something doesnt add up here...how are you still cruising at 65 with metallica playing?

 

Cruise control helps a lot. My daily commute involves driving on secondary roads with lots of hills and cruise control is absolutely useless for fuel efficiency. Then I get completely distracted by Iron Maiden, Them Crooked Vultures, Godsmack, Rammstein and Priestess.

I remember an Extreme 4X4 show where they tried to get better mileage out of an old Dodge Ram. The guy pulled at least 50 pounds of useless stuff out of his truck. The main point of the show was: Keep it tuned, loose useless weight and have good driving habits. Once those are respected and still want more you may try a fuel saving chip.

 

I just went from 6 to 9 mpg when I just regeared my truck. But then I got out on the highway and i went from 9 to 8 so if you do regear make sure it will work best for the terain you will be driving most highway,secondary,city,etc. I went from the factory gears to 4.37-1 gears with 33" tires if that helps you at all. Also leaving the bottom plastic bumper valance on will improve your milage a little (new Ford super dutys are an inch lower than last year just to make the emision an mpg quota) so theres gotta be something said about that. I know they are saying 40 psi in your tires every tire is different if I run 40 my tire is still way under inflated for road use I run 55-58 but the max pressure on my sidewalls are 65 psi so adjust yours acordingly.

 

Yes, 5W-30 will improve gas mileage. Many auto manufacturers started using it specifically to help their vehicles meet federal CAFE mileage standards. I think Spike is correct that by itsef, the difference is so small as to be insignificant for daily driving. However, anything that reduces friction/drag in combination with other measures can add up. I have no difficulty using a 5W-30 as long as it is a quality synthetic, so I retain the film strength, sheer strength, lubricity, and pourability I require.

I think you left air filters off your list. At a minimum, you want a clean one to reduce air flow restriction. Some folks are believers in K&N to reduce air flow restriction, others believe they can do more harm than good. Problem with products like these is there's so much opinion and anecdotal evidence, it's hard to get to the real truth. I quit using them years ago because they were a PITA and I came to believe it was to easy to get the wrong amount of oil in the media to work as intended. If you can find a dry filter with a quality media and more fluted surface area, that could be a winner. I don't know what's out there, but I'd take a look at, for instance, Wix/Napa Gold and compare it to OEM. I avoid budget filters like the plague, however.

I think it is also worth mentioning that gas formulations will change seasonally, and from congested urban to rural areas. I get better gas mileage with gas purchased in the summer months and from vendors well outside federally mandated polloution controlled urban areas like the DC metro area. I also prefer to use a Top Tier rated gasolines with quality detergent packages to keep the fuel system clean and working optimally. You can Google Top Tier to read up on the program and participating vendors in your area.

BTW, with the EPA announcing approval for 15% Ethanol fuels (E15) yesterday despite the opposition of a broad coalition including automakers, public health advocates, environmentalists, livestock farmers, outdoor equipment manufacturers, etc. you can expect even worse mileage as the government continues with this boondoggle. Currently, the EPA only approves E15 for 2007 and newer vehicles, but they working on including 2001-2006. This means fuel without Ethanol or E10 will ultimately get pushed out of the marketplace over time. Not only will your mileage decrease, but expect other problems like damage to your catalytic converter.

 

Dude, thats hilarious

 

my gas milage dropped about 1-2 mpg when I fixed my fan clutch so I would assume you could gain that much with an electric fan.

 

I lol'ed!

 

You cant sing and play drums if you are too busy speeding.

 

This 100% true, and this is also why most are switching to 5w-20 motor oil, which is a synthetic blend.
CAFE standards is also why they use extended drain coolants like Dex-Cool as well as non serviceable transmissions and diffs.
Also extending engine oil changes helps reduce the fines CAFE imposes.
Basically it all boils down to this...the less your fleet of cars and trucks pollute the less your fines will be.

 

That is why I am still in business selling RP. One of the highest on the market and still selling strong. It is also one of the best too, though... Truck fleets save a ton through us..