Ecoboost freeway observations

[milw156]

Here's a pic I took of my 2012 Ecoboost Lariat Supercrew w/6.5' bed & Max Tow on the way to trade it in for my Duramax. Just ran it at 60mph and was averaging 22.2 mpg. I found throughout having the truck that the computer and hand calculated difference was about .2 mpg. This wasn't an anomaly either, this was pretty much how it was as long as I didn't drive it aggressively or too fast. There wasn't much of a difference between Regular or Premium.

[minihub67]

I have found that running a tune on the Ecoboost (5star tune) that really makes the vehicle come alive.. I get 11.5 towing at 60mph most trips.

[milw156]

Originally Posted by minihub67

I have found that running a tune on the Ecoboost (5star tune) that really makes the vehicle come alive.. I get 11.5 towing at 60mph most trips.

That's pretty good. I was averaging low to mid 10's with the EB and our 28DSBH.

There are times where I miss that truck - it was fun to drive and felt nimble for its size. The Roadmaster Suspension helped cornering a lot, plus got rid of the shuddering on launch.

[eventdude]

What am I doing wrong?
I live at 5,000 feet above sea level in CO. I have a 2014 ford f150 ecoboost with tt - heavy duty tow package 6.5' bed and super crew cab. When not towing I get 16-17 MPG max using 91 octane brand name fuel... I drive conservatively. When I tow with loaded trailer (including full fresh water tank) I'm at about 9875 lbs - I also have WDH and a tongue weight of 1000 lbs. with headwind I get between 6 and 7 mpg (at 65mph) and with tail wind I get about 7.5 to 8.5 mpg. I run full synthetic Castrol Edge oil, performance oil filter and just got a K&N performance air filter.
Anyone have suggestions as to why my MPG is so much lower than everyone else's ? I love this truck for commute and towing ! Just curious if some how my engine isn't running as efficient as all others I read about on forums....

I usually stay in CO but recently drove to NV to camp for a week and was a little surprised at the low MPG on the trip.

[milw156]

Eventdude,

Just curious how fast you're driving when towing. I found a steady difference in fuel economy between 65 and 60 when towing our White Hawk. When windy I locked out the 6th gear and kept the needle steady. Also do you make sure your TT and Ecoboost tires are properly inflated? Just throwing some ideas out there.

[Plowtoy]

It blow's my mind what people are towing with the EcoBoost. After the Tahoe and Super Duty wear out, I think one will be in my driveway. I rented a 2014 while in NY a few weeks ago, and I tell you what, that truck ran like a scared rabbit. I snapped a pic of this rig this past weekend waiting for a spot to open.

[dmward]

I've seen a couple of 5er/EcoBoost combos.

Have to remember that it's still a 1/2 ton truck around that engine. Payload has to be considered.

[12VOLTMAN]

The guy in that pic has got to be at his max payload or over it.

[Snaporaz]

Max payload package perhaps.

[Lurker]

I love my truck, I have 43k miles and typically get 9-10 on the highway towing the trailer, coming back from Michigan the other weekend I got 12 and that was mainly on 2 lane roads. One of my big mileage issues is how I set the weight distribution hitch, it can effect the mileage by 1 mile per gallon.

[ruswms]

I assume you mean not in overdrive when you say tow mode. My 07 F150 has a button on the side shifter that you push to put in or out of overdrive. My truck has a 5.4 V8 and I normally tow my trailer out of overdrive and get around 11.0 miles per gallon. If I used overdrive in flat terrain,the RPMs will drop and I could get closer to 13 mpg but I'm afraid to because I dont want to damage the transmission. When you turn the engine off, it defaults back to overdrive. I forgotten a few times and realized I was towing In overdrive, but honestly, I dont feel it jumping back in forth from low to high unless I'm in hilly country. It sounds like the eco boost is good engine, but I dont believe anyone who says it pulls like there's nothing back there. Diesels maybe, but not gas engines.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by ruswms

I assume you mean not in overdrive when you say tow mode. My 07 F150 has a button on the side shifter that you push to put in or out of overdrive. My truck has a 5.4 V8 and I normally tow my trailer out of overdrive and get around 11.0 miles per gallon. If I used overdrive in flat terrain,the RPMs will drop and I could get closer to 13 mpg but I'm afraid to because I dont want to damage the transmission. When you turn the engine off, it defaults back to overdrive. I forgotten a few times and realized I was towing In overdrive, but honestly, I dont feel it jumping back in forth from low to high unless I'm in hilly country. It sounds like the eco boost is good engine, but I dont believe anyone who says it pulls like there's nothing back there. Diesels maybe, but not gas engines.

Does the torque converter lock in 6th? IIRC, it does not in the GM 6 spd transmissions like mine. That's one of the reasons the tow/haul button locks out 6th gear. If the torque converter doesn't reach full lock, that's what creates all the heat and destroys your transmission. Engaging T/H disables 6th gear and allows the torque converter to lock up in 5th (or lower). I could be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that somewhere a while back. I always tow in T/H mode anyway, so I never really gave it much thought.

[dmward]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Does the torque converter lock in 6th? IIRC, it does not in the GM 6 spd transmissions like mine. That's one of the reasons the tow/haul button locks out 6th gear. If the torque converter doesn't reach full lock, that's what creates all the heat and destroys your transmission. Engaging T/H disables 6th gear and allows the torque converter to lock up in 5th (or lower). I could be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that somewhere a while back. I always tow in T/H mode anyway, so I never really gave it much thought.

T/H mode does not lock out 6th for me. It will jump down to 5 (or 4) quicker tho when you're going up/down hills or facing a wind.

It'll cruise along just fine under normal conditions in 6th though.

You can manually lock out 6 if you choose to. But I always leave it in T/H mode and forget about it.

[12VOLTMAN]

I don't think the Fords had tow haul in '07. In '07 I think they still used a four speed transmission and the button locked out overdrive.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by dmward

T/H mode does not lock out 6th for me. It will jump down to 5 (or 4) quicker tho when you're going up/down hills or facing a wind.

It'll cruise along just fine under normal conditions in 6th though.

You can manually lock out 6 if you choose to. But I always leave it in T/H mode and forget about it.

Interesting, I thought 6 was an overdrive gear, thus it would be locked out when you engage the T/H mode. I think that's how it works on mine (again, a GM), but I'm certain even if it didn't lock 6th out, I wouldn't be able to tow in 6 unless I was going downhill with a tail wind! LOL!

[12VOLTMAN]

Also, as dmward stated, the tow haul button on my 2013 does not lock out 6th gear. I believe it just changes the shift points to handle the load better.

[eventdude]

peter - I roll at 65 mph - I try to keep all rubber inflated to max suggested pressure, but am thinking about getting tire pressure monitoring system...

[frieed]

An interesting phenomenon I noticed on my PNW trip this past summer.
With cruise control off, the ECU favors RPM to make power
With cruise control on, the ECU favors boost.