Help, my fuel mileage sucks 94 f150 5.0
05-10-2011, 11:38 AM
#1
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Help, my fuel mileage sucks 94 f150 5.0
Guys,
I need your help. I have a 1994 F150 extended cab with the 5.0. I set my cruise at 60-65, I dont hot rod the truck, and the best gas mileage I have been able to acheieve is around 14 MPG highway. Does anyone out there have any suggestions as to how I can improve my mileage. I have heard alot of people talk about "seafoaming the engine" I have not a clue what that means. Help me out.
I need your help. I have a 1994 F150 extended cab with the 5.0. I set my cruise at 60-65, I dont hot rod the truck, and the best gas mileage I have been able to acheieve is around 14 MPG highway. Does anyone out there have any suggestions as to how I can improve my mileage. I have heard alot of people talk about "seafoaming the engine" I have not a clue what that means. Help me out.
05-10-2011, 01:31 PM
#2
No Pain, No Pain!
Welcome to the board.
There are several threads here regarding fuel mileage issues and a few about seafoaming the engine. A quick search for seafoam should get you all the information you need about it. Same with the fuel mileage.
Good luck!
There are several threads here regarding fuel mileage issues and a few about seafoaming the engine. A quick search for seafoam should get you all the information you need about it. Same with the fuel mileage.
Good luck!
05-10-2011, 03:47 PM
#4
There are lots of suggestions in various threads about improving the mileage. I tried practically everything (including seafoam) and did not see ant measurable improvement. I get 12~16 mpg so I think you are getting about the right mileage for our model trucks. Remember that if you manage a 10% improvement you are saving almost $.03 (that's 3 cents) per mile, 20% will save about 5 cents/mile.
I spent over $200 in just parts and stuff to improve my mileage. If I had gotten (which I did not) a 20% improvement, it would have taken 4000 miles of driving to break even....
Seafoam is cheap and doing some tweaking with the timing and spark plug gap is also free, but when you start buying new plugs, wires, coil, dist cap, rotary button, etc. You'll start spending a lot of money.. You might be better off to just do the free things and just make sure your codes are cleared, and your tires are pumped up and just accept what you have.
Good luck!
I spent over $200 in just parts and stuff to improve my mileage. If I had gotten (which I did not) a 20% improvement, it would have taken 4000 miles of driving to break even....
Seafoam is cheap and doing some tweaking with the timing and spark plug gap is also free, but when you start buying new plugs, wires, coil, dist cap, rotary button, etc. You'll start spending a lot of money.. You might be better off to just do the free things and just make sure your codes are cleared, and your tires are pumped up and just accept what you have.
Good luck!
05-10-2011, 03:56 PM
#5
Senior Member
I think it should do a little better for highway mileage for a 94. Seafoam (either gas tank or brake booster line while engine running as shown in help section) is a big help but so are some other factors. How old is your O2 sensor? Spark plugs pass visual inspection? Clogged intake filters or exhaust system? Have you checked for stored codes?
edit to add that 4,000 miles isn't that much....one oil change for some. Also helps to do a little at a time if you are going to spend $200 samoleans.
edit to add that 4,000 miles isn't that much....one oil change for some. Also helps to do a little at a time if you are going to spend $200 samoleans.
Last edited by Somery; 05-10-2011 at 04:35 PM.
05-10-2011, 04:05 PM
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05-10-2011, 04:47 PM
#7
Dist cap 30.00
Dist rotor 13.00
Coil 50.00
Plugs 24.00 ($3x8)
Wires 32.00
Air filt 15.00
Seafoam 6.00
------
170.00
16 mpg is possible, but from 14 to 16 mpg he's gonna save 3.6 cents per mile assuming gas averages $4 a gallon. "If" he succeeds, he'll break even after driving about 4700 miles.
This is assuming he can DIY and has all the tools he needs. More tools and stuff like the code reader, timing light, etc. Could add up pretty quickly.
Of course, if all the parts are good and all you do is adjust and clean, your only expense is the seafoam and gas used while idling and tuning. It's a good idea to do the math before starting to spend the $$. BTW, the parts I priced are Motorcraft. The price could be much higher if you use the actual parts suggested by the gas mileage improvement gurus.
