Better Fuel Mileage (Help Please)

Ok I have a 2010 Explorer Sport Trac XLT 4.0 6cyl.

Here are a list of things I have been looking for but can't find anything definitive since they discontinued this model.

- Cold Air Intake
- K & N Filter system
- Exhaust system
- Computer chip (Has anyone else used one of those gas mileage computer chips to improve their gas mileage?)

Also if anyone has any information on where to find the all black bently style grille other than ebay, i would appreciate it. And of course and idea on what i can add performance wise for better mileage.

I get nice mileage by keeping a light foot on the fuel, I can go about town or to work and keep the revs below 1500 the whole way.

Best performance mod for gas mileage is the driver mod. If you develop your driving habits to reduce smashing the gas pedal you will definitely see an increase in gas mileage. As for the grille Ebay is your only bet unfortunately.

To be honest you are going to see minimal if any mileage increase from those mods. All the little things like air filters and chips add up and help, but dont expect a huge increase in your mileage. Vehicle Maintenance and the way you drive are the biggest factor when it comes to mpg's. Youre not going to increase your mileage with mods unless you start throwing lots and lots of $$$ at it.

another thing people dont realize:

Slamming on the brake peddle is worst than slamming on the go fast peddle when it comes to gas mileage. Use your brakes as little as possible (dont quote me on that)

Well the one big thing is that I use my truck for work. I drive a pilot car and my driving habbits depend on the current situation with truck driver I am with. also a small increase from 3-7 miles more a gallon would be worth it since I drive a lot of miles. I have had my sport track since march 6 of this year and already have 32k on it. I spend almost 2 grand a month in gas. So as u can tell even the slightest increases would probably pay for itself.

driver habit is number one, but since you cant always dictate your driving habits at work, the next big thing you can do is lighten the weight of your truck. take everything out of the backseat you dont need, remove any tow hooks or roof racks and things like that. ive seen some people go as far as removing their tailgates and back seats to shave some weight. ive read on multiple websites that 150 lbs of weight shaved can equal as much as 1mpg increase.

good luck!

tires also make a difference, I don't know what you're running now, but when I upgraded size and type of tire by mileage dropped about 2-3 mpg

Reaper73 said:

- Cold Air Intake

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There is none. The stock intake IS cold air and not as restrictive as the Gen 1 intake is.

- K & N Filter system

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There is none for the V6. I have a K&N replacement filter.

- Exhaust system

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As far as I know, the only Gen 2 cat-back kit is made by Gibson. I have it, a slam dunk to install, picked up as much as 3 mpg on the highway if I keep it under 70. It is rated at 19 hwy but I've seen as high as 22 on highway trips if the terrain is level. City mpg is no different. Also it makes a V6 sound as good as it's going to.

- Computer chip (Has anyone else used one of those gas mileage computer chips to improve their gas mileage?)

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Never had one.

FWIW I use Mobil 1 0w-30 oil, Mobil 1 ATF in the transfer case, and Mobil 1 75w-140 in the rear axle. Tires matter, when the OE Goodyears all-seasons wore out I got Firestone A/T's, stock size, and lost a solid 1 mpg on the highway. More rolling resistance. However the Goodyears weren't worth crap in the snow.

I believe it's gonna be hard to achieve more than 23-24 with your truck. My 4.6 got 21.8 on the trip last week (Indy to St.Louis-75 mph), and wouldnt expect TOO much better with the 4.0 because the weight is about the same.

edj1993 said:

I believe it's gonna be hard to achieve more than 23-24 with your truck. My 4.6 got 21.8 on the trip last week (Indy to St.Louis-75 mph), and wouldn't expect TOO much better with the 4.0 because the weight is about the same.

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What I looked at when I bought mine was the 6 speed transmission. With proper gearing a V8 can get better mileage than a 4cyl. I drive everyday and barely exceed 1500 revs all day. A large motor works less for the same result as a smaller motor.

