Ecoboost MPG issue

[coombia21]

I purchased a ecoboost super crew 6.5' box at the beginning of january and I now have 2000 miles on the truck and the best mpg I can get is 11, this was with a strong tailwind. My average for the last 3 tanks has been 8.8-9mpg. Did anyone else experience this poor of mpg when they first got their ecoboost? The dealer says it will go up after break-in but they say it only goes up 10-15%. For me that would put my average at just over 10mpg. Is there something I can do to fix this or am I stuck with this poor mpg?

[Scott K]

Are you letting it idle a lot for warm up? How long?

Winter time, and the abnormal cold temps make vehicles really stiff, and these do get worse mpg until they are broken in, usually around 12,000

[coombia21]

I let it warm up just as much as I did when I had my 07 silverado. I would drive that around doing the same driving and I was getting 13-15. The only thing that I changed was trucks the driving styles are the same.

[bak2MN]

I bought a 2013 Ford XLT last month with the 5.0 and went to Lake of the Woods last weekend and averaged 16.5 mpg. I have only 1100 miles on mine now. Hope this gets better for you.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

That isn't normal, but I wouldn't panic. It most likely is related to not being broken in, cold weather, winter fuel, or idle time. Likely a combination of all of those. Possibly driving style.

I'm seeing just under 17mpg average with mine this winter. That's with a lot of warm ups and city driving. I figured out right away that I can see a 2-3mpg fluctuation depending on the gas station. 89 octane is better than 87, and some gas stations around me sell it for the same price. Non oxygenated off road gas is by far the best, but I don't have a station close by anymore.

[Hazzard]

My ecoboost loves the warm weather. In the summer I will get up to 21mpg on 350 mile trips going around 65- 70mph, my average summer mpg is around 18. In the winter it will average around 16 mpg and on long trips I can hit 18-19. So much depends on the wind and you average speed. It seems like 55-65 mph gets the best mpg. When I get above 70 it kills the mpg .

[echotrail]

Driving habits have a lot to do with it to. Hearing those turbos growl uses more gas. I did a 44 mile round trip yesterday, mostly on the freeway and got 17.9 mpg at about 62 mph

[BartmanMN]

I purchased a ecoboost super crew 6.5' box at the beginning of january and I now have 2000 miles on the truck and the best mpg I can get is 11, this was with a strong tailwind. My average for the last 3 tanks has been 8.8-9mpg. Did anyone else experience this poor of mpg when they first got their ecoboost? The dealer says it will go up after break-in but they say it only goes up 10-15%. For me that would put my average at just over 10mpg. Is there something I can do to fix this or am I stuck with this poor mpg?

I purchased my truck in Feb of last year and I never saw MPG that low. Something seems wrong to me.

[Ballyhoo]

I have a 5.0. In the winter time mileage sucks as it idles a lot. Winter time to summer time, my average mileage drops about 5mpg in the same driving just because of the cold weather and idling.

are you looking at instant mileage or average. Average will be low in the winter.

[maxpower17]

Quote:

Non oxygenated off road gas is by far the best, but I don't have a station close by anymore.

That's illegal anyway.

[Scott K]

There may be something wrong, but fuel economy, on new 4x4 trucks in the winter, can vary a lot. Remember each hour of idling uses about 1 gallon of fuel. Not even counting stop and go traffic, and stop lights.

2 scenarios, same truck, -10F outside

Driver A

Wakes up, starts his truck, lets it idle 15 minutes while he gets ready, jumps in his truck, drives 2 miles to the gas station, lets it idle 5 minutes while he goes into grab a coffee, and a doughnut, jumps back in, drives 3 more miles to work. Goes into work. At noon, he goes out for lunch, starts it up, lets it idle a few more minutes, drives 2 miles to Taco Johns, idles 10 minutes through the drive threw, then drives back 2 miles to work. Goes in finishes his day. After work, goes out, starts his truck, lets it idle 5 minutes, then drives 5 miles home. Total miles put on that day, 14 miles, idle time 40 minutes for the day. All this time, the fluids are still all stiff, because it is -10 outside, and the truck was never driven enough to warm up the fluids, so it was stiff the entire 14 miles. Approximate mpg 5-7.

Driver B

Wakes up, gets ready for work, eats breakfast, makes coffee at home, to take a cup with him to work. Goes out to his heated garage, and jumps in his warm truck, and starts it, hits the highway and puts on 50 miles to go to work. After work, he jumps in his truck, lets it warm up for 1 minute, drives home on the highway. Total miles, 100, idle time 1 minute. Approximate MPG 14-17

Nothing wrong with either truck, and if Driver A, and Driver B swapped trucks, they would get identical mileage they did in their own trucks.

I am not saying you are driver A, and I am not saying there isnt anything wrong with your truck, I am just giving examples of different driving habits, annd how it will greatly effect your fuel economy.

