By Ken Payne

1. Drive the speed limit. As hard as this is for some folks, consider this: the EPA estimates a 10 to 15 percent increase in fuel economy by driving 55 mph. On an F150 this translates to 2-3 mpg.

2. Avoid prolonged engine warm-ups. According to Ford Motor Company late model Fords do not need a warm-up period... just start it and go.

3. Accelerate slowly and anticipate stops. Coast to stops to avoid using the throttle for a longer period followed by braking.

4. Check tire pressure often. Ford states that proper inflation increases economy by 3-4 percent verses under inflated tires.

5. Jack up each tire and turn it by hand. Are the brakes binding? If so, resolve this.

6. Keep the tires aligned.

7. Keep air filters replaced according to the maintenance schedule. Between replacements periodically use a hand vacuum to clean any dirt accumulating on the filter.

8. At your next oil change consider using a quality full synthetic oil and have the oil in the differential(s) replaced with synthetic oil. There are naysayers about this tip, but many manufacturers are switching to it to gain a slight amount of efficiency. Do this yourself because if you pay a shop to put in synthetics they generally charge way too much, negating your savings.

9. If you have a roof rack and you don't use it then consider removing it.

10. Remove excess weight from the vehicle such as tools you rarely use and all that junk accumulating behind the front seats. Consider removing the hitch you installed and reinstall it only when its needed -- it slides in and out very easily so its worth the hassle. The EPA estimates that every 100 lbs of weight reduces economy by 2-3%, depending on the vehicle.

11. Concerning removal of weight, if you don't drive your truck very often consider only filling the tank half-way. Depending on temperature and formulation every gallon of gasoline weighs 1 gallon of 5.8 to 6.5 lbs and a gallon of ethanol weighs 6.59 lbs. If you have 30 gallon tank shaving off 15 gallons reduces weight by 87 to 98.85 lbs. That's a significant amount of extra weight you may not need to haul around.

12. Purchase fuel first thing in the morning when its cooler and denser. Some say this works, others don't. I have no evidence either way but it won't hurt to try to see if you get more fuel for your money.

13. Avoid filling up for several hours when you see a gas truck at a station. Pumping fuel in stirs up water in the ground tank. You don't want to pay for water do you? I've seen tank sticks in stations sometimes measure several inches of water in the bottom!

14. Do some research on cold air intakes. Some of them increase fuel economy, others don't. Do your homework, ask on the forums and pick the solution that is working for others.

15. Get a custom tune written for fuel economy. As someone who's written many tunes over the years I know there are many things that can be done with EGR, timing, fueling, shift points, torque converter lockup, tip-in, etc. to increase economy on many Fords.

16. If you already have a tuner, bump up timing 1 step at a time. Drive it around and if you don't get any pinging, bump up it up another step until you get ping. Once it pings, bump it back down a step. Every degree of adding timing without ping translates to a more efficient engine with both added power and economy -- and its free. Don't do this with supercharged vehicles... too much timing can hole a piston.

17. Ford rates the O2 sensors for 100K miles. While they may be good for that long for emission purposes they are hardly in optimal condition by the time your vehicle reaches that many miles. O2 sensors are cheap and extremely easy to swap yourself. Look under the vehicle and you'll see wires going into plugs in the exhaust pipes. These are connected to the O2 sensors. They turn out and its a quick swap. I recommend changing them every 33K miles. Oxygen sensors in good condition can increase economy by as much as 10%. GM states that a faulty O2 sensor can cut mileage by as much as 40%!

18. Many people recommend the Gas Buddy web site to find the best prices on fuel. This is a great resource but has a major drawback: it depends on the feedback of its users to determine prices. Any prices you see on the site may be out of date and may also leave out other stations in the area. I've found a site I believe is much better, http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx . It uses actual pump data from 90,000 stations nationwide. Use this in combination with the Gas Buddy site to find the best, most up to date price. I typically find stations nearby that run 10-15 cents less than the average.

19. As much as I loathe Walmart the Murphy Oil stations found at many of them tend to have great fuel prices. To get an even better deal get a Walmart cash card and keep it loaded with $100. The card itself is free and Murphy Oil (most) give additional discounts of about 3 cents per gallon when using the Walmart cash card. Some Sam's Clubs have gas stations as well and offer similar discounts with membership.

20. If your local Kroger has a gas station they give 3 cents off each gallon if you use your free Kroger Plus card.

21. If you have a BP station nearby apply for their Visa card. Only do this if you're the type of person who pays off their card in full each month and doesn't carry a balance. Don't kid yourself and be honest about whether you are disciplined to pay it off full each month. Their gas card offers 5% rebates (applied to your card) off each fuel purchase and 2% off all other purchases. There is no limit on the purchases and this offer has no time limit. The first 60 days these rebates are doubled. I've found that BP stations around here tend to be about 10 cents higher than other stations... but with fuel over $4.00/gallon I'm getting more than 20 cents off the listed price and that translates to more than 10 cents cheaper than other stations.

22. I highly recommend purchasing a Scangauge II. This handy device plugs into the OBDII port under the driver's side dash panel. It gives tons of information about fuel useage and can be used to determine what driving habits increase your economy the most, and will also let you know if any after-market add-ons are helping or hurting your economy.

