2000 Ford F250 Owner's Manual - Page 207

Maintenance and care ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY Measuring techniques Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fillups or fuel gauge readings are NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1 600 km (1 000 miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate measurement after 3 000 km-5 000 km (2 000 miles-3 000 miles). Filling the tank The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in the Refill Capacities section of the Capacities and specifications chapter. The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of usable fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty. The amount of empty reserve varies and should not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank. For consistent results when filling the fuel tank: • Use the same filling rate setting (low - medium - high) each time the tank is filled. • Allow three automatic click-offs when filling. • Always use fuel with the recommended octane rating. • Use a known quality gasoline, preferably a national brand. • Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the same direction each time you fill up. • Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time. Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent. 207