2009 better MPG

Supermoto68

New member
Jan 17, 2021
27
0
1
Best mods to improve MPG and Go :
1). Full exhaust or slip on ?
2) programmer ?
3) EGR delegate ?
4) Aftermarket Airfilrer ?
 

zakkb787

<that’s not me...
Sep 29, 2014
2,340
52
48
Granite Falls NC
Not much you can do to improve mpg or power without pissing Uncle Sam off. If you’re lifted, regear. Put a few holes in your factory air cleaner, get some sort of emissions compliant tuner, even a custom EFILive tune will help some. But especially 07.5-10, the factory dpf system is a fuel sucker.

edit: I see you have 33s, unless they are some sort of ridiculously heavy tire I don’t think thats causing much of an issue and they’re so close to factory that a regear isn’t gonna do anything.
 

Hoser

Active member
Jun 19, 2016
236
32
28
Farmington, MN
Step 1, make sure truck is running properly with no codes and no issues.

Step 2, Realize that HD trucks don’t get good mileage, especially lifted ones with big heavy wheels and tires. Doing mods that decrease MPG and then wondering why you get poor mileage is like kicking a sign post and wondering why your foot hurts. If you need a truck then MPG is what it is. If you don’t need a truck, drive something that doesn’t weigh 7,500 pounds with a giant Diesel engine. If you off-road all the time and need your frame 3“ higher and your axle 1/2” higher so you won’t constantly get stuck, then you will have to pay the price of having that lift. Having no idea where you live or how you drive we have no reference for your mileage, but it sounds about normal. Don’t let the guys at the pump filling up next to you that say they get 24 mpg fool you, because it’s not true. I had a guy next to me last week say he gets 21 mpg with his baby Powerstroke F150 WHILE TOWING! Guys just love to either fool themselves into thinking they are not wasting their money with a truck they don’t need, or they see 21 on their DIC once while on a downward section of road and they think that’s what they actually are getting for an average.
 

zakkb787

<that’s not me...
Sep 29, 2014
2,340
52
48
Granite Falls NC
I think 11 could be improved on. If he’s lifted with 33s, it can’t be much of a lift at all. My 06 doesn’t care if it’s leveled or lowered. I itch 33x12.50s and 20x9s my tanks almost always come out between 16-17 mpg whether highway or city. A few times I’ve been able to squeeze 20 out of it rolling 73mph down the interstate. Of course, it’s tuned and has some weight loss, which means it’ll do a bit better. But, with all the emission Intact, I don’t know how much better you’ll do with an LMM
 

Supermoto68

New member
Jan 17, 2021
27
0
1
Great feedback, I read that people are getting 15 - 18 mpg on these same trucks but mine is only 11. My lift is minor and the wheels weighed less that OEM, very close to same diameter. So not sure that is hurting me 3-4 mpg. After market exhaust companies claim improved MPG, Tuners also. this 2009 is last year before having to run the DEF so I am really wanting to keep this one long time. My last truck was an 2006 F350 with exhaust and tuner air intake it ran much better but broke constantly.
 

Lanky

New member
Jun 1, 2015
27
2
3
You're not going to get much better than that. Delete and tune should get you a couple more but don't expect miracles.
 

gmac32

Member
Dec 8, 2009
288
3
18
bellville ohio
I could get 18-20 with my 08 that was lifted with 35s. My own tunes and hand calculated. It is definitely possible for you to get mpg. A lot depends on the right foot
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,743
5,911
113
Phoenix Az
Great feedback, I read that people are getting 15 - 18 mpg on these same trucks but mine is only 11. My lift is minor and the wheels weighed less that OEM, very close to same diameter. So not sure that is hurting me 3-4 mpg. After market exhaust companies claim improved MPG, Tuners also. this 2009 is last year before having to run the DEF so I am really wanting to keep this one long time. My last truck was an 2006 F350 with exhaust and tuner air intake it ran much better but broke constantly.

instead of throwing parts at it, i would look into why its doing what its doing for MPG. your truck still uses a diesel particulate filter and in order for it to burn out the soot, it uses diesel fuel by firing fuel from your injectors on the exhaust stroke of the engine. So, is your truck going into a regen much faster than these others? do you have an exhaust filter that is pluggin up? are your injectors healthy? are you changing the fuel filter as regularly as you should (7-10K miles)? do you have any brakes that are dragging due to rust? The list goes on
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ron Nielson

zakkb787

<that’s not me...
Sep 29, 2014
2,340
52
48
Granite Falls NC
I agree with James. Also something to note, your truck has 50k miles and is 12 years old. While this isn’t a bad thing, it means it could have sat for a long time, or been used as a fleet truck and sat at idle for extended times or something. Make sure what you have is functioning properly. Sometimes these trucks are weird. Mine got 14 when I first bought it. Didn’t matter how I drove, 14. Had a banks intake and exhaust, and I put a 100hp tune and got rid of egr. Still 14. I then put a 5” magnaflow exhaust with a flo pro resonator and now get 16-20. Why? Who knows. But it happened.
 

2004LB7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 15, 2010
7,108
2,210
113
Norcal
a partially plugged up DPF will definitely lower MPG. maybe use a scanner that can check ash levels and pressure differential of the DPF and report the numbers here
 

Ron Nielson

Active member
Oct 11, 2009
773
147
43
Berryton, KS
You should be getting better than 11for general driving, town and highway combined. If you take your truck on a long drive, say 5-8 hours, does your MPG improve for a few days at least? If so, I would carefully check DPF and converter (DOC) to see if plugged when not on long trips. While your working on the truck, clean the MAF and MAP sensors. Use sensor cleaner, not brake cleaner. Y