Poor fuel economy

[OregonPowerstroke]

Ok so i realize that choosing to have a big truck means less fuel economy than a car but lately my truck ( 2000 F-250 auto tranny , leveling kit and 35's) went from getting around 17-20 mpg depending on my speed to 14 or less regardless of how i drive. I am very meticulous about jul changes and maintenance. This is my first diesel and i love it. I noticed this change after i changed and cleaned out my air filter ( AEM intake kit with battery mount). I used the factory oil it came with and used the spare filter they supplied while the dirty one dries out. Do you guys think i could have over oiled it? I also started using a diesel fuel additive to help with the crappy diesel i am reading about... any info will help..

[01Crewcab7.3]

There are a ton of things that could be contributing to poor fuel economy. Check tire pressure, wheel bearings, brakes for rubbing, check for boost leaks, fuel filter just to name a few. Run all synthetic fluids that will increase your mileage a bit. I am sure I forgot several things but I'm sure more people will chime in.

[DeputyDiesel]

Not sure if this applies where you live. but up here my truck does this every winter as a result of the winter fuel. It seriously drops 2-3mpg. then when summer fuel is back so is my milage.

as far as additives go. thats a can of worms im not going to open. but there is a huge write up of additives online somewhere thats worth taking a peek at. "diesel additive comparison" in google and it will pop up on some other forums. an answer may be in there for you

good luck.

[01Crewcab7.3]

Originally Posted by DeputyDiesel

Not sure if this applies where you live. but up here my truck does this every winter as a result of the winter fuel. It seriously drops 2-3mpg. then when summer fuel is back so is my milage.

as far as additives go. thats a can of worms im not going to open. but there is a huge write up of additives online somewhere thats worth taking a peek at. "diesel additive comparison" in google and it will pop up on some other forums. an answer may be in there for you

good luck.

Completely forgot to mention winter blend fuel, not to mention warm up time. That usually drops mine by a few MPG's.

[OregonPowerstroke]

Cool thanks guys! Just had the passenger side wheel bearing replaced but forgot to check tire pressure. I think you are on to something with the winter fuel idea. Not sure why it would change in winter but i do have to warm it up a lot longer in the morning. It does not like to run when it hasn't had ample warm up time thats for sure! I will check the fuel filter as well since it has been around 15k miles since it has been changed...

['01SilverBullet]

Winter blend fuel is, well, blended differently (some, such as our local CO-OP, cut it kerosene), to help keep it from gelling, waxing up or freezing in super cold weather, really important the farther north you get. I'm just in that area, it can get that cold around here, rarely, but it does happen.

[OregonPowerstroke]

Oh that makes sense. still sucks tho but what are you gonna do?? I really appreciate all the info everyone is giving me. Especially since I'm new to this

[mxfever090]

Originally Posted by DeputyDiesel

Not sure if this applies where you live. but up here my truck does this every winter as a result of the winter fuel. It seriously drops 2-3mpg. then when summer fuel is back so is my milage.

Same here. Being in Oregon, pretty sure your into winter fuel. Plus I don't like how my engine sounds cold, so I let her warm up more than usual resulting in less MPG.

['01SilverBullet]

Originally Posted by mxfever090

Same here. Being in Oregon, pretty sure your into winter fuel. Plus I don't like how my engine sounds cold, so I let her warm up more than usual resulting in less MPG.

Same here...it doesn't help that I've been taught to let our equipment warm up before it's worked, especially if it's going to be run past 1/2 throttle...and heavy work like tillage is done mostly at full tilt. I let my truck warm up all the same, let her smooth out...plus I kinda like having heat when I take off

[Toms01PSD]

Do you use your block heater? Try plugging your truck in a few hours before you have to leave in the morning. I see a lot of threads about people losing fuel mileage and mine has stayed around 16-17, just like it was in the summer. I plug my truck in 2 hours before I go to work and let it idle for 1-2 minutes before taking off. I don't do anything special other than that.