My quest for 30 MPG - Ford Explorer Gas Mileage Tips | Page 106 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

My quest for 30 MPG - Ford Explorer Gas Mileage Tips

30 mpg?

I have the 18.6 gallon tank I believe, and I can do about 300 miles on 1/2 tank if I baby it the whole time. That's with city driving.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I have the 18.6 gallon tank I believe, and I can do about 300 miles on 1/2 tank if I baby it the whole time. That's with city driving.


That is not scientific, and does not sound plausible.
 






I have a 1998 Explorer and I average about 13 MPG. How do you get mileage like 32???? Am I doing something wrong?
 






I have a 1998 Explorer and I average about 13 MPG. How do you get mileage like 32???? Am I doing something wrong?

You don't. Really. You just go online and claim that you do, and some people will believe it.
 






I have a 1998 Explorer and I average about 13 MPG. How do you get mileage like 32???? Am I doing something wrong?

This is how it was supposedly done:

The following is a list of modifications that have resulted in the mileage reported on my 99 4.0 SOHC:
Mobil 1 5 w 30 synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 ATF in auto tranny ( a complete change )
Mobil 1 in the 3.73 rear end
KKM Tru Rev intake
Custom cat back exhaust system
Remove roof rack
Many coats of Zaino polish
Tire pressure 40 psig
Explorer Express X Spec air dam
Amoco 87 octane gas
Secondary tranny filter ( don’t know if this helps )

Driving habits help also:
No race like starts
Windows up always - usually with AC on
Keep top speed at or below 70 MPH

With all due respect, I am still skeptical.
 






I have a 1998 Explorer and I average about 13 MPG. How do you get mileage like 32???? Am I doing something wrong?

Also keep in mind that the original post was over 10 years ago. Driving the same vehicle today, your vehicle would be another 10 years older. His vehicle was a 2WD, where as you may have a 4WD or AWD.
 






It was also 2wd. You can get 30mpg pretty easily out of a 2wd ranger. Why is it so hard to believe out of a 2wd explorer with even highway driving on regular gasoline?

By the way, there was also a tune, electric fan, and a bunch of other nonsense.

Not sure why you are so skeptical, this is what I get out of my AWD V8 Explorer on a regular basis.

mpgscreenshot_zps1e2d2e73.jpg


And I don't even have that great a tune
 






22 MPG is possible.

But when we compare a 2wd ranger with a 4 cylinder engine, to a V8 Explorer with more than 1000 extra pounds and different aerodynamics....I'm a little skeptical. There is only so much that those mods can do. It's like slapping stickers onto a Honda Civic, and hoping that it turns into a sports car.
 






A 2wd V6 ranger will do it stock. I'm getting 22 on average from a vehicle rated 17 without many mods. A 2wd V6 explorer is rated as high as 21. The aerodynamics of a ranger aren't really different from an explorer, until you look at the open pickup bed in back.

So why is it so hard to believe that a heavily modified explorer running a ridiculously custom tune would get 30mpg when I get 22mpg with a minor lift and AT tires on an Explorer that has basically only gotten a cam swap, headers and good maintenance? Do note that my explorer only gets 17 mpg according to the EPA and the best I get is over 23.

But hey, what do I know?
 






When the EPA says that highway mileage is at 19 MPG, but real world conditions may vary, you can expect to see some difference either way. But 30 MPG is over 50% improvement.
 






I know that you're not getting 30 MPG, and neither is anyone else.

If you believe that a lifted, V8, AWD Explorer CAN get 22mpg (which I actually find somewhat less "believable" then 30mpg in a 2wd, 4cyl Ranger, or Al's Ex.), then I don't see why you wouldn't believe that Al's Explorer could do 30MPG? ( or a 2wd, 4cyl Ranger).:scratch:

Can everybody get 30mpg? No. Could Al have gotten 30mpg out of anyone elses' Explorer and/or Ranger? Probably not. In fact, I'll go ahead and say no.

However, when you combine Al's specific vehicle (2wd, SOHC), his specific location and the associated driving conditions (very flat terrain, mostly highway driving, minimal cold weather use - cold temps kill mpg), his unique and extensive modifications (both physical mods like lowering,etc.., as well as custom tuning), and his very conservative and specific driving style and routine, then it is entirely believable that he was able to get 30mpg+, UNDER THOSE VERY UNIQUE COMBINED CIRCUMSTANCES/VARIABLES.

I admire all the mods he did, and I hope we all can try to copy them, and come up with some more that maybe he never got the chance to try; specifically aeromods. I plan on lowering the front air dam, maybe adding side skirts, and trying a partial grill block, on my '93 Ranger. It's a 4.0L-OHV, 5spd, 4wd. I use it mainly for hauling junk. If I have less then 1200 LBS in it, its a light load. I drive it like I stole it (70mph is too slow, and is wasting my time), and I'm getting 18.6 MPG currently.

