Increased gas mileage locking gears out.

[OFC Ranger]

Now this is strictly for in town, not sure how it would fair on open highways. So for past month or so I've been running a little test. Anytime I would run an errand or otherwise I would lock out to a maximum of gear 8.
I have thus increased my mileage by a half a mile per gallon. My commutes can be somewhat stop and go or hilly, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Not exactly note worthy gain, but it leaves me questioning the purpose of 10 gears outside of highway usage.

The problem with higher gears in town is it will reach that gear with relatively low speed, then you encounter a long drawn out hill at cruising speed and it sometimes has to bump down as many two gears, sometimes one after the other. (its worse with no tune) With a final gear of 8 and entering same hills at cruising speed it rarely drops to 7th. I just give it a little more gas pedal to maintain speed up the hill.

Im curious, can tuners (of which I have) reprogram shift points even further? Or even go as far as locking out gears permanently? Maybe something like Sport Mode, but with a slightly less high RPM hold.

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[Dgc333]

I have about 100k driving Mustangs with the 2.3 Ecoboost engine. This engine does not like being below 1500 rpm while cruising, it runs ruff and it is starting to lug. Under those conditions you are going to use more gas than if you keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000 rpm. For cruising up to 50 mph I find I need to lock out 8th, 9th and 10th gears to keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000.

For yuks last week on the way home from work I reset the economy meter and set the cruise at 48 mph (45 zone) and drove the 25 miles home with the rpm about 1800 rpm (7th gear). I got 38.7 mpg average for that trip which is about the same as the 2 Ecoboost Mustangs would do doing the same thing.

So far with only 1500 miles on my Ranger the fuel mileage is hanging right in at 23 mpg for my normal running around. We did go away for a weekend and on that trip (300 miles round trip) we got just shy of 28 mpg. I am quite satisfied with the potential the truck has but I think Ford blew it with the way they programmed the shift schedule in drive.

I have not decided which way I am going to go with a tune but I am leaning towards FP so I won't have any warranty concerns. Folks report that the programming for the transmission prevents the lugging.

 

[FunInTheSun]

I have about 100k driving Mustangs with the 2.3 Ecoboost engine. This engine does not like being below 1500 rpm while cruising, it runs ruff and it is starting to lug. Under those conditions you are going to use more gas than if you keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000 rpm. For cruising up to 50 mph I find I need to lock out 8th, 9th and 10th gears to keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000.

For yuks last week on the way home from work I reset the economy meter and set the cruise at 48 mph (45 zone) and drove the 25 miles home with the rpm about 1800 rpm (7th gear). I got 38.7 mpg average for that trip which is about the same as the 2 Ecoboost Mustangs would do doing the same thing.

So far with only 1500 miles on my Ranger the fuel mileage is hanging right in at 23 mpg for my normal running around. We did go away for a weekend and on that trip (300 miles round trip) we got just shy of 28 mpg. I am quite satisfied with the potential the truck has but I think Ford blew it with the way they programmed the shift schedule in drive.

I have not decided which way I am going to go with a tune but I am leaning towards FP so I won't have any warranty concerns. Folks report that the programming for the transmission prevents the lugging.

I have been using the "Tow mode" button for most of my driving, because it seems to move the desired cruise RPM setpoint up a bit higher than the default (1200 to 1400 or so). Sport mode has better shift points, but for some reason, they seem to have programmed this motor to keep the rpm high once the turbo gets into boost range or something. It doesn't even like to upshift when you floor it until the RPM is WAAAAY past when it sounds like time to shift. I love to give the throttle a poke now and then, but taking your foot OFF the gas just seems to do nothing to slow the engine down. Not too sure what's going on here. But a little blast to get up to speed and the RPM stays at 3500 for two blocks after I'm done. Just seems a little wacky, and annoying, not to mention too loud and attracting all the wrong kind if attention.

Drive-by-wire for the throttle, so it is obviously programmed to be this way. Are they trying to avoid the wastegate PSSSHHHHT on closed throttle that the Ricer boiz always like? Is there some operational reason the transmission won't upshift to bring the RPM down? IDK, but I consider "D" to be "EPA TEST" mode, "S" Mode is useful for momentary use like passing, and better throttle response in dicey traffic situations, but "Towing" mode seems to keep it from trying to cruise at 1400 RPM. There is a booming vibration at that engine speed, and I thought it was lugging the engine, but I'm not sure it is technically, but it seems to be exciting some sort of sympathetic vibration in something big like a roof panel or the doors or something.

 

[Doc]

Now this is strictly for in town, not sure how it would fair on open highways. So for past month or so I've been running a little test. Anytime I would run an errand or otherwise I would lock out to a maximum of gear 8.
I have thus increased my mileage by a half a mile per gallon. My commutes can be somewhat stop and go or hilly, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Not exactly note worthy gain, but it leaves me questioning the purpose of 10 gears outside of highway usage.

The problem with higher gears in town is it will reach that gear with relatively low speed, then you encounter a long drawn out hill at cruising speed and it sometimes has to bump down as many two gears, sometimes one after the other. (its worse with no tune) With a final gear of 8 and entering same hills at cruising speed it rarely drops to 7th. I just give it a little more gas pedal to maintain speed up the hill.

Im curious, can tuners (of which I have) reprogram shift points even further? Or even go as far as locking out gears permanently? Maybe something like Sport Mode, but with a slightly less high RPM hold.