WV is not known for its flat roads like FL or southern GA, so getting good mpg's will be tough. One suggestion since you live in hilly terrain is to NOT use the cruise control much as it over compensates in the mountains to maintain the set speed. it will cause the tranny to downshift just to maintain the set speed causing higher revs. Just use your foot as the cruise and try not to mash on the gas as much when at speed going up and down the hills. You can try taking the tranny out of OD and being very smooth and steady with the gas pedal in certain conditions, the engine will rev higher but will stay in the power band more, the rpms will be more stable and the tranny won't downshift as much either. It's a trial and error type thing. If the weather is cool in the mountains, turn off the AC. A tonneau cover will give you maybe +.1-.3mpg & with that many miles a month, it could help but you're looking at $500 +/- depending on what you get just to get one. Pump up your tires helps as well to about 35 38 psi

I got a 1998 ford explorer sport with basically the same engine. The spare tire was like 100 pounds or something. I could barely lift it. took it off. I took off the inside metal panel under the wheel and left it out (so now my wires are held up there by tape). I took the rear windshield wiper out which weighs like 15 pounds (doesn't work anyway). Took the plastic back door panel off (doesn't weigh much but who cares). Stripped the carpet out of the back. Took a little plastic thing off the front that I guess was after market (just creates wind drag). Took the rails off the top. Just tried to strip out anything I didn't need. At least back in 1998 they used really good and strong steel to build the frame so the truck still has good weight to it and doesn't blow around in the wind like newer little plastic cars they build. I saw a significant increase in gas mileage. I'd say two or three mpg increase.

Not sure how well it will work in newer vehicles because most of the incredible gas mileage increases have been the geniuses at the company taking out steel and building cars out of plastic and fiberglass now days. So most new cars already weigh nothing to begin with. I'm grateful I at least have a strong and solid frame.

Probably couldn't do this on a newer vehicle as well because you might kill the resale value. On the older explorers you can really strip out a lot of useless weight though. If you take it out mudding and stuff though you might actually want some of that weight on the back to keep from getting stuck if you only have rear wheel drive.

I'm also looking at buying a really good after market exhaust. You will get about 1 or 2 mpg extra from that, but it will cost you enough money that you could buy a lot of gas with the $800 or so you spend on the exhaust. Will increase hp too but my old clunker needs new exhaust anyway. you could probably push an extra 5 mpg out of the older ones by stripping them down and putting a top quality exhaust system on it.

Gibson exhaust a big plus...K&N filter worth a little.Use only reg gas, you will lose mileage with mid or prem fuel in a motor designed for regular. Lighten the load and as other said DONT use cruise when in hills it will kill your MPG.

A couple suggestions:

• Replace the rims with something lighter.
• Run skinnier tires of the same diameter.
• Replace the stock radiator fan with an electric one.
• Lower the truck if possible.
• Make sure your front air dam/deflector is still in place.
• Shut off AC whenever possible, and keep windows rolled up when on the highway.
• Replace engine, PS, Trans, transfer case, and axle fluids with synthetics.

I have not gotten a programmer yet, but I am thinking about it. Also, instead of a catback exhaust, I'm thinking of replacing the muffler and resonator combo with a large glasspack. That should save a pile of weight too.

As stated before, the driver is the best mod of all. I just drove to Ohio and back in my V8 ST and averaged 430 miles to the tank which equals out to 21.5 mpg. The best I've ever gotten in my ex was 24.6 mpg all the way from here in Atlanta to Orlando. There were a lot of factors that led to that though, and yes my ST has a few mods but it hasn't been chipped nor does it have Fords new transmission mapping yet.

I also found a noticeable improvement when I swapped over everything to Amsoil and included the PI performance improver

Especially when towing the camper (09 STA)

I'm an amsoil dealer here and see this bonus often. Im a take a sample of everything after my next trip

Like everyone has said, changing the way you drive will give you the best improvement.

After that... A tune can give you a 1-2 mpg difference sometimes. An electric fan is pretty good for a small improvement. Properly inflated tires are a huge one. Also, a good tread pattern and a low rolling resistance tire will save you some gas. Most other mods are pretty worthless for fuel economy. Regular maintenance will keep your fuel economy from falling. If you never go offroad, lower your truck and you should see a slight improvement.

