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stoops the eternal pimp
4/27/2009, 05:17 PM
I recently purchased a 2008 Ford f150 Regency Badlander series truck...Gas mileage is what it is, understanding at the beginning that it wasn't gonna get much out of it...But I've been reading on a few of the fuel economy chips/program things to put in it, but most don't say exactly how much better fuel economy you should get...Has anybody bought any of those chips for their vehicles..
I was also thinking about buying the k&n cold air kit as well...I've heard from some that they don't do anything, and some people swear by them saying they get more hp and better fuel economy..

couple of pics of the new ride..This is before I took it through a few creeks and took the boy fishin
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8497/69858266.jpg

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/3/94180429.jpg

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/165/63069351.jpg

And here is one of my boy helping me clean it up after our trip

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/3483/30067986899156850333156.jpg

jkm, the stolen pifwafwi
4/27/2009, 05:22 PM
the only thing the computer chips are going to do is cause you to lose responsiveness when you stomp on it. obvioulsy, it depends heavily on the factory chip you have, but in general, if you just ease into acceleration then the chip is going to put you on the "econ curve" versus if you stomp on it its going to put you on the "drag strip" curve.

BudSooner
4/27/2009, 05:36 PM
I recently purchased a 2008 Ford f150 Regency Badlander series truck...Gas mileage is what it is, understanding at the beginning that it wasn't gonna get much out of it...But I've been reading on a few of the fuel economy chips/program things to put in it, but most don't say exactly how much better fuel economy you should get...Has anybody bought any of those chips for their vehicles..
I was also thinking about buying the k&n cold air kit as well...I've heard from some that they don't do anything, and some people swear by them saying they get more hp and better fuel economy..

couple of pics of the new ride..This is before I took it through a few creeks and took the boy fishin
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8497/69858266.jpg

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/3/94180429.jpg

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/165/63069351.jpg

And here is one of my boy helping me clean it up after our trip

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/3483/30067986899156850333156.jpg

That is one sharp looking ride, what size engine is it, the 5.4?
Some things to keep in mind, of course watch your air pressure first of all...keep it clean(studies show a cleaner car gets better MPG, and it looks nicer anyway)during the summer keep the windows up and use the A/C(less drag encountered)and if possible, keep an eye out for a bed cover like one made by Extang....again reduced drag from the open bed.
On that last thing, some swear that an open bed with the gate up will get better mileage than one with the gate down, myself believe that with the cover you SHOULD recoup 1-2MPG..again just my opinion.

The cold air kit is a good idea, the K&N filters do allow the engine to breathe much easier and since you just wash and reuse it, it saves you money in the long run, I have some buddies who swear by them.

The reprogram kit, depending on which brand you use should net you a 5% gain in fuel economy, I know on the diesels these things really do work good...not great since all trucks vary from weight/tire size/air pressures/cleanliness of air filter and engine size.
I think Mallory Ignitions has a chip/reprogrammer that works well with the big 3's computers, since they are the leader in engine electronics...I tend to lean towards them in this regard.

Lastly, since your truck is new, it hasn't been broken in of course and after that period you will see the MPG's go up a notch or two which is normal.
Keep the engine oil clean, tranny fluid changed and the chassis lubed according to it's schedule and you should get decent MPG's in the end.

BudSooner
4/27/2009, 05:40 PM
Oh yeah, worst case.....consider adding a Paxton supercharger....performance and better economy in one package. ;)

jkm, the stolen pifwafwi
4/27/2009, 05:50 PM
its a diesel, doesn't he already have 2 turbochargers?

given the differences in driving conditions, a 5% gain through the chip is statistically irrelevant. factory programs are notoriously skewed towards the "econ curve" because they are required to have a certain fuel economy. where the chips really shine are with horsepower gains because you are dealing with areas that put the engine under abnormal stress (meaning more likelihood of a warranty repair). these chips have a much more aggressive curve that they have programmed for you - (or if your daring just tweak all of the RPM/fuel mixtures yourself - there are programs out there).

stoops the eternal pimp
4/27/2009, 05:51 PM
Thanks Bud..It is the 5.4...Good information..

So far I m getting about 10-11 in town and 13-14 on the highway...I don't go very far since I m about 3 miles from work, so a tank of gas is lasting about 10 days..

BudSooner
4/27/2009, 06:09 PM
its a diesel, doesn't he already have 2 turbochargers?

given the differences in driving conditions, a 5% gain through the chip is statistically irrelevant. factory programs are notoriously skewed towards the "econ curve" because they are required to have a certain fuel economy. where the chips really shine are with horsepower gains because you are dealing with areas that put the engine under abnormal stress (meaning more likelihood of a warranty repair). these chips have a much more aggressive curve that they have programmed for you - (or if your daring just tweak all of the RPM/fuel mixtures yourself - there are programs out there).

True on all of that, and some of those reprogrammable chips void the mfg warranty....let the buyer beware.

jkm, the stolen pifwafwi
4/27/2009, 06:15 PM
Thanks Bud..It is the 5.4...Good information..

So far I m getting about 10-11 in town and 13-14 on the highway...I don't go very far since I m about 3 miles from work, so a tank of gas is lasting about 10 days..

if this is your normal driving pattern there isn't much you are going to be able to do at all to increase gas mileage. about the only ones that i can think of are less warmup time and running stop signs.

stoops the eternal pimp
4/27/2009, 06:38 PM
well I don't get on it much, because I m not a 16 year old kid who doesn't buy my own gas..I figured that was about it as far as gas mileage..You just hear so many different things about the chips and stuff, and I'm not wanting to spend 400 dollars to save 5..I've got the Acura MDX for long trips

Vaevictis
4/27/2009, 06:40 PM
Accelerate slowly.

Use cruise control.