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Here are pics of the van: E350 by muff-n-stuff | Photobucket

P.S.: Right before the previous owner sold this van, he has the transmission rebuilt and major engine service done with a tune up, which means oil and trans fluid was changed very recently. Seller said the engine and trans should be good for 150,000 miles before needing major service, plenty of time to save the thousand$ needed for that service.

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Additives are a waste of money.
Emissions are the main reason why engines have sensors and computers.

I agree that most additives are a waste of money, but there has to be some that actually do what they claim and lower running costs. I have used PRI-G fuel stabilizer, which is a gas preserver and has friction modifiers, the active ingredient in the fuel additives. Also have used NMF Ionic Friction Reducer in the DODGE and FORD engine and noticed less vibrations and noise in both engines. Also used Lucas Oil Stabilizer in the DODGE engine for one oil change because I experienced the demonstration for it in the auto parts store.

Computers and sensors for "emissions", Oh Really?

A programer can increase fuel economy by several MPG but they cost hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and the payback time is likely 100,000 miles or so.

What is a programmer device? Is it a device that "learns" driving style to optimize MPG? Or runs the engine in "eco mode" like they have the computers do in the newest cars. Could a programmer be bought used for less, as if such a device improves MPG considerably it could pay for itself in 20,000 miles. This all depends on the price and quality of the programmer.

"can increase fuel economy by several MPG" This van gets 18 MPG running on diesel so a few MPG increase adds up quickly.

I hear FORD has their own OBD extension which means more sensors and control over the drivetrain.

Run high way tires with snow chains for off road. Solid tire weight could destroy the suspension.

Tires are expensive, and suspension repairs are even more expensive. Perhaps partially fill the tires with rubber cement, being sure that is equally applied with centrifugal force?

Very few mods have a pay back of less than 20,000 miles.

That's good to know.

Going from 10w-40 or 15w-40 to 5w-30 only saves about 1% on fuel economy but wears out the valve train something like 20% faster.
The 7.3 has that funky hybrid motor oil driven injection system. Use what ever oil ford recommends, a new set of injectors for that engine will run like $5,000.

Where did you get 10w40 and 15w40 from? Will changing to lower viscosity oil in the 7.3L diesel engine lower running costs?

P.S.S.: This is where I read about improving fuel economy by running with lower viscosity oil: http://m.dodgeforum.com/forum/showth...9541&styleid=9

Curious about the transmission as well, will changing the trans fluid to a full synthetic lower running costs?

Do friction modifiers like NMF Ionic Friction Reducer reduce friction and thus reduce the engine wear rate and improve fuel economy? Can friction modifiers help an engine out? Is there a friction modifier with the same function as NMF Ionic Friction Reducer but a fraction of the price (NMF is pretty expensive, even in bulk).

Originally Posted by Ecky

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I remember doing research and coming to the conclusion that Mobile One was the best synthetic, but that was a number of years ago. I would think that whatever is cheapest will probably offer the best ROI. Don't change it until it needs it.

I really want an unbiased opinion, which brand and blend of full synthetic oil is the best? Which will give me best bang for the buck, and most importantly lower running costs?

I read What is the best synthetic motor oil? and can't trust it because the site is an authrized distributor of AmsOil, and they show AmsOil as being the best in this comparison article.

Tires are the most important suspension component. If you fill you tires, you'll rattle your teeth out and tear up the rest of your suspension.

Yeah that will increase running costs, if tires don't blow at the expense of wearing out the suspension faster it ends up costing about the same or even more. Now if the wear rate on the suspension is on par with the wear rate of the tires then it could reduce running costs.

I'd still go with LRR street tires, personally. For on-road use, you want high pressure to minimize rolling resistance. For offroad use, I'd lower the pressure and take it easier to minimize the risk of a blowout. Also, sometimes more expensive tires give better return if they last a lot longer.

I heard the extra cost of Low Rolling Resistance tires pays for itself in fuel savings? Wont higher pressures prematurely wear out the tire and wipe out fuel savings? If airless tires were available to the consumer at a reasonable price I would consider those, as airless tires won't go flat. If one saves 5% on fuel but spends 10% more on tires over 1000 miles than one has not saved anything and in fact increased their running costs by 5% for fuel and tires. That is the way I think.

Perhaps switch to Low Rolling Resistance extra thick & knobby tire? Or tough Low Rolling Resistance city tires? What is the measurement they use to rate rolling resistance (it's a letter grade I know that)?

For a diesel, cold air intake.

Is this on top of the air intake that is already built in?

MOST IMPORTANT of all is a fuel economy gauge. Your van is new enough that you could use an OBD II gauge, like an Ultragauge or Scangauge. One of these will give you instant feedback that will allow you to modify your driving, and will pay for itself in short order.

Looked at Scangauges and Ultragauges, what model do you recommend for a newbie in the OBD world? Looking at ScanGaugeII : Linear Logic - Home of the ScanGauge as it does much more than read fuel economy, looks like it's all-in-one.

If it's legal, you can remove a mirror or two, or downsize them. Don't compromise safety though.

I live in California and the van is registered in California with California plates. Let me know if removing mirrors are legal in California.

Smooth wheel covers - pizza pans work great.

Air dam. Just made one for my Civic out of lawn edging.

Air deflectors in front of the rear wheels - these are standard on all cars now, but a 2004 probably didn't have them.

Great to know. Look at the van pics and see the high top and roof rack, how to make that aerodynamic? I AM NOT removing the roof rack, so don't even go there.

If you can "borrow" electricity sometimes, a block heater can pay for itself.

Great plan, keep that engine warm so it runs efficiently. Can somebody link to a block heater for this engine which has decent quality with a great price?