Personally, I also think a lot of gain can be had by increasing low load (highway cruise) EGR flow, along with the related increase in timing, and leaner a/f ratios. You can probably run 20:1 safely under low-load cruise conditions; especially with increased EGR flow (which cools the combustion chamber as well as occupying some of the chamber volume that would otherwise be filled with fresh air and more fuel). Of course this assumes that a.) your vehicle has EGR, and b.) You have the tools and knowledge to tune it.

One thing I DON'T admire, and hope no one ever copies is his driving style (which is a very important part of acheiving the mileage he claimed). I HATE "hyper-miler" driving techniques, which is basically what he used. Slow crawls away from lights, reduced highway speeds, long coast downs approaching lights,etc... Yes, it might improve MPG for that one vehicle/driver doing it, but it infuriates:fire: many other people on the road, and actually decreases their mileage, by having to deal with Granny Go-Nowhere. I guess if you stick to the right lane like glue, I can let it slide. BUT, Priusesssss (Prii?) ( and Insights, Smart cars, and Explorers driven in said manner) forming rolling road blocks in the left, or even middle lane deserve to be crushed by a monster truck belching black clouds:fart: of unburnt fuel from the worlds least efficient, most polluting diesel engine ever built. (It runs on the blubber of endangered whales, and Hippie flesh):D

Anyway, back to the point: While it is not likely to happen for most of us, it is POSSIBLE to get the kind of mileage Al claimed, given the right circumstances.
 






I can get 20 mpg hwy in my '01 Sport Trac with steel wheels and 35s. Don't care if anyone believes me or not but it's been replicated many times. I don't have the truck for gas mileage and only calculated out of curiosity. I find no reason to question 30. We get 29 hwy in our '09 Edge, well above EPA estimates.

I also run only 100% gasoline.
 






I had 3/4 of a tank, drove it down to 1/4 tank. 200 miles, then I lowered my air shocks in the rear (only rear air shocks) and that raised the gas up to about 1/2 tank, and drove another 100 miles.
 






I had 3/4 of a tank, drove it down to 1/4 tank. 200 miles, then I lowered my air shocks in the rear (only rear air shocks) and that raised the gas up to about 1/2 tank, and drove another 100 miles.

..:scratch:...Good Luck with them thar mathematics...:rolleyes:



....If I can get 18 plus mpg hwy (still do) heading down the road in this thing pretty much stock (drivetrain wise, motor, radiator etc. ), there is no reason one could not get 30 mpg out of their V6 and/or V8 if they put their mind to it..

..:scratch:..Although, my aerodynamics could use some tweaking..:D
camping_016b.jpg


..I have a number of things on my X that are mileage killers all the way down to the extreme duty fan clutch...One of the reasons I get 9 mpg in town..(used to get 12 plus)..:(

..And as one who watched as Al's thread was progressing, he tried and failed at some things then found better items and tweaks...He invested a lot of time and money into his trials and tribulations to get to 30 mpg and above..:hammer:

...and for the record...My 4wd 4cyl Ranger (no tunes or gadget's, pretty much stock) with 600# cargo on 33x12.50's with 4:88 gears (about 3000 rpm) get's 21 plus highway (16.5 plus city)...

..In no way am I a Hypermiler but I do believe one could get 30 mpg (hwy) out of a well maintained vehicle..;)

..I think someone is currently working on doing this now...I know I saw a thread on it somewhere here...
 












I want to get a second wind out of my 190,x.. ohv and this thread has good information.

I'm doing a flowmaster 70 series 2.5 inch cat back exhaust after Labor day as the first mod.

I'll be following that up with a ultrapower coil pack, 66mm throttle body, and CAI.

I'm also researching the underdrive pulley and specifically what kind of alternator and drive belt I will need to go with it.

In mixed commuting (stop and go traffic with bursts up to 80 mph and normal cruising around 70 mph) I get 17 mph now. I hope these mods will get me closer to... 22-24.

I already took the 31x10.5 goodyear tires off for a stock size bridgestone dueller all season tires and picked up about 1 mpg from that.
 






Since I first purchased my Explorer, I have set a goal of 30 MPG.

On a trup last week from Sarasota to Atlantam about 575 milesm I achieved that goal. I made the trip on only 18 gal of gas ( Amoco regular 87 ). The trip was a no rush trip and I decided to stay UNDER 70 MPH. The trip average ( determined by GPS )m was 67,8 MPH.

The mileage for this leg of the trip was 32.1 MPG.

I anxiously await the return trup next Wednesday , not only to escape this God awful overcrowded town, as well as the COLD weatherm but alsp to see what the return mileage will be.
I realize that your goal of 30 mpg is an old post, but I wanted to know if you ran into any problem using synthetic in the transmission, rear end, transfer case??
Since a number of years has gone by, I wonder how it stands up???
 






I realize that your goal of 30 mpg is an old post, but I wanted to know if you ran into any problem using synthetic in the transmission, rear end, transfer case??
Since a number of years has gone by, I wonder how it stands up???

He has past away ...

Gotta search through the pages unless someone chimes in
 






Thanks for letting me know. Sorry to hear that.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Thanks for letting me know. Sorry to hear that.

If it helps, I use synthetic for all fluids and I feel it really benefits the truck. I have had it for over 4 years
 






Back
Top