ecoboost towing mpg.......
10-02-2012, 11:10 PM
#61
Senior Member
At least around here, premium has more ethanol than regular. That's how they raise the octane rating. Where regular might be near 5%, premium can hit the full 10%.
10-03-2012, 07:41 AM
#62
Those getting poor towing mileage really need to try premium for a few trips. Particularly if you are using 87 with 10% ethanol.
Also, if you are getting around the 8-11mpg range, where the trans is barely holding onto 6th gear, I would try locking it out of 6th.
Both of those changes should get you another 10% better (so about 1 mpg). It has consistently for me towing a 7500lb 26' tt. The difference in power with premium is also noticeable. More than makes up for the 5-10% higher $. Plus it's going to result in safer engine operating conditions.
My results may be entirely due to the 10% eth vs non-eth. I don't have 87 non-eth to test so I can only compare 87E10 to 91 non-eth.
I don't have an answer to switching from a v8 to the eco and getting worse mileage with similar conditions/fuel. Not sure what to say there. My personal experience was going from a 2008 5.3 GM to the ECO. Mileage is almost identical on 87 E10, with a slight advantage to the eco. This is comparing 4-5 trips with each. Maybe a 5.4 would have done better.
Overall, no surprises, except for towing performance well beyond what I expected. Similar power and TQ #'s as the big V8's. Low RPM, nearly silent towing, combined with better empty mileage than my previous 5.3 in a larger truck.
Also, if you are getting around the 8-11mpg range, where the trans is barely holding onto 6th gear, I would try locking it out of 6th.
Both of those changes should get you another 10% better (so about 1 mpg). It has consistently for me towing a 7500lb 26' tt. The difference in power with premium is also noticeable. More than makes up for the 5-10% higher $. Plus it's going to result in safer engine operating conditions.
My results may be entirely due to the 10% eth vs non-eth. I don't have 87 non-eth to test so I can only compare 87E10 to 91 non-eth.
I don't have an answer to switching from a v8 to the eco and getting worse mileage with similar conditions/fuel. Not sure what to say there. My personal experience was going from a 2008 5.3 GM to the ECO. Mileage is almost identical on 87 E10, with a slight advantage to the eco. This is comparing 4-5 trips with each. Maybe a 5.4 would have done better.
Overall, no surprises, except for towing performance well beyond what I expected. Similar power and TQ #'s as the big V8's. Low RPM, nearly silent towing, combined with better empty mileage than my previous 5.3 in a larger truck.
I also don't see where you get that it will result in safer engine operation. The eco is designed to run on 87 octane and if necessary will use extra fuel to cool it'self off. Ford has many sensors to make sure that the engine remains safe
10-03-2012, 08:30 AM
#63
FX4 SCrew TT'd V6
Have you measured the ethanol content to back this up? What did they do before ethanol became popular? Your logic is flawed!
10-03-2012, 11:10 AM
#64
I have a '12 SCab FX4 Max Tow 3.73's with 20's - I towed a 29' TT 6450miles from Indiana to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado. On flat land going 60-65mph I averaged between 4.6mpg on a tank ~30mph headwind in South Dakota to 11mpg. It didn't have any problems towing in the mountains. Overall average was about 7mpg. Kind of disappointing and very expensive.
Last edited by schwartzki; 10-03-2012 at 11:15 AM. Reason: Added truck details.
10-03-2012, 06:50 PM
#65
Senior Member
I don't see how locking out 6th gear is going to get you better gas mileage. Locking it out will get you worse mpg. It doesnt hurt the truck to downshift from 6th to 5th occassionally. If you don't like it doing that u can lock out 6th but then you are losing your best gear for mileage. As far as running premium goes I have tried it towing 8k lbs on a flatbed (total weight of trailer and pipe) and saw no difference in mpg or performance. It was upper 90's. As far as I know, here both 87 and 93 contain "up to 10% ethanol)- since they never tell you the exact amount.
I won't claim to be an expert on Ford control systems but most calibrations are configured to run on premium. Then, when they sense a problem(from regular), will add fuel and pull timing. The problem comes in when they constantly bump up against the limits. Ford has obviously done the work to ensure trouble is detected (more likely, predicted) well before any damage will occur.
