HORRIBLE MILEAGE. .only 7 mpg on my 5L 96 X!!!

verbalist · 07-13-2004, 08:32 PM

Hey guys,
I just bought a 96 explorer v8 5L, i thought I got a good deal at $5900. . .
Going by my trip odometer and keeping track of how much gas I put in I found that I'm only getting about 7mpg!!
I saw my mechanic today and he told me i need new plugs and wires, but I dont think that alone could be the reason for my gas woes. . I live in St. Maarten, in the caribbean. . gas here runs at about $2.95/gal for regular or between 10 and 20 bucks a day. . . I'm goin broke feeding the thing, help!

thanx

Tre

*jayhawkexplorer* · 07-13-2004, 09:22 PM

Use the search function, there's a ton of info on this topic, since the X doesn't exactly do well on gas mileage, except for Adlive, who gets 33 mpg. You might need to clean your MAF, plugs/wires, air filter, fuel filter, check your tire pressure, PCV valve, there's a start for u..

**section525** · 07-13-2004, 10:29 PM

Having the 5.0L miss due to a non-firing cylinder (ie. plug, wire, coil pack) will drastically decrease the mpgs. I was down to 8mpg a long time ago because of a bad o2 sensor and a bad coil pack. I'd do all jayhawk's reccommendations just cause you don't know what history the truck has and it'll most likely get you back up to the 15-17mpg area.

Welcome!

*V8BoatBuilder* · 07-13-2004, 11:20 PM

I was getting about that before I rebuilt my heads and ignition system. I was only running on 6 or 7 cylinders at a given time.

I would pull the plugs and look for fouling, that should help narrow down which cylinder is not firing. Also do a compression test, before just throwing parts at it. However, if you truck has high miles, O2s and Coil Packs might solve the problem. Both these parts can "partially fail" where they don't preform up to par, yet register fine during diagnostics.

verbalist · 07-14-2004, 10:23 AM

Thanx for the help guys, I did a search before posting, but didnt find anyone with as bad mileage as I have. . I cleaned the MAF a couple days ago, before I checked my mpg and i think it got a little better, it must have been 5mpg before i cleaned it.. I'm gonna get some plus and wires andsee what happens

Nitrous SSC · 07-14-2004, 05:45 PM

I'm a member of the sub 10 MPG club in the city!

You'll want to follow what Jayhawk mentioned.

**section525** · 07-14-2004, 06:34 PM

I get nearly 11mpg in the city!

*V8BoatBuilder* · 07-14-2004, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by section525

I get nearly 11mpg in the city!

Me too! I'm hovering around 10mpg city/14mpg highway after the valve job, new O2s, new plugs, new wires, new coil packs.... oy vey.

**section525** · 07-14-2004, 06:54 PM

Valve job?!

Nitrous SSC · 07-14-2004, 08:32 PM

yea its a new kinky car mod. Its like a Stroker :evil:

*performancenut* · 07-14-2004, 08:45 PM

Just out of the <10 MPG after much of what was mentioned. Good luck.

*V8BoatBuilder* · 07-14-2004, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitrous SSC

yea its a new kinky car mod. Its like a Stroker :evil:

HAHAHAHA... dude... i think That's my new sig.

Section.... yea... I tosted my #2 cylinder valves, and head gasket on the pass side. I have a huge thread in the under the hood forum about it.

Nitrous SSC · 07-15-2004, 12:38 AM

Glad to be of service

I still can't believe the MPG this rig gets when my stang makes almost twice the power all motor and I drive like I'm in a movie car chase 24/7. I still get high teens low 20's with it and it has a 140k shortblock thats had more nitrous through it than a dentist office.

**section525** · 07-15-2004, 12:42 AM

I can't believe you get worse mpgs than I do!

Nitrous SSC · 07-15-2004, 12:48 AM

You think thats bad? I was showing homes in the Bountiful/North Salt Lake area that is on the mountain bench. The roads are so steep that after only one day of showing homes which was about 90 miles I had ate a full tank. Climbing the main street my little computer said 3mpg! its so steep it barly stays in 2nd gear at 30mph. I hate how hilly my area is.

