EcoBoosts, Fuel, Octane, Ethanol and Tuning...

[Meeker]

I've always used 87 octane in my 2018 XLT. Yesterday as I filled up I noticed a sign on the pump that said "As of Nov 1, 2022 all fuel is required to have a minimum of 10% ethanol." This is in Alberta Canada.

In the last few weeks I could swear that as it got colder, my truck seems to be lugging a bit (until it was fully warmed up) and getting worse gas mileage than it did in previous years under the same conditions. It's an impression that preceded my noticing that sign. I always run in Eco mode, and I'm wondering if the combination of Ethanol, 87 octane, and cold puts me outside of the efficient range for the Eco mode engine parameters. Anybody have knowledge around this area?

 

[duneslider]

I for sure get better gas mileage using higher octane fuel, especially on longer road trips and when towing.

 

[ExpyNole]

the 3.5 ecoboost *does* get better mpg with 93 octane. It runs better too. Noticeably. And the manual recommends premium when towing (where it also gets better performance and towing mpg).
I mean let's be honest. We didn't buy full size SUV's planning on being miserly on fuel. Premium isn't a whole lot more money than 87 to get a better driving experience.

@Meeker eco mode just tries to keep you out of boost as much as possible. That's why it feels like it's lugging to you. Why not just leave it in normal? Just drives so much better. Or even better in sport mode.

 

[LokiWolf]

I've always used 87 octane in my 2018 XLT. Yesterday as I filled up I noticed a sign on the pump that said "As of Nov 1, 2022 all fuel is required to have a minimum of 10% ethanol." This is in Alberta Canada.

In the last few weeks I could swear that as it got colder, my truck seems to be lugging a bit (until it was fully warmed up) and getting worse gas mileage than it did in previous years under the same conditions. It's an impression that preceded my noticing that sign. I always run in Eco mode, and I'm wondering if the combination of Ethanol, 87 octane, and cold puts me outside of the efficient range for the Eco mode engine parameters. Anybody have knowledge around this area?

Many factors here.

What was the required Ethanol before now?

So adding Ethanol will decrease MPG, but say going from 5-10% will have a marginal difference. Most of the time when that is required it lowers the price also. So it is a trade off.

Also, you have to factor in the change to Winter fuel. Added additives in Winter fuel lead to less energy in the fuel and therefore lower MPG.

Also there are other factors that affect MPG in Winter. Added Idling to warm up. Auto Start/Stop engages less to maintain engine/coolant temps. Lower PSI in tires.

ECO always lugs for me, and sometimes that is actually not the most efficient. I get better MPG in Normal around town, and ECO keeps me out of the throttle a little on the highway.

Also the lugging could be caused by things like the age of your plugs.

 

[Meeker]

What was the required Ethanol before now?

It appears it was 0% before now...

We didn't buy full size SUV's planning on being miserly on fuel. Premium isn't a whole lot more money than 87 to get a better driving experience.

Agreed - I bought it to do a certain job. My attitude is I want the best efficiency given the task at hand. Commuting to work is the time to hypermile since enjoying the vehicle performance in heavy traffic is a no-go...
91 octane in my area is a 17% premium.

Also, you have to factor in the change to Winter fuel. Added additives in Winter fuel lead to less energy in the fuel and therefore lower MPG.

Also there are other factors that affect MPG in Winter. Added Idling to warm up. Auto Start/Stop engages less to maintain engine/coolant temps. Lower PSI in tires.

I assume none of these factors changed - yes I have always had less mpg in the winter. It just seems that during the initial warmup it is struggling more than it used to. After a few minutes it's back to normal for the season.

Also the lugging could be caused by things like the age of your plugs.

Just passed 100,000 km so this could be a thing. And still on my original battery too. Might be time to change both.

ECO always lugs for me, and sometimes that is actually not the most efficient. I get better MPG in Normal around town, and ECO keeps me out of the throttle a little on the highway.

I tried switching to Normal - I think it did solve the "issue" or at least made it feel more responsive. But since I've always switched to Eco I found the rear end squirting out - today was not the day to drive "spirited" given the black ice / -22C weather. So I switched to Snow mode which is even more sedated...

I think I'll try Normal for a few tanks and see what happens. With our temp variations it's really tough to compare but I should get a feel for it anyway...