10-03-2012, 09:10 PM
#66
Originally Posted by schwartzki
I have a '12 SCab FX4 Max Tow 3.73's with 20's - I towed a 29' TT 6450miles from Indiana to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado. On flat land going 60-65mph I averaged between 4.6mpg on a tank ~30mph headwind in South Dakota to 11mpg. It didn't have any problems towing in the mountains. Overall average was about 7mpg. Kind of disappointing and very expensive.
10-04-2012, 05:51 AM
#67
Senior Member
no, I haven't actually measured the ethanol content nor do a feel a need to back anything up. Ethanol is an octane booster, before ethanol they used mtbe, before that a lead compound. Since almost everything except ethanol has been outlawed, the logic isn't flawed. What I posted I was told to me by a guy who works at a distribution hub, we ride sometimes together. If you have any facts to the contrary, I'd love to see them and would be happy to learn otherwise.
10-04-2012, 08:57 AM
#68
FX4 SCrew TT'd V6
no, I haven't actually measured the ethanol content nor do a feel a need to back anything up. Ethanol is an octane booster, before ethanol they used mtbe, before that a lead compound. Since almost everything except ethanol has been outlawed, the logic isn't flawed. What I posted I was told to me by a guy who works at a distribution hub, we ride sometimes together. If you have any facts to the contrary, I'd love to see them and would be happy to learn otherwise.You would need 15%-18% for 91 octane and 23-25% for 93 octane.
Last edited by mrpositraction; 10-04-2012 at 08:59 AM. Reason: More math
10-07-2012, 09:36 PM
#69
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Eco with new trailer
Greetings......
Been reading everyone's comments regarding MPG and their Ecoboost and thought I would pipe in. My bride and I just picked up our 28' 6550# dry weight travel trailer in Ohio on Thursday. Drove it back to Iowa (over 500 miles) and it towed PERFECTLY! Our MPG was anywhere from 7.0 to 11 mpg. While it did appear low, it was totally safe. Easy to get on the interstate, get around the slow moving semi or tour bus, and did not dog out going up fairly steep grades. Per the owners screen on the dash, I used the "tow/haul" whenever I was going up grades. On flat stretches, i went back into normal mode. Most of the time the truck was in 5th gear, but with the cruise control on, it would hit 6th gear.
While I would have preferred 15 mpg, I know that isn't realistic. What does make this truck impressive is the ability to get the same mileage as my old 98 Toyota Tacoma and tow a 6500# travel trailer. My truck is a 2011 Ecoboost extended cab 4x4, 3.73 gears without max tow package. My only complaint is the small gas tank. The way I looked at it, when I needed fuel, it was time to hit the restroom anyhow.....
If anyone finds a real world way of getting better mileage while towing, please let me know. We plan on using the heck out of our new home on wheels.
Been reading everyone's comments regarding MPG and their Ecoboost and thought I would pipe in. My bride and I just picked up our 28' 6550# dry weight travel trailer in Ohio on Thursday. Drove it back to Iowa (over 500 miles) and it towed PERFECTLY! Our MPG was anywhere from 7.0 to 11 mpg. While it did appear low, it was totally safe. Easy to get on the interstate, get around the slow moving semi or tour bus, and did not dog out going up fairly steep grades. Per the owners screen on the dash, I used the "tow/haul" whenever I was going up grades. On flat stretches, i went back into normal mode. Most of the time the truck was in 5th gear, but with the cruise control on, it would hit 6th gear.
While I would have preferred 15 mpg, I know that isn't realistic. What does make this truck impressive is the ability to get the same mileage as my old 98 Toyota Tacoma and tow a 6500# travel trailer. My truck is a 2011 Ecoboost extended cab 4x4, 3.73 gears without max tow package. My only complaint is the small gas tank. The way I looked at it, when I needed fuel, it was time to hit the restroom anyhow.....
If anyone finds a real world way of getting better mileage while towing, please let me know. We plan on using the heck out of our new home on wheels.
01-21-2018, 08:53 PM
#70
2017 F150 Lariet 4X4 3.55 3.5L eco Max Tow. Pulling a 28' 5er on our first camping trip. 400 miles to our first week of camping and averaged 8.2 MPG using Premium doing 65MPH in Tow Haul. No problem pulling the weight. Going home tomorrow and will set the cruise at 60 and see how far of a increase I can get on the way back.
Last edited by Jim Smyth; 01-21-2018 at 09:32 PM.