Yes, Unleashed increased my 10th gear to 70 mph. But, Don’t know if they can be “locked out”

 

[Texasota]

I have about 100k driving Mustangs with the 2.3 Ecoboost engine. This engine does not like being below 1500 rpm while cruising, it runs ruff and it is starting to lug. Under those conditions you are going to use more gas than if you keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000 rpm. For cruising up to 50 mph I find I need to lock out 8th, 9th and 10th gears to keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000.

For yuks last week on the way home from work I reset the economy meter and set the cruise at 48 mph (45 zone) and drove the 25 miles home with the rpm about 1800 rpm (7th gear). I got 38.7 mpg average for that trip which is about the same as the 2 Ecoboost Mustangs would do doing the same thing.

So far with only 1500 miles on my Ranger the fuel mileage is hanging right in at 23 mpg for my normal running around. We did go away for a weekend and on that trip (300 miles round trip) we got just shy of 28 mpg. I am quite satisfied with the potential the truck has but I think Ford blew it with the way they programmed the shift schedule in drive.

I have not decided which way I am going to go with a tune but I am leaning towards FP so I won't have any warranty concerns. Folks report that the programming for the transmission prevents the lugging.

Try driving in Tow/Haul mode for a while and see what you think. It does a very good job of eliminating the lugging.

 

[Dgc333]

Try driving in Tow/Haul mode for a while and see what you think. It does a very good job of eliminating the lugging.

I have been for the past couple of days and it does exactly what it should; down shifts before the rpm drops below 1500 rpm and does not up shift when it would drop the rpm below 1500 rpm.

Around town it is mostly in 7th with the occasional shift to 8th but the rpm never drops below 1500 rpm.

This is how the transmission should actually in drive and not require changing driving modes or locking gears out.

 

[dapakattack]

I have been for the past couple of days and it does exactly what it should; down shifts before the rpm drops below 1500 rpm and does not up shift when it would drop the rpm below 1500 rpm.

Around town it is mostly in 7th with the occasional shift to 8th but the rpm never drops below 1500 rpm.

This is how the transmission should actually in drive and not require changing driving modes or locking gears out.

Any harm in driving around in Tow mode without actually towing anything? Possible decrease in mpg compared to driving around in normal D ?

 

[Dgc333]

Any harm in driving around in Tow mode without actually towing anything? Possible decrease in mpg compared to driving around in normal D ?

According to the owners manual tow mode only changes the shift schedule. I suppose that the shift schedule in drive may provide better mileage under very controlled conditions which helps Fords corporate mileage numbers but it was my experience with the two 2.3 Ecoboost Mustangs I had you got the best mileage when you kept the rpm in the 1500 to 2000rpm and avoided letting it lug below 1500rpm. Sport mode will definitely use more gas since it keeps the rpm up close to 3000rpm.

So until I get a tune that fixes the shift schedule in drive I am going to continue to use tow mode.

 

[Trigganometry]

I have been locking out to 7th around town. Got about 9K miles doing this now. The tranny has learned this habit and is now holding shifts until RPM is higher. My mileage did increase because of it. My biggest concern for doing it was the lugging and damage it could potentially do.

It’s a habit now after starting and dropping into drive just lockout gears and go. If I get onto the highway shift up. Pretty rare I use 10th though, got to be flying to use that.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Now this is strictly for in town, not sure how it would fair on open highways. So for past month or so I've been running a little test. Anytime I would run an errand or otherwise I would lock out to a maximum of gear 8.
I have thus increased my mileage by a half a mile per gallon. My commutes can be somewhat stop and go or hilly, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Not exactly note worthy gain, but it leaves me questioning the purpose of 10 gears outside of highway usage.

The problem with higher gears in town is it will reach that gear with relatively low speed, then you encounter a long drawn out hill at cruising speed and it sometimes has to bump down as many two gears, sometimes one after the other. (its worse with no tune) With a final gear of 8 and entering same hills at cruising speed it rarely drops to 7th. I just give it a little more gas pedal to maintain speed up the hill.

Im curious, can tuners (of which I have) reprogram shift points even further? Or even go as far as locking out gears permanently? Maybe something like Sport Mode, but with a slightly less high RPM hold.

This is my usual driving mode when I'm not getting on the highway.

I automatically lock out 9 and 10 as soon as I put the shifter in D.

It helps a lot with the lugging.

I haven't tried just running it in Tow mode but I think I'll do that as well.

 

[MXGOLF]

Well that's good to know so I will try both methods. My local mileage is terrible. First I will try sport mode and lock out 8-10 for a few weeks then try the tow mode. It sure can't hurt.
Thanks,

 

[D Fresh]

Another vote for tow mode.

Although I might try staying in D and locking gears out a bit.

 

[Travis9935]

I have a Livernois tune.. I asked them to send me a different shift file. I like the tow tune shift pattern but not the engine braking. They sent me a file that has the tow file without the engine braking for reg drive mode. Also has raised part throttle shift points.

 

[OFC Ranger]

So I tried what another user does, instead of locking out till 8, I locked out at 7.

On a trip to the Home Derpot (about 10+ miles round trip) in town I hit 24mpg.

Some of you are like, "So what I get that anyhow." Well, with my rig I average just shy of 16mpg.

That is a massive increase for me on my 93 performance tune and brick like aerodynamics.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

My mileage increased when using tow mode. ~+2 mpg around town. Highway didn't change much.

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