*plrs x45* · 07-15-2004, 11:45 AM

I am a member of the 10mpg in the city club too. Towing my boat on the highway net me 8.53 mpg. I usually get around 15.2mpg.

verbalist · 07-15-2004, 04:35 PM

heh wow. . lotsa people in the same boat

I just put 20 bucks in mine this afternoon, I'm expecting it to last till tomorrow sometime. . I havent gotten the plugs yet though, I'll try and get them and put em in tomorrow before I put more gas in the thing
. . . also, my thermostat is messin around with me, my temp guage works when it wants to, it usually stays right above C even in real hard driving for long periods of time. . sometimes it'll just sit on C. . I've heard that a bad thermostat could kill gas mileage, could that be a factor?

Nitrous SSC · 07-16-2004, 12:20 PM

oh yea when do you your plugs you don't need the 4$ a piece double platium. Just get the single platium ones that are about 2 bux a piece. There really isn't much difference.

07-13-2004, 08:32 PM	#1
verbalist Wannabe Elite Explorer St. Maarten 96 XLT Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 13 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	HORRIBLE MILEAGE. .only 7 mpg on my 5L 96 X!!! Hey guys, I just bought a 96 explorer v8 5L, i thought I got a good deal at $5900. . . Going by my trip odometer and keeping track of how much gas I put in I found that I'm only getting about 7mpg!! I saw my mechanic today and he told me i need new plugs and wires, but I dont think that alone could be the reason for my gas woes. . I live in St. Maarten, in the caribbean. . gas here runs at about $2.95/gal for regular or between 10 and 20 bucks a day. . . I'm goin broke feeding the thing, help! thanx Tre

07-13-2004, 10:29 PM	#3
section525 sextion525 Red Bluff, Ca 1975 Ford Bronco 4x4 Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 14,906 Vehicle Specs	Having the 5.0L miss due to a non-firing cylinder (ie. plug, wire, coil pack) will drastically decrease the mpgs. I was down to 8mpg a long time ago because of a bad o2 sensor and a bad coil pack. I'd do all jayhawk's reccommendations just cause you don't know what history the truck has and it'll most likely get you back up to the 15-17mpg area. Welcome! __________________ Support the Forum '13 3.5 Explorer '08 2.0 Focus '75 5.0 Bronco '04 6.0 Super Duty

07-13-2004, 11:20 PM	#4
V8BoatBuilder Transplanted Bostonian East Brunswick, NJ 97 Mountaineer V8 4x4 Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,429 Vehicle Specs	I was getting about that before I rebuilt my heads and ignition system. I was only running on 6 or 7 cylinders at a given time. I would pull the plugs and look for fouling, that should help narrow down which cylinder is not firing. Also do a compression test, before just throwing parts at it. However, if you truck has high miles, O2s and Coil Packs might solve the problem. Both these parts can "partially fail" where they don't preform up to par, yet register fine during diagnostics. __________________ -Aaron Off Road: 97' Mountaineer: V8, 4x4, 4.56s, 4" Superlift, SOA, TrXus 33x12.5 - Under The Knife Work: 00' Ranger 4cyl 5spd, 02' Ford E250 5.4 On Road: 2006 VW Jetta TDI/6spd DSG. Fill it with diesel, please. Octopus Yachts, LLC Engineered Marine Electrical Systems

07-14-2004, 05:45 PM	#6
Nitrous SSC Wannabe Elite Explorer Layton, UT 98 Eddie 3-oh-2 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 817 Vehicle Specs	I'm a member of the sub 10 MPG club in the city! You'll want to follow what Jayhawk mentioned. __________________ Matt H. 04 Merc Marauder (daily) 90 GT, Built/Blown 347 01 SVT Cobra, 03' drivetrain Wife's car.

07-14-2004, 06:34 PM	#7
section525 sextion525 Red Bluff, Ca 1975 Ford Bronco 4x4 Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 14,906 Vehicle Specs	I get nearly 11mpg in the city! __________________ Support the Forum '13 3.5 Explorer '08 2.0 Focus '75 5.0 Bronco '04 6.0 Super Duty

07-13-2004, 09:22 PM	#2
jayhawkexplorer Elite Explorer Mission, Kansas '97 XLT Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,225 Vehicle Specs	Use the search function, there's a ton of info on this topic, since the X doesn't exactly do well on gas mileage, except for Adlive, who gets 33 mpg. You might need to clean your MAF, plugs/wires, air filter, fuel filter, check your tire pressure, PCV valve, there's a start for u.. __________________ Former owner of a '97 Explorer XLT, I let her go on 5/31/06 Had a Mazda Protege5 for 32 days before it got totaled by a fellow driver, now owner of an '03 Mazda 6s.

