How to get better gas mileage from the 7.3?

[Greggg2018]

I know it sucks but I knew gas wasn't going to stay at 1.80 (in Texas), you can thank f____g Biden Administration Green New Deal Dream bullshit for killing energy independence in the USA (what fools) for your problem. I just couldn't see myself in 2020 buying a 70K gas vehicle that got only 12 mpg. The diesel motor was worth every penny. I know more than one person who has traded their 7.3L gas in for a diesel 6.7L just for that reason once they actually used it, especially towing anything, it drops to like 6 mpg.

 

[Jrod250]

To each their own. After my last 3 trucks were diesels( 2013 duramax, 2017 power stroke, 2019 duramax) I had very specific reasons for getting the 7.3 this time and I know I’m not dissatisfied with it, for my specific needs.

 

[Jericho]

If you want better gas mileage from the 7.3L, you can always put more shallow gears in the front and rear diff.

3.55's are getting 19mpg highway all day long.

You lose a bit of the Tremor, but either 3.73 or 3.55 will get you the mileage bump you're looking for.

 

[MoKan]

I know it sucks but I knew gas wasn't going to stay at 1.80 (in Texas), you can thank f____g Biden Administration Green New Deal Dream bullshit for killing energy independence in the USA (what fools) for your problem. I just couldn't see myself in 2020 buying a 70K gas vehicle that got only 12 mpg. The diesel motor was worth every penny. I know more than one person who has traded their 7.3L gas in for a diesel 6.7L just for that reason once they actually used it, especially towing anything, it drops to like 6 mpg.

How much diesel you gotta buy to offset the 8k upcharge? Now count DEF consumption. Now count oil changes using another 6 quarts. Now add cold weather overhead maintenance and fuel additive.

Finally add having a CP4 grenade sitting in your engine waiting to explode.

This is why a 7.3L sells.

 

[Tuxedomouse]

If you want better gas mileage from the 7.3L, you can always put more shallow gears in the rear.

3.55's are getting 19mpg highway all day long.

You lose a bit of the Tremor, but either 3.73 or 3.55 will get you the mileage bump you're looking for.

350 highway miles this weekend unladen with my 7.3 with 3.73's I got 17.0mpg, which I'm perfectly satisfied with.

 

[Driftwood]

I averaged 13.4 MPG on our 5000 mile summer trip to Montana. I never expected a big block with 4.30 gears and 35" tires to be 'fuel efficient'.

 

[Jrod250]

You have to change the front gears as well. You can’t just change the rear

 

[Jericho]

You have to change the front gears as well. You can’t just change the rear

Good to know, I was curious about that. I come from the ‘make things fast’ camp. I’m new to the ‘climb over stuff’ side of the house.

 

[Jrod250]

Good to know, I was curious about that. I come from the ‘make things fast’ camp. I’m new to the ‘climb over stuff’ side of the house.

When in 4wd the front and rear need to move at the same rate and if the don’t then one will grenade

 

[Dutch061]

There is a kit you can buy for the CP4 to prevent debris for being spread everywhere. The CP4 isn't the root cause, ULSD Fuel that is contaminated with water and/or not maintaining the fuel system properly is the cause of the failure.

Here is a link to a YouTube video that explains the kit. CP4 Upgrade Video

It is nice that FMC offers both engines and each of us can make a selection suited best for their needs. For me if I wanted a GSP (Gas Sucking Pig) I would keep what I have.

Edit: Sorry, I failed to include the words "that is contaminated with" between ULSD and water and the words "and/or" between water and not.

 

[MoKan]

There is a kit you can buy for the CP4 to prevent debris for being spread everywhere. The CP4 isn't the root cause, ULSD Fuel, water, not maintaining the fuel system properly is the cause of the failure.

Here is a link to a YouTube video that explains the kit. CP4 Upgrade Video

It is nice that FMC offers both engines and each of us can make a selection suited best for their needs. For me if I wanted a GSP (Gas Sucking Pig) I would keep what I have.

Oh, just add another $1300 $400 to "Bulletproof" your CP4? (Edited due to mistake)

An where do you buy fuel that is NOT ULSD? No where. It is required everywhere, even off-highway (red). You have to add lubricity treatment to your tank EVERY DAMN TIME.

CP4 is a bad design update to the CP3. It is overly reliant on fuel lubricity and sensitive to fuel quality and therefore not robust. It is obvious Bosch "Value Engineered" it for cost. This is why Ram/Cummins and GM/Isuzu/Duramax moved away from it.

 

[leogeo]

I averaged 13.4 MPG on our 5000 mile summer trip to Montana. I never expected a big block with 4.30 gears and 35" tires to be 'fuel efficient'.

I did a trip this weekend, about 600 miles. Averaged 16.4 mpg with half premium no ethanol and half regular gas. Doing about 60-70 mph on paved highway and gravel road, and about 100 mi of dirt trails at about 10-20 mph. Highways in eco mode with traction control in sport mode. Off road in deep sand mode 4WD high and low. About 6500 ft elevation. Running AC most of the time. Can't find anything to complain about there. I have noticed at 12,000 mi, mpg keeps improving.