I drove my truck about 4000 since I did all the tune up and all the parts replacements as suggested by people in this and other forums. Since I did not measure any improvement, I am out over $200, but I have the satisfaction that I did it and I know my parts are all good and the truck runs about as good as it can
Last edited by blade z51; 05-10-2011 at 04:54 PM.
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05-10-2011, 05:23 PM
#8
A complete tune up could require the following (I found these Motorcraft parts and seafoam prices in the internet):
Dist cap 30.00
Dist rotor 13.00
Coil 50.00
Plugs 24.00 ($3x8)
Wires 32.00
Air filt 15.00
Seafoam 6.00
------
170.00
16 mpg is possible, but from 14 to 16 mpg he's gonna save 3.6 cents per mile assuming gas averages $4 a gallon. "If" he succeeds, he'll break even after driving about 4700 miles.
This is assuming he can DIY and has all the tools he needs. More tools and stuff like the code reader, timing light, etc. Could add up pretty quickly.
Of course, if all the parts are good and all you do is adjust and clean, your only expense is the seafoam and gas used while idling and tuning. It's a good idea to do the math before starting to spend the $$. BTW, the parts I priced are Motorcraft. The price could be much higher if you use the actual parts suggested by the gas mileage improvement gurus.
I drove my truck about 4000 since I did all the tune up and all the parts replacements as suggested by people in this and other forums. Since I did not measure any improvement, I am out over $200, but I have the satisfaction that I did it and I know my parts are all good and the truck runs about as good as it can
Dist cap 30.00
Dist rotor 13.00
Coil 50.00
Plugs 24.00 ($3x8)
Wires 32.00
Air filt 15.00
Seafoam 6.00
------
170.00
16 mpg is possible, but from 14 to 16 mpg he's gonna save 3.6 cents per mile assuming gas averages $4 a gallon. "If" he succeeds, he'll break even after driving about 4700 miles.
This is assuming he can DIY and has all the tools he needs. More tools and stuff like the code reader, timing light, etc. Could add up pretty quickly.
Of course, if all the parts are good and all you do is adjust and clean, your only expense is the seafoam and gas used while idling and tuning. It's a good idea to do the math before starting to spend the $$. BTW, the parts I priced are Motorcraft. The price could be much higher if you use the actual parts suggested by the gas mileage improvement gurus.
I drove my truck about 4000 since I did all the tune up and all the parts replacements as suggested by people in this and other forums. Since I did not measure any improvement, I am out over $200, but I have the satisfaction that I did it and I know my parts are all good and the truck runs about as good as it can
05-10-2011, 06:52 PM
#10
Senior Member
What I have on my truck has since changed, but the last time I did a road trip, I got 17.5 mpgs on the highway. And most of this was me being extremely cheap just to change out stuff on the truck since I just bought it and had to immediately do a road trip.
This is what I was running at the time:
Accel Dist Cap w/brass terminals
Accel Dist Rotor
Pennzoil Hi Mi 5w-30 motor oil
Fresh Supertech D/M Trans Fluid
Supertech Syn Blend 75w-90 Differential Gear Oil
Autolite Professional Wires
Bosch Platinum Plus Plugs ****NOTE**** Do not use these, this was before I found out our trucks "hated" these plugs. Use copper core plugs only.
Jegs High Voltage Ignition Coil
Spectra Air Filter
Purolator Breather Filter
3G Alternator Upgrade (Not sure if this had anything to do with it, but just trying to be accurate with what got me there)
Either I took advantage of extremely cheap bargains, rebates or AAP's very generous online discount codes. Or all of the above.
This is what I was running at the time:
Accel Dist Cap w/brass terminals
Accel Dist Rotor
Pennzoil Hi Mi 5w-30 motor oil
Fresh Supertech D/M Trans Fluid
Supertech Syn Blend 75w-90 Differential Gear Oil
Autolite Professional Wires
Bosch Platinum Plus Plugs ****NOTE**** Do not use these, this was before I found out our trucks "hated" these plugs. Use copper core plugs only.
Jegs High Voltage Ignition Coil
Spectra Air Filter
Purolator Breather Filter
3G Alternator Upgrade (Not sure if this had anything to do with it, but just trying to be accurate with what got me there)
Either I took advantage of extremely cheap bargains, rebates or AAP's very generous online discount codes. Or all of the above.