[ClownColor]

I'm with the "something's wrong" crowd

[delcecchi]

I would agree, unless there are a lot of short trips involved. When I drove my explorer to work and back, like 5 miles, in cold weather the mpg went totally in dumper, especially when that was all I did was short trips.

[ottertailguy]

I thinking it's because how cold it has been, almost 50 subzero days so far. I have a friend with a new Chevy that his mileage is so bad that he told me if it doesn't improve he selling it.

[Powerstroke]

I purchased my Ecoboost last year on Nov. 1. My truck is always parked outside, but I never let it idle more more a few minutes.

During January of this year when the temps were super cold, my truck would idle for 10-15 minutes and run short distances much like Scott described and I got 11-13mpg. My truck has 18000 miles on it now.

I know last year as my truck was breaking in over the winter, I generally got 12-14 mpg. I was a little disappointed, but everyone said it would get better. It definately has gotten better. My average tanks now are 15mpg and 18-19 on the highway. I only use 87 octane right now.

I would focus on not letting the truck warm up. I plug in my truck on a timer when its below zero and drive it easy until its warm.

I know you're truck has all of the gauges showing instant fuel economy and the bar graph for average fuel economy. I would be watching that and seeing what your driving conduct is doing to the fuel economy gauge on the vehicle.

[coombia21]

I guess I will have to wait it out. The dealerships are saying that they won't look at it until 5000 miles. So I will just have to take the mpg hit until then.

[CaptainMusky]

Are you basing your fuel mileage on the gauge or actual calculations?

[JOHNBIGDOG]

411 H.P. @ 5500 rpm / 434 Lb-ft @ 4500 rpm (6.2L V8)

365 H.P. @ 5000 rpm / 420 Lb-ft @ 2500 rpm (3.5L EcoBoost)

360 H.P. @ 5500 rpm / 380 Lb-ft @ 4250 rpm (5.0L V8)

15/21/17 (4x4) (city/highway/combined MPG) (3.5L EcoBoost)

12/16/13 (4x4) (city/highway/combined MPG) (6.2L V8)

14/19/16 (4x4) (city/highway/combined MPG) (5.0L V8)

I like to bring this up to customers when they complain that their EcoBoost is getting poor fuel economy, along bringing up their driving habits. It takes fuel to make power. When you have a V6 that is darn close to half the size of a v8 and make darn near the same power, what are you expecting? Another point is it takes time for all the parts of the truck to wear into each other and loosen up, as things loosen up fuel economy will increase, as you learn to take it easier on the truck (LOL) fuel economy will increase.

These numbers are from FMC's HSOforum.

I would look at fuel ly and see what others are getting.

[LMITOUT]

When you have a V6 that is darn close to half the size of a v8 and make darn near the same power, what are you expecting?

I think he is expecting 15/21/17...not 9.

[delcecchi]

If one drives 5 miles to work and back every day, no long trips, I bet 9 is right there.

[Kyle]

It shouldn't be if he's driving in town and the in town MPG rating is 15mpg.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

It takes awhile for all the fluids to warm up. My truck runs for 10-15 mins every morning, and still takes over 2 miles for the tranny fluid to warm up enough to shift into 6th.

These overnight lows of 0 to -30 are hard on things. I was a little surprised to see that -30 is approaching the pour point of a lot of oils.

[Ballyhoo]

Depends on what kind of city driving you have. Are there 1/2 mile to mile long stretches where you can drive 35 and get it into 5th gear and lug it or are is it a bunch of 2 block stretches and stop, turn and accelerate? That makes a big difference. I drive less than a mile to work and it is all 1 or 2 block increments between corners and stop signs. Even in the summer I only get about 6-8 mpg. If I can drive across town or get on one of the main roads, I can get up to 12 mpg. The Mfg's idea of city driving may not be the same as yours. In a neighboring town, I get 25-30 mpg every time I go through it as the speed limit is 40 and I can lug the engine and just cruise for about 1 1/2 miles without stopping or accelerating.

[coombia21]

It is a lot of in town driving but even when I get it out onto the highway I am not doing too well. Went to devils about a month ago and got 10.5 going right into a 35 mph wind and coming back in the same wind doing 75 both ways I managed to get just under 13. I have done this same drive in my old silverado with just about the same wind and would get over 16 coming back. It just seems to me that I should be getting closer to the ratings. I know that I won't get 21 but was hoping to get closer to that, and fuel mpg is what the dealer sold me on the ecoboost. I originally wanted a 5.0 but he told me that the ecoboost would pay for itself I paid the extra money to get it. Really regretting my decision. The worst part is it is a lease so I am stuck with it for another 3 years.

[Scott K]

I think once it is broken in, you will be satisfied with it.