1rainman said:

I got a 1998 ford explorer sport with basically the same engine. The spare tire was like 100 pounds or something. I could barely lift it. took it off. I took off the inside metal panel under the wheel and left it out (so now my wires are held up there by tape). I took the rear windshield wiper out which weighs like 15 pounds (doesn't work anyway). Took the plastic back door panel off (doesn't weigh much but who cares). Stripped the carpet out of the back. Took a little plastic thing off the front that I guess was after market (just creates wind drag). Took the rails off the top. Just tried to strip out anything I didn't need. At least back in 1998 they used really good and strong steel to build the frame so the truck still has good weight to it and doesn't blow around in the wind like newer little plastic cars they build. I saw a significant increase in gas mileage. I'd say two or three mpg increase.

Not sure how well it will work in newer vehicles because most of the incredible gas mileage increases have been the geniuses at the company taking out steel and building cars out of plastic and fiberglass now days. So most new cars already weigh nothing to begin with. I'm grateful I at least have a strong and solid frame.

Probably couldn't do this on a newer vehicle as well because you might kill the resale value. On the older explorers you can really strip out a lot of useless weight though. If you take it out mudding and stuff though you might actually want some of that weight on the back to keep from getting stuck if you only have rear wheel drive.

I'm also looking at buying a really good after market exhaust. You will get about 1 or 2 mpg extra from that, but it will cost you enough money that you could buy a lot of gas with the $800 or so you spend on the exhaust. Will increase hp too but my old clunker needs new exhaust anyway. you could probably push an extra 5 mpg out of the older ones by stripping them down and putting a top quality exhaust system on it.

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Most new cars weigh more than old cars. They are also more rigid. A new AWD Taurus for instance? 4300 lbs. A new "plastic" 2013 Explorer, 4600-5000 lbs.

Your Explorer? 3900 lbs. Does much worse in a crash test as far as safety of occupants goes, and much worse in the handling department.

Also, you are going to have to do a heck of a lot more than losing a hundred pounds of weight off your explorer and bolting on an exhaust to gain 5mpg. Heck, the fuel mileage difference between a sport and a 4 door 2nd gen is only 1mpg, despite the extra 400lbs.

I haven't really looked at the new Explorers but I have drove a lot of new rental cars. The small and mid size cars are mostly made for midgets- very tiny. The Chevy Cruz was about six inches off the ground. I mean I'd hate to hit a pot hole or speed bumb in that car. The bodies are some kind of plexiglas that you can kick and bend in or else paper thin metal. And the frames are super thin steel or aluminum. By contrast a car from the 70s is like a tank with solid steel body and robust frames. Although the older cars rusted pretty bad.

Even in the 90s most of the cars were built pretty flimsy but I have been impressed with the construction of the old explorer. It had almost no rust when I bought it at 15 years old. The metal just looks strong and is solid. It's built like a truck. The new explorers are built like large cars (as are most SUVs now). The new ones do have more horsepower and probably better engines (hard to say how reliable they are because ford doesn't test stuff).


It's hard to believe that the new explorers are heavier given the emphasis on gas mileage of new cars. The government has raised the standards. The 98 that I have has a lot of extra weight that can be easily shed. The weight is 3,692 pounds. shedding 200 pounds reduces weight by about 5%. I believe I took more than 200 pounds off. I don't know what the spare tire weighed but that thing alone seemed close to 100 pounds. A 5% improvement in gas mileage= an extra 1 mpg. 5% is a lot. But also reducing drag helps by removing the racks on the top or any extra stuff on the hood. Trust me it does make a noticeable difference in mileage.

I got around 25 mpg on my 98 sport driving cross country through several states. Most people seem to get 20 mpg or so (which its rated at 20 or 21 highway). The biggest factor is keep the speed around 60 and avoid the brake. Higher speed will significantly reduce mileage (especially in a non-aerodynamic vehicle like this one). I have an old exaust (haven't replaced it yet) I just took weight off it, tuned it up, inflated the tires and drove slow. There is no cruise control so didn't use it.