 

[LonesemTx254]

I'm running Premium all the time. It's stock with no tuner, intake, or exhaust mods...yet. I tend to turn all the traction control off and turn Sport Mode on 90% of the time. Mine stays around 11.5mpg. If I don't put it in Sport Mode and use cruise, and keep my foot off the the go go pedal, I have had it up to 13.5mpg. Have yet to get it out on the highway and just set the cruise and relax though. I mean how do you really expect and engine called 'Godzilla" to not suck a lake dry????

 

[Driftwood]

I'm running Premium all the time. It's stock with no tuner, intake, or exhaust mods...yet. I tend to turn all the traction control off and turn Sport Mode on 90% of the time. Mine stays around 11.5mpg. If I don't put it in Sport Mode and use cruise, and keep my foot off the the go go pedal, I have had it up to 13.5mpg. Have yet to get it out on the highway and just set the cruise and relax though. I mean how do you really expect and engine called 'Godzilla" to not suck a lake dry????

You do know that Sport Mode is only for traction control, it doesn't do anything for performance.

 

[LonesemTx254]

So then why do you have three different traction control options? Option 1, push the button once turns off traction control. Option 2, push and hold the button turns Advance Traction control off. Option 3 push the button twice turn Advance traction off and Sport Mode on. So what's the differences in the three options????

 

[ccw]

So then why do you have three different traction control options? Option 1, push the button once turns off traction control. Option 2, push and hold the button turns Advance Traction control off. Option 3 push the button twice turn Advance traction off and Sport Mode on. So what's the differences in the three options????

My educated guess:

1. Traction control off means tires will free-spin as long as you’re in a straight line. Start getting sideways and Advance Tranction control will kick in to prevent the slide.
2. Advance Traction control off means the tires will free-spin regardless of direction of the truck/whether you’re in a slide.
3. Sport mode allows more slip than normal, but will still kick in if the truck feels things are getting too far out of whack. So not as disabled as 1 or 2.

With modern vehicles it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s extreme conditions, even when things are “truly off”, that the controls will kick back in. Certainly when speeds go beyond a certain point they turn back on, but even at slower speeds.

 

[RedZilla]

I'm amazed at the number of people that buy one of the biggest gas engines on the market in one of the heaviest trucks on the market and spend from$55K-$85K and then obsess over the cost of fuel, which will never equal anything close to the cost of the truck. Human reasoning is a conundrum. ?

Here's a twist. An idiot in the oval office has done everything in his power to drive the supply of fuel down and caused the price of regular gas to nearly double in six months, as he promised he would do. Now that does nothing to help or hurt your 7.3 mileage but it doubled your fuel cost per mile in mere months. If we could get Trump back in office we would see the cost of driving our big trucks bottom out in less than a year. We can squeeze every penny possible out of each gallon of gas, but until we fix the real problem we're pissing into the wind.

 

[LonesemTx254]

I'm amazed at the number of people that buy one of the biggest gas engines on the market in one of the heaviest trucks on the market and spend from$55K-$85K and then obsess over the cost of fuel, which will never equal anything close to the cost of the truck. Human reasoning is a conundrum. ?

Here's a twist. An idiot in the oval office has done everything in his power to drive the supply of fuel down and caused the price of regular gas to nearly double in six months, as he promised he would do. Now that does nothing to help or hurt your 7.3 mileage but it doubled your fuel cost per mile in mere months. If we could get Trump back in office we would see the cost of driving our big trucks bottom out in less than a year. We can squeeze every penny possible out of each gallon of gas, but until we fix the real problem we're pissing into the wind.

Can't argue that!!!!!!

 

[oops]

If we could get Trump back in office we would see the cost of driving our big trucks bottom out in less than a year. We can squeeze every penny possible out of each gallon of gas, but until we fix the real problem we're pissing into the wind.

Gas prices are less than 5% from the peak during the Trump regime, under whom gas prices general rose on a monthly basis.

The lowest prices of the past decade were under the Obama administration, under whom gas prices generally fell on a monthly basis in the two years prior to Trump taking office and reversing that trend.

Not that logic matters on these matters.

 

[MoKan]

Biden isn't innocent here, but there are other dynamics at play. There was a glut of oil a year ago.

Rig count is too low for our current consumption. They lag the market due to the time and cost to get them operational and on the patch.
HOWEVER, there are things this administration have done (illegally cancelling already sold leases, canceling the sale of new leases) that have hurt the access to the credit and capital markets for these oil companies... that makes it more difficult to get things moving.

They COULD do something about it with the money printers going full steam, but they won't. They would prefer we buy our oil from the Saudis, Russians, and Iranians. Defies logic...

$4/gallon will not play well in the midterms. So, we'll see what happens in the interim.

And, yes, if you buy a $70k truck, no one wants to hear you complain about fuel economy.