Thanks for the comments everybody!

 

[LokiWolf]

Just passed 100,000 km so this could be a thing. And still on my original battery too. Might be time to change both.

Do the plugs! You will see a big improvement. These EcoBoosts are hard on plugs. When you pull the olds ones measure the gap. You will most likely find it is all over the place.

I recommend these plugs. Do not use the factory plugs, they are crap in comparison. Since you are stock, use either standard(0.031) gap, or Slightly tighter(0.028). The tighter gap will help smooth out the idle.

Set of 6 NGK LTR7BHX (95605) Spark Plug | ZFG RACING LLC

NGK Ruthenium HX is designed for newer engines which demand high ignitability. Projected Square Platinum Electrode (PSPE) design promotes spark energy concentration and ignites a wider range of air-fuel ratios, offering improved performance in rich or lean engine conditions. 0.4mm Ruthenium...

www.tunedbyzfgracing.com

 

[duneslider]

I do want to note that when I first got the expedition I tried running in eco a lot thinking that it would help get better mileage but I have since discovered for me that normal mode nets the best overall mileage. I also get better mileage NOT using cruise control.

I should probably do plugs on mine, I am sure it is overdue at almost 60k miles.

 

[ExpyNole]

Do the plugs! You will see a big improvement. These EcoBoosts are hard on plugs. When you pull the olds ones measure the gap. You will most likely find it is all over the place.

I recommend these plugs. Do not use the factory plugs, they are crap in comparison. Since you are stock, use either standard(0.031) gap, or Slightly tighter(0.028). The tighter gap will help smooth out the idle.

Set of 6 NGK LTR7BHX (95605) Spark Plug | ZFG RACING LLC

NGK Ruthenium HX is designed for newer engines which demand high ignitability. Projected Square Platinum Electrode (PSPE) design promotes spark energy concentration and ignites a wider range of air-fuel ratios, offering improved performance in rich or lean engine conditions. 0.4mm Ruthenium...

www.tunedbyzfgracing.com

I hear a lot of folks prefer the Ford Performance ones meant for the GT/Raptor

 

[LokiWolf]

I hear a lot of folks prefer the Ford Performance ones meant for the GT/Raptor

The NGK's are better. Yes the Performance plug was a great solution early on. Most have moved past them.

 

[BSarchet]

I have a question about this for anyone with an opinion on it. Where I live, 93 is very scarce. There is one station that has it and I believe it’s 93 with ethanol and then I could get 91 that’s ethanol free. What would be the best choice between those? Kind’ve stinks that I cannot get 93 without ethanol.

 

[Bmanxx13]

I just tuned my Expedition with the 5 star 91 performance tune and boy what a difference it has made. Throttle was numb feeling before and now the throttle responds to the lightest touch -- it's amazing. Tuning really wakes up the engine, that's for sure.

Currently running the SP550 spark plugs, but I'll be installing the NGK plugs once I get them. What should they be gapped to? I've read .28 works better on 3.5L EB that is tuned. Any suggestions on gap?

 

[LokiWolf]

I just tuned my Expedition with the 5 star 91 performance tune and boy what a difference it has made. Throttle was numb feeling before and now the throttle responds to the lightest touch -- it's amazing. Tuning really wakes up the engine, that's for sure.

Currently running the SP550 spark plugs, but I'll be installing the NGK plugs once I get them. What should they be gapped to? I've read .28 works better on 3.5L EB that is tuned. Any suggestions on gap?

.028 is the maximum you should do if tuned. Some tuners will recommend tighter. Talk to 5 Star and do what they say. As much as i am not a fan of them, if you are running their tune, use their recommendation.

 

[LokiWolf]

I have a question about this for anyone with an opinion on it. Where I live, 93 is very scarce. There is one station that has it and I believe it’s 93 with ethanol and then I could get 91 that’s ethanol free. What would be the best choice between those? Kind’ve stinks that I cannot get 93 without ethanol.

One more time for those in the back! Ethanol treated gas will ALWAYS run better in an ecoboost than non ethanol. You might eak out a MPG(Maybe) on 93 E0 vs E10. You will lose power though. Ethanol is GOOD for power on a motor, especially those with Turbos.