How long did it take for yours to break in?

[johndeerefarmer]

I test drove one with the 3.55. Empty on the highway it did from 18-20. Towing it only got 10-14 towing a 3k trailer and 7-10 towing my 6000 lb toy hauler.

Truck only had 50 miles on it and I put about 170 with my test runs.

I would have expected 15 mpg towing the small trailer and at least 12 towing the toy hauler. Would the engine breaking in, increase towing mpg? as I don't expect unloaded highway mpg to get any better.

On my old 05 PSD they keep saying just wait until it breaks in. At 40k miles it never had broken in, so I don't want the same experience again.
So far as the owner of four new trucks and 3 new cars I have never had one get noticeably better mpg after break in.

What do you think and what did your's do.

[edjunior]

And I wouldn't expect any different with this one either. Mine is up to around 20,000 miles, and I still get between 21 - 23 on the highway unloaded, around 19 daily driving, and towing my 11,000 5th wheel between 9.5 - 11.5. I don't really expect it will do any different at 40,000 miles either.

[06ram610]

Your only doing instant calculations with putting 170 miles of mixed driving. Putting it on the highway for a full tank it will get better. You probably won't get 15 pulling a small trailer, but I would imagine 10-11.5 isn't out of the question for the th. Why did you hook a trailer to it before 500 miles? Is that the truck you plan on buying, or did you try and see what the truck could do before the gears were seated properly with someone else's vehicle.

[johndeerefarmer]

Originally Posted by 06ram610

Your only doing instant calculations with putting 170 miles of mixed driving. Putting it on the highway for a full tank it will get better. You probably won't get 15 pulling a small trailer, but I would imagine 10-11.5 isn't out of the question for the th. Why did you hook a trailer to it before 500 miles? Is that the truck you plan on buying, or did you try and see what the truck could do before the gears were seated properly with someone else's vehicle.

First of all the 500 mile break in period is hogwash. I have John Deere's that cost twice as much as the truck and they don't require a break in period. As a matter of fact, Deere mechanics say to work it hard from the start to seat the rings correctly. Deere has many more years of experience with diesel engines than Ford. Also builders or race engines do not have extended break in periods.

second, when the ecoboost came out, lots of dealers had new trucks with trailers on the lot for you to tow with to see how you liked the torque of the ecoboost.

The truck was a demo from my local dealership that I was testing

[Cell1Diesels]

John Deere Farmer,
With my 2012 w/3.55 gears, I get average empty around town-17.2, empty highway, flatroads 70 mph- 21. Pulling a 11K boat and trailer 11-12.

[Cell1Diesels]

Sorry, back to original question. I only have 10600 on mine right now. Have never really noticed better mileage after breakin on these things and I had an 03, an 05, and 08 and now the 2012.

[collieguy]

Originally Posted by johndeerefarmer

I test drove one with the 3.55. Empty on the highway it did from 18-20. Towing it only got 10-14 towing a 3k trailer and 7-10 towing my 6000 lb toy hauler.

Truck only had 50 miles on it and I put about 170 with my test runs.

I would have expected 15 mpg towing the small trailer and at least 12 towing the toy hauler. Would the engine breaking in, increase towing mpg? as I don't expect unloaded highway mpg to get any better.

On my old 05 PSD they keep saying just wait until it breaks in. At 40k miles it never had broken in, so I don't want the same experience again.
So far as the owner of four new trucks and 3 new cars I have never had one get noticeably better mpg after break in.

What do you think and what did your's do.

I have a 2012 with 3:73 rear end with 14000KM on the motor. I get 16 to 17L per 100K in town and pulling a 13000LB fiver in the mountains mostly, I get about 20L per 100K. Don't know what that equates to in MPG as I don't worry about that any more. When you spend this kind of money on this kind of truck why worry about mileage. Those who worry about mileage drive smart cars not big diesel trucks. I have the 1 ton dually and use it as my daily driver and do mostly in town driving and I LOVE this truck. It is really nice and quite and sits high enough to see above most other vehicles. Would not swap this vehicle for anything right now. Good luck in your endeavours.

[gearhead1011]

Part of the 1st 600 miles mine got during break in was a 300 mile round trip that was all highway. It got right at 21 on that trip at 70-75 MPH. My truck has the 3.31 axle. It hasn't improved on that over tha last 8,000 mmiles I have put on it.

I couldn't give you numbers for towing before break in because I made sure my truck had 500 miles on it before I hooked a trailer to it. But it hasn't changed from 600 miles to 7,000 miles. It gets 11-12 toming a 10,000 lb. enclosed trailer.

