Increasing fuel mpg

[AndyGJ]

Im going to lay some chemistry on you here, Most of what gasoline is Hydrocarbons, which breaks down into propane, methyl-butane, benzene, etc and then there is our good friend Octane C8H18! you need 1 o2 molecule for every carbon and 1 for every 4 hydrogens. the more abundant Carbon and Hydrogen are the more oxygen is burned, the more oxygen thats burned the less fuel is needed to burn that Oxygen.So 93-104 octane fuels (though alchohol enhanced) use the same amount of oxygen with less fuel, thusly increasing your gas mileage. At $2.40 a gallon vs $2.60 a gallon you'll need to see about 1-2 mpg increase to really save more than a few dollars a year potentially even lose a few in the long run if you average about 10000-12000 miles a year, but If prices were back in the $3 and $4 range half a mile per gallon could save you 75-500 bucks a year with those same gains in the 10-13 mpg range. I averaged between .8 and 4 mpg better when I had a premium tune this summer compared to "mileage XS" for winter so those sorts of gains are possible. But understand more fuel is needed the colder it gets because of the dencer air and awd comes into the factor sometimes so 4 isn't a completly realistic #.

Black Exhaust - do you think that the K&N 56 upgrade is worth the HP gains? Any MPG gains? I'm looking to use mine for some light duty towing and mostly family hauling around. 70% of the time I'll be solo driving - 30% with family of 6....

Other option is K&N drop in filter. Since the truck is new (picking it up on Sat as new 2010 Expy Limited model) should I wait on the K&N 56 until the truck is broken in to see if any warranty issues? They tried to give me heck with my K&N drop in on my 07 Explorer at 10k miles went the MAF sensor went bad saying it was my fault.

What would you do?

Thanks,
AndyGJ

 

[Black_Exhaust]

The k&n really helps if you're on the highway a lot and in moderate to very hot conditions year round, personally I only noticed a .5 mpg increase with it on but now with an open exhaust and a good tune to go with it I'm seeing a 2 mpg increase. Most of that came from burning premium with a premium tune though. so if you're in a cold to moderate climate I'd Really have to recommend the chip over the intake.

Edit: Also the factory and dealers cannot detect a custom tune very easily, none the less though, they can screw things up if you don't switch back to the stock tune before you take it in. and I've never dealt with the regular filter, but it is against united states law for a manufacturer to Require a specific Air or oil filter or, if my memory is correct, lubricants and fluids, under the "Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act". and K&N recommends contacting a dealership first about the warranty, if the dealer says it will void the warranty K&N will call the dealership, if you inform them, and either explain how it should not void the warranty or K&N will help you find another dealership.

That's all on their main site, under FAQ's, Just I butchered it a little bit.

 

[AndyGJ]

Black Exhaust - funny you should mention that about K & N. When my MAF went bad I was on vacation in FL...it started acting up on the way down. I took it in to the local Ford dealer about 5 miles away to have them fix the issue since the message center gave me a "contact service center" message.

I guess they though they had me over a barrel when they told me the repair was not covered and would be $500 out of pocket. But I call K & N support line directly from FL vacation and about 30 minutes later a K&N engineer called back asking for details AND the dealership phone number.

After 20 minutes, dealership called back and said the they were able to get it covered under warranty and it would be ready the next morning....hmmm. The K&N engineer even followed up with me the next morning to make sure it had been resolved. What a great company!! I'll buy their products all day long!!

Living in Atlanta and doing a lot of highway/multi-lane road driving, I think I'll try the K&N but I'll wait until I get about 4k miles or so on the Expedition first. I'll take a look at the new tune as well - I may get your thoughts on that one too when the time comes.

Thanks!
AndyGJ

 

[tonydiv]

Well I just finished a trip from Cleveland to Orlando. I averaged around 68 mph and 10.8 mpg A bit less then I expected and less than I normally seem to get.

 

[ELVATO]

A drop in filter will not do much if any in terms of performance/milage. The stock intake is still there. It still uses the somewhat restrictive stock intake.

Granted, the name cold air filter is a little misleading. From what I've heard regarding intakes for the F150, the stock intake is the "coldest" as far as intake temperature, mostly since it draws the air from the side fender. I've watched the IAT with my AFE intake, and the temp will climb in the summer when you are idling in traffic, but it will come down to a few degrees above ambient once you start moving.

As far as MAF fouling, it is possible to do so with any of the oiled intakes. If you over oil (after you clean it) the filter, excess oil will get sucked into the intake, and coat the MAF wire, burning it out. At that point, it technically is your fault. Granted, this shouldn't have happened if hadn't yet oiled it since you bought it (since they oil them pretty well at the factory.)

As far as tuning, the way the do it, IIRC, is they just lean out the mixture to get you more power (and use less fuel?). Well, that, and adjust shift points and what not.

Could be wrong on some of the above, though.