23. If you have a tuner I do not recommend leaning out the fuel for added economy unless you can datalog the truck with a wide-band O2 sensor. While you may gain economy and slight power by leaning it out if you don't know how lean the engine is running there is a risk of causing damage to the engine (burning a valve, detonation, etc.).

24. Stay away from ethanol. It decreases economy. If the pump says 10%, 15%, etc. ethanol, go elsewhere if 100% gasolene is available. A deal is not a deal if mileage suffers. E85 may be worth it in some cases but it decreases economy significantly and you'll need to calculate if the lower pump cost saves money when factoring reduced mileage.

25. Gimmicks like octane booster generally do nothing for mileage. Many of them are deceiving. For instance the bottle may say "increase octane by 5 points." What they mean is it increases octane by 0.5. Ultimately, unless you are running an aftermarket tune the engine is not going to increase timing enough to take advantage of higher octane so its a waste of money. Save money here by not spending it in the first place.

26. Turn off the air conditioner if its not too hot and use the vent setting instead. Ford says this can increase economy by 10 to 15 percent. Likewise, avoid lowering the windows at speeds above 50 mph. Again, Ford states that this impacts economy.

27. If you're a two footed driver learn to drive the proper way with one foot. This keeps you from dragging the brakes while driving.

28. In the winter minimize use of the heater and if equiped heated seats as well. Extra load on the electrical system translates to extra load on the alternator/engine.

29. Plan ahead and combine trips whenever possible.

30. Ask your employer if you can modify your schedule so you're not driving during rush hours. Stop and go driving is one of the worst offenders when it comes to wasting fuel. Alternately, see if you can switch from 5 eight hour days to 4 ten hour days. This decreases miles driven to and from your job by 20%.

31. With automatics, lifting your foot slightly from the throttle will cause it to upshift sooner, lowering RPMs and saving fuel.

32. Coast down hills whenever possible. Unless you're going to cause backups consider slowing the vehicle when going uphill.

33. At stop signs with traffic ahead of you consider slowing down further back and coasting slightly as the cars ahead move forward. Every time you stop your truck and start moving again it uses fuel verses a slow idle forward.

34. Anticipate traffic lights and slow well in advance if they are red. Also find out if a long stretch of road has timed lights. Not too far from my I've found I can travel at 51 mph through a 45 mph zone and hit all 7 lights as green lights.

35. In city driving conditions maintain a further distance behind other vehicles. This helps avoid having to slow down as much when vehicles ahead slow down for right hand turns.

36. For long trips consider a fuel efficient rental car. Using Expedia or other travel sites you can often get a small to mid-sized car for about $15-$25 per day. Depending on the distance of your trip you'll save more than that on fuel and wear-and-tear on your truck. Does your family need to be hauled 400 miles in a Supercrew, or will a mid-size car handle the job? Be honest with yourself!

37. If your employer is flexible with vacation scheduling keep a watch on Sidestep.com for travel bargains (this site connects to dozens of other travel sites and gets the best deals). Sometimes with the right timing, if you are flexible, you can find incredible air fair bargains for vacations across the country for a lot less than you'd spend in fuel for a nearer vacation spot. Don't believe me? Last week Spirit Airlines had airfares from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale for $1.11 each way! Add in the 9/11 and air port fees and it comes to under $10 each way. How far can you drive on $20? Not very far.

38. Considering larger tires and/or a lift? Reconsider. Both of these can significantly decrease fuel economy. Also, stick with purely street tires if you don't drive off-road often.

39. Steer clear of gas saving gadgets like "HHO" systems, fuel line magnets, etc. The EPA is very clear that these gadgets do nothing for economy.

40. While stopped at lights consider putting the vehicle into neutral to cool down automatic transmissions. This saves wear and tear on the transmission and results in less splippage during shifts.

41. E-fans often help increase economy but the cost may not be worth it for some. If you don't drive much the payoff may take too long. I have them on my truck but my primary consideration was added power (due to less parasitic loss). If you put a lot of miles on your truck they may be worth considering.

42. If you stick with the stock fan check the condition of the fan clutch. You'd be surprised at how many of these fail even during warranty periods without the driver ever knowing. When the engine is cool and turned off open the hood and try turning the fan by hand. It should turn relatively easily. If it does not then the temperature driven fan clutch needs to be replaced --- its robbing fuel economy.

43. Without tail-gating try to stay behind other cars on the expressway instead of an open lane to take advantage of less wind-resistance. This is a proven technique. NASCAR drivers can see huge increases in performance for the same amount of throttle by doing this. Obviously don't follow as close as they do!

44. Pick a better route. The shortest is always going to be the most fuel efficient if it has more stops.

45. Turn off the lights during daylight and good weather conditions. Lights add load to the alternator. When GM first introduced daytime running lights they estimated the economy impact was minor, about .1 to .3 mpg. It may not be much but every bit helps.

46. Turn off the engine when stopped for long periods of time. Edmunds.com recommds turning off the engine if the vehicle is stopped for more than one minute.