Maybe the 500 mile break in isn't necessary but I wasn't going to spend that much on a truck and chance it. As 06ram610 indicated the break in is probably as much for driveline break in as anything. I know from experience that a ring and pinion needs some break in. These trucks will move a lot faster than any john deere that I have seen and therefore will generate more heat in a new gear set, something that can ruin it. Clearance will increase some after broken in. A high performance race engine is built to different specs than a stock one and allowances are made. A john deere or race car doesn't really relate much to one of these trucks. JMHO.

[johndeerefarmer]

Originally Posted by Cell1Diesels

John Deere Farmer,
With my 2012 w/3.55 gears, I get average empty around town-17.2, empty highway, flatroads 70 mph- 21. Pulling a 11K boat and trailer 11-12.

Thanks

[drcampbell]

Originally Posted by collieguy

... Don't know what [liters per hectokilometer] equates to in MPG ...

tuned/deleted mileage for the non believers

[gtstang462002]

Originally Posted by johndeerefarmer

First of all the 500 mile break in period is hogwash.

I agree. I used to built race motors for the dragstrip. First thing they did when they fired up was go to 3000 rpm for 2 mins to warm them up, then let them idle to adjust the carbs. Next stop was the street for heavy testing and tuning for an hour or so. From there they were trailered down to the 1/4 mile and run as hard as possible down the track for an entire day. Never had a problem with rings now seating. I still have one of those old race motors in my 1977 F350 with close to 300,000 miles on it now with nothing more than normal maintenance being done on it. Now transmissions in that truck are a different story.

[06ram610]

You all should probably read the owners manuals....no one is referring to the engine. I was referring to the rear end, which is the only part on the truck ford recommends breaking in. If your worried about the mileage you should probably just stick with what you have, or find the search button.

[Painted Horse]

I think the break in is just a old wives tale. I've got 76,000 miles on mine and it is still getting about the same mileage as the day I got it.

Don't get your hopes up that the truck will get any better mileage a few months in future.

As far as towing. The rolling resistance and wind resistance seem to have much effect on fuel mileage than weight. I towed a 5,000 empty dump trailer 200 miles out to quary. Loaded 8,000 of rock into and drove home. Got 1.2.5 mpg empty going out and 12.0 mph coming home.

Another example, I pulled a 16,000lb GN horse trailer Salt Lake to Yellowstone and back, Got 11 mpg. Pulled almost the same trailer with no LQ and no Horses so it only weighed 6,000lbs empty Boise to SLC and gained .5 mph for having 10,000 lbs less weight.

I've gotten 7.5 mpg to 13 mpg towing various trailers depending on the wind resistance, head winds speeds and grades.

I get 13-16 mpg around town, Again depended on speed and how much stop and go,

I get 18 to 18.5 on the Interstate at 80 mph.

I've gotten as high as 23 mpg on two lane hiways at 65 when I was really trying to see how high I could the mpg to read.

There are just too many variables involved in fuel mileage. But this truck does get better mileage than my 6.0L did.

[johndeerefarmer]

Originally Posted by Painted Horse

I think the break in is just a old wives tale. I've got 76,000 miles on mine and it is still getting about the same mileage as the day I got it.

Don't get your hopes up that the truck will get any better mileage a few months in future.

As far as towing. The rolling resistance and wind resistance seem to have much effect on fuel mileage than weight. I towed a 5,000 empty dump trailer 200 miles out to quary. Loaded 8,000 of rock into and drove home. Got 1.2.5 mpg empty going out and 12.0 mph coming home.

Another example, I pulled a 16,000lb GN horse trailer Salt Lake to Yellowstone and back, Got 11 mpg. Pulled almost the same trailer with no LQ and no Horses so it only weighed 6,000lbs empty Boise to SLC and gained .5 mph for having 10,000 lbs less weight.

I've gotten 7.5 mpg to 13 mpg towing various trailers depending on the wind resistance, head winds speeds and grades.

I get 13-16 mpg around town, Again depended on speed and how much stop and go,

I get 18 to 18.5 on the Interstate at 80 mph.

I've gotten as high as 23 mpg on two lane hiways at 65 when I was really trying to see how high I could the mpg to read.

There are just too many variables involved in fuel mileage. But this truck does get better mileage than my 6.0L did.

Thanks

[luke0204]

My truck does just as well as it did when it was new. In 26,000 miles I've averaged 17 mpg, I get around 13-14 mpg towing my gooseneck horsetrailer and can get up to 20 mpg on the highway empty running 70 mph.

The only thing different about my truck today than a year ago when it was new is that it now sounds like a diesel rather than having to look at the gauge cluster to see if it was running.