07-14-2004, 10:23 AM	#5
verbalist Wannabe Elite Explorer St. Maarten 96 XLT Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 13 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Thanx for the help guys, I did a search before posting, but didnt find anyone with as bad mileage as I have. . I cleaned the MAF a couple days ago, before I checked my mpg and i think it got a little better, it must have been 5mpg before i cleaned it.. I'm gonna get some plus and wires andsee what happens

07-14-2004, 06:54 PM	#9
section525 sextion525 Red Bluff, Ca 1975 Ford Bronco 4x4 Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 14,906 Vehicle Specs	Valve job?! __________________ Support the Forum '13 3.5 Explorer '08 2.0 Focus '75 5.0 Bronco '04 6.0 Super Duty

07-14-2004, 08:32 PM	#10
Nitrous SSC Wannabe Elite Explorer Layton, UT 98 Eddie 3-oh-2 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 817 Vehicle Specs	yea its a new kinky car mod. Its like a Stroker :evil: __________________ Matt H. 04 Merc Marauder (daily) 90 GT, Built/Blown 347 01 SVT Cobra, 03' drivetrain Wife's car.

07-14-2004, 08:45 PM	#11
performancenut Elite Explorer Eastern North Carolina '97 XLT 5.0 Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 758 Vehicle Specs	Just out of the <10 MPG after much of what was mentioned. Good luck.

07-15-2004, 12:38 AM	#13
Nitrous SSC Wannabe Elite Explorer Layton, UT 98 Eddie 3-oh-2 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 817 Vehicle Specs	Glad to be of service I still can't believe the MPG this rig gets when my stang makes almost twice the power all motor and I drive like I'm in a movie car chase 24/7. I still get high teens low 20's with it and it has a 140k shortblock thats had more nitrous through it than a dentist office. __________________ Matt H. 04 Merc Marauder (daily) 90 GT, Built/Blown 347 01 SVT Cobra, 03' drivetrain Wife's car.

07-15-2004, 12:42 AM	#14
section525 sextion525 Red Bluff, Ca 1975 Ford Bronco 4x4 Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 14,906 Vehicle Specs	I can't believe you get worse mpgs than I do! __________________ Support the Forum '13 3.5 Explorer '08 2.0 Focus '75 5.0 Bronco '04 6.0 Super Duty

07-15-2004, 12:48 AM	#15
Nitrous SSC Wannabe Elite Explorer Layton, UT 98 Eddie 3-oh-2 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 817 Vehicle Specs	You think thats bad? I was showing homes in the Bountiful/North Salt Lake area that is on the mountain bench. The roads are so steep that after only one day of showing homes which was about 90 miles I had ate a full tank. Climbing the main street my little computer said 3mpg! its so steep it barly stays in 2nd gear at 30mph. I hate how hilly my area is. __________________ Matt H. 04 Merc Marauder (daily) 90 GT, Built/Blown 347 01 SVT Cobra, 03' drivetrain Wife's car.

07-15-2004, 11:45 AM	#16
plrs x45 Elite Explorer Joliet, Il 98 xlt V8 Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 184 Vehicle Specs	I am a member of the 10mpg in the city club too. Towing my boat on the highway net me 8.53 mpg. I usually get around 15.2mpg. __________________ 2000 Ebbtide powerboat Polaris X45 watercraft (1 of only 500) 2004 Hemi Durango Limited

07-15-2004, 04:35 PM	#17
verbalist Wannabe Elite Explorer St. Maarten 96 XLT Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 13 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	heh wow. . lotsa people in the same boat I just put 20 bucks in mine this afternoon, I'm expecting it to last till tomorrow sometime. . I havent gotten the plugs yet though, I'll try and get them and put em in tomorrow before I put more gas in the thing . . . also, my thermostat is messin around with me, my temp guage works when it wants to, it usually stays right above C even in real hard driving for long periods of time. . sometimes it'll just sit on C. . I've heard that a bad thermostat could kill gas mileage, could that be a factor?

07-16-2004, 12:20 PM	#18
Nitrous SSC Wannabe Elite Explorer Layton, UT 98 Eddie 3-oh-2 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 817 Vehicle Specs	oh yea when do you your plugs you don't need the 4$ a piece double platium. Just get the single platium ones that are about 2 bux a piece. There really isn't much difference. __________________ Matt H. 04 Merc Marauder (daily) 90 GT, Built/Blown 347 01 SVT Cobra, 03' drivetrain Wife's car.