47. Don't use the cruise control in mountainous or very hilly terrain. Its a great way to save fuel on relatively flat land or gradually rolling hills, but in the mountains the vehicle will try to maintain speed uphill and it can impact fuel economy greatly. Also, on some Ford's the torque converter lock strategy is poor when cruise control is engaged.

48. If you drive a carburated vehicle get it tuned up and see if you can check the air/fuel ratio with a wideband O2 gauge. If its too rich you're wasting a lot of fuel.

49. The next time you need tires ask the dealer if they have low rolling resistance tires available for your application. These can help with fuel economy. One note of caution, some people report tires like this are more prone to causing you to get static zaps during the winter!

50. Many older trucks don't use a temperature controlled clutch on the fan. If yours doesn't these can be purchased at most auto parts stores and it can help reduce fuel usage and increase power to the wheels. These are very generic parts and are very inexpensive.

51. Older vehicles using 10w30 may want to consider switching to newer oils rated for fuel efficiency. If your engine is "lose" skip this one because it can result in added oil burning and consumption.

52. For supercharged and turbocharged trucks consider adding an air/oil separator to the PCV system (the 2004+ F150 doesn't use a PCV but has a straight breather hose, this tip applies to these trucks as well). The slight amount of oil that gets sucked up into the intake can foul spark plugs sooner as well as coat supercharger intercoolers, reducing power and economy. An air/oil separator solves this problem. You can fabricate one yourself from parts at Home Depot for under $30 or order fancy units online for as much as $150.

53. If you own a diesel get a competent tuning company with a good reputation to write a mileage tune for the truck. My 2004 6.0L Powerstroke gained several MPG using DP-Tuners.com's mileage tune.

54. For diesels, avoid excess boost.

55. If you plan to swap out the exhaust system for an aftermarket system do your research. The stock exhaust is tuned to take advantage of exhaust pulses to increase scavenging of exhaust gases (ie, less work to get it out the pipe). Some aftermarket systems are properly tuned while others are not. Improperly tuned systems often show a torque loss on the dyno!

56. If you don't drive often consider using a product like the Battery Tender Jr. to keep the battery (or batteries if you have a Powerstroke) from sulficating. A sulficated battery doesn't hold a charge as well and is harder on the vehicle's charging system, robbing a slight amount of power. An added bonus of the Battery Tender is the battery will last a lot longer and will pay for itself.

57. If you live far from a metropolitan area but must drive into the city to work, pump your gas in the country instead of the city. Many larger metropolitan areas are required by emission regulations to use oxygenated fuels and these often decrease mileage.

58. Work far from home because it pays better? How much more are you really making after adding in the cost of fuel, depreciation and maintenance and perhaps a higher tax bracket? Sit down and calculate it and do some soul-searching to determine what's best for you.

59. Biodiesel not only works, it works well. Drivers often report added mileage in addition to the lower fuel cost. Here's a list of all the biodiesel stations in the USA: http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingBioDiesel/retailfuelingsites/

60. Yeah, I know, we all like our independence and many want to be the one controlling the vehicle but consider carpooling. Better yet, find someone else with a gas hog truck to carpool with! Check out the local chapters on the site and maybe you'll find someone local willing to do this.

61. Take the heavy camper shell off your truck if you don't need it!

62. If you drive a lot of miles consider the mygallons.com fuel prepay card. You can buy fuel ahead of time and get todays prices at a later time as fuel prices increase. Note that there is a $29 fee to enroll so consider carefully if you drive enough miles and if you have the extra cash to purchase enough fuel in advance to make it worth it. Most stations nationwide which accept debit cards accept the mygallons.com card.

63. Watch the gas pump carefully when you first start it. Some stations may not maintain the pumps properly and have a defective check-value, costing you 5-6 cents every time you start pumping fuel. Also, maintain fuel logs to determine if the pump is really giving you the amount of fuel it says it is. See http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080426/bad_gas_pumps.html for more information on this.

64. Shop online when possible in order to avoid trips to the store.

65. If you shop at the grocery store every week, change it to every 10 days or every 2 weeks. Better yet, instead of making an extra trip to the grocery store do your grocery shopping on the way home from work.

66. If your household has two income earners have the one with the longest commute drive the most fuel efficient car. Come on tough guy, scale back the ego and drive the mini-van while your wife drives the truck!

67. Don't use premium or mid-grade fuel unless your truck requires it (supercharged or turbocharged). The stock tune does not take advantage of premium fuel and its a waste of money.

68. See if you can modify your commutes to take advantage of right hand turns instead of waiting at a light to go straight or make a left hand turns. Don't think this saves fuel? Think again. The UPS delivery company has logistics people who plan routes this way and they reported saving 3 million gallons of fuel in 2007 using this method.

69. Due to gear ratios driving in reverse takes more fuel than going forward. If you pull into a parking spot and the one in front of you is empty pull forward so you can leave the lot in drive instead of reverse.

70. Schedule trips for groceries, household shopping, etc. for off hours to avoid traffic.

(Copyright 2008 Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Inc., All Rights Reserved. This article is used by Internet Brands, Inc. with permission.)