like grandma. Steady moderate speeds and gradual speed changes are the best way to start. I routinely get 20mpg out of my totally stock 2003 with 200k on it. I suppose the synthetic oil I use could play a part. Keeping your tires aired up helps, too. Others will talk about different mods that can help, but the cost/benefit payback time may not work out for you.

 

[zach harrison]

Thats good to know, on company time I usually drive the speed limit and I'm running Royal Purple in the engine. I probably should upgrade the rear end and tranny oil as well.

 

[Carey Frennier]

A tune, intake and exhaust, lighter tires and wheels...umm and you.

 

[TrainTrac]

Best MPG mods: Your right foot and a ScanGauge II. It'll provide real-time MPG info to allow you to adjust your driving habits to obtain the optimal MPG.



But remember, this is still a 5,000 truck, to it's not going to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle to begin with. Just don't set your expectations up near the MPG of something like a Focus.

 

[swshawaii]

dreman and Andy (TrainTrac)- VERY good answers re: "Drivers Right Foot" (Weight)

Previously read keeping revs BELOW 3K, when accelerating. Think TZ said it. (The "Burnout" King) LOL

 

[Richard L]

I agree with TrainTrac.

The best thing you can do to help gas mileage is to closely monitor your driving habits. This is best done with a ScanGauge or some kind of trip computer that provides instanteous MPG readouts. That allows you to see exactly what driving habits you have that save gas and which habits are eating up your gas.



My car has has a built int computer with digital readout of gas mileage and I can see how much gas mileage I am wasting by just pulling away from a traffic light a little to briskly. I can actually see my fuel mileage drop by 0.1 MPG about every 20-30 feet as long as I continue to accelerate at that speed. If I pull away from the light slowly the mileage only drops 0.1 MPG every 200-300 feet. That's about 10 times better mileage just pulling away from a single traffic light.



People always say to pull away from lights slowly to save fuel, but until you can see just how much fuel it saves, it's hard to imagine there is that much difference.



...Rich

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

What is your mpg now? I do agree with everything that has been said above. Look at my profile to see what I've done to get better gas milage. One of the best things that I've done was to get the SCT XCalibrator tuner.

 

[Les]

Others will talk about different mods that can help, but the cost/benefit payback time may not work out for you.

Very true, and what others said about your driving habits...

 

[Todd Z]

YUP....



I have every external bolt on mod, Get 24-25 highway and 19-20 around town, DRIVING normal !!!



the way i do drive it, I sit about 14-18......



Driving habits are the BEST for MPG....



also if you do the math it may take 5-10 years to pay for them in the 3-5 MPG return you get...



Todd Z

 

[Thomas Rogers]

The most effective as well as the cheapest mod is to replace your shoes with lighter footwear.



TJR

 

[zach harrison]

Well it would actually pay off faster for me since i get reimbursed for mileage. I probably average 16mpg city and 20 highway, but thats 5+miles over the speed limit and fairly aggressive driving which I can change easily.



What is this and about how much do the run? (SCT XCalibrator tuner.)

 

[TrainTrac]

A hand-held computer that can hold up to three custom tunes for your truck. The tunes are built by a tuner like our sponsor, Torrie, based on your request.



Runs ~$379. Click the link below and contact Torrie. He'll answer all of your questions.

 

[Kyle Keller]

I don't want to take over this post but I am getting 18mpg on the highway with a CAI, bed cover, and 4.10 gears cruise control at 75-80. Just wondering if this is normal?

 

[Les]

I don't want to take over this post but I am getting 18mpg on the highway with a CAI, bed cover, and 4.10 gears cruise control at 75-80. Just wondering if this is normal?

About right, or maybe a little low from what others have said.

 

[randy randall]

when i drive on the hwy & about 70 mph with the cruise i get about right @ 21 mpg & 18 mpg's in the city ..i also have a new remanufactered 4.0 sohc ,,its got about 2k on it now & 119k on the rest of the truck ,,:banana::banana: