FORD EXPEDITION: ANY WAY TO GET BETTER MILEAGE?

Is there anything that can be done to get this gas guzler to get better fuel economy?

Hey Ty" I have a Ford "Lightning" it has the 5.4 Supercharged V-8 we have the same motor except you don't have the Supercharger" it is a gas sucking pig also. I have found that when towing my boat I can save 1/4 tank of gas each way to the lake by, #1 Taking it out "Over drive" The motor will rev abit higher but you save quite a bit on gas.
#2 On the flats or down hill you can click it back into overdrive this will also help save gas. #3 If you keep the speed down 70-and under this helps a bit. It's not one thing that will save you. You have to do all of the above each thing save a little when you do everything together you will notice. "Good Luck"

You drive on the highway with overdrive off? Mine is lit on the shifter if it is off.
I was also told that the k&n air intake kit might help. I have a k&n filter in it now.

Ty, I am shopping for Expeditions right now as we speak. I keep a check on the discussions on www.fordtruckworld.com for tips on upgrades. I'm looking at adding a Volant FilterPack (instead of the K&N), I've also heard that Electric Fans might save on gas mileage, or catback exhaust. The kicker is doing only the upgrades that are cost effective for the savings.

How about a Borla exhaust system, and a chip?

I never take mine out of O/D. The manual recommends leaving it in O/D except when towing very heavy loads.

Exactly. Most chips require 92 octane which is worse. Exhaust system may be an option. What is the volant filter pak?
thanks

check out the gibson swept side exhaust. i am about to get one for my 4x4 expedition.
gibsonperformance.com

That was my next question: What is the best exhaust for better mileage/horsepower? I don't want to go for a loud system, just performance.

Thanks

Al,
where are you buying the exhaust system?

Roll it downhill?? Seriously, I don't think any simple fix is going to give you better gas mileage. Some more serious modifications might, but then you have to factor in the cost of the modification and see if it is actually going to save you any money. Bottom line is this - you drive a big truck, you're going to pay a lot in gas (I drive a Durango with a 4.7l V8, so I'm not trying to crack on trucks at all).

I live in Mexico so i'm having it shipped to the border. i'm buying from http://www.performancecenter.com/
they have some other bolt on mods available. im not getting it for the gas mileage, im more intrested in torque, but it is supposed to improve gas/mi as well.

What is the fuel economy on it now?
Regular driving and towing?

flowmaster is just north of here and claims much better horsepower also for 185.00 installed using existing pipes. mileage now is about 13 and 10 when towing. Fords suck when it comes to mileage. I do know that the expedtion only has 260 hp while many other suv's are much higher.

i like gibson for the reputation with fords, it is most widely used among ford tuners (stillen, canepa, rousch, and it is also claimed to be the quietest of them all. just be careful when making a decision, get something side swept, or else you'll damage whatever you tow.

I don't know what my 2002 1/2 ton 4X4 suburban gets while towing, but when driving 75mph on the highway it will get 17.

Ty,

I have a K&N Filtercharger and a Gibson Stainless Steel exhaust on my Expedition. It makes a noticeable difference in power. I can't compare the mileage though because I never towed anything before I made the mods. I get about 10-11 mpg when we go to the river, and that involves a lot of big uphill driving and a very heavy boat. Gibson also makes a cheaper aluminized version of their exhausts, but I went with the stainless steel for better durability.

I bought all my stuff from http://www.truckperformance.com since they were local to me, and at they time they had will-call so I just picked it all up and saved the shipping.

Keep in mind the whole idea of putting an exhaust on is to make it easier/quicker to expel exhaust gases from the engine, which in turn means it can fill up and fire again more quickly. If you re-use the same pipes, you won't see much difference in performance or mileage. A good exhaust system will be about 3" the entire length of the exhaust.

If you have any questions, let me know. I installed the exhaust myself, but if I had to do it all over again I would pay the local muffler guy the $45 to install it.

Ryan Delany
http://www.ryno-gear.com
Rynogear Wakeboarding Accessories

guys please remember if you filter lets more air through it is also probably letting more dirt through, SHORTE ENGINE LIFE.
Peerformance chips in my opinion are a bad idea they cost alot and do not do enough good for a vehicle and can also cause heartache and heartbreak down the road please becareful not to do more damage than good i have alot of experience in this field i am a senior master technician for ford motor company see me for more ?

But, but...K & N says their filter removes smaller particles than stock filters.

this allways works .Put more air in the tire's this will help for sure .Go up in pressure and see for yourself dont go nuts and put in 100psi try 40 then 45 so on and so on .hope this helps P.S. its free too

Get an Airaid intake and a poweraid throttle body spacer. Got it for my F150 along with flowmaster exhaust and it makes a ton of difference.

Tracy,
What do you recommend?

What the best size engine in the Expedition for pulling a very heavy boat? I have a 5.9L (360) in our Durango and it pulls fairly well. But, we want more leg room. I can get up to 17 MPG highway not towing and anywhere from 9 to 11 MPG towing the boat.

I have the 5.4l and I get 13 around town and not a whole lot of difference on teh highway. I seem to get around 10 towing.

sell it and buy a Powerstroke Excursion... all problems solved}

buy a diesel, get about the same towing as I do driving.

Who is going to make a diesel SUV now that the Excursion is being retired?