How to Improve Mileage for a Ford 4.9L

The Ford 4.9-liter gasoline engine, originally called the 300, has been used in Ford's F-Series truck line since 1965. The price of gas needed to run the truck's engine, of course, continues to rise as crude oil resources diminish. You can avoid paying more at the pump, however, by improving your Ford's mileage while helping the environment. Just follow a few simple steps to prevent the unnecessary waste of gasoline.

Avoid aggressive acceleration and unnecessary speeding. Doing so can cause your truck to use significantly more fuel. Driving aggressively can also compromise both your safety and the safety of others on the road. Try observing the speed limit and accelerating in a sensible manner instead.

Remove any excess weight from your truck. The unnecessary weight will add extra stress to the truck's engine and driving components, causing greater consumption of fuel and negatively affecting your gas mileage.

Avoid any extended idling. When your truck idles for any extended period of time, the amount of gas you get out of every gallon drops to zero. This has a significant negative effect on your mileage. Instead, try turning your engine off when stopped for more than a few minutes.

Take your truck to an authorized mechanic to have the engine and other driving components checked over and tuned. Improper tuning can reduce your gas mileage and cause the engine to wear out at an accelerated rate.

Change your truck's oil regularly. Factory recommendations for the 4.9-liter engine are to use engine oil with a viscosity grade of 10W-30. Certified synthetic engine oil can also be used. You should consult a mechanic when servicing a truck of higher mileage as the grade of oil required may change.

Avoid accelerating when driving uphill. Your truck will already have to use more gas to overcome the forces of gravity. Accelerating uphill will cause your truck to use significantly more fuel. Instead, try to accelerate to your desired speed before reaching the hill.

Inflate your tires to their proper specification as instructed by the truck's owner's manual. Over- and under-inflated tires can have a negative effect on your truck's gas mileage and can be a serious hazard when driving at high speeds.

Avoid opening your truck's windows when driving on the highway. The drag produced at high speeds causes the truck to use more fuel to maintain a certain speed, reducing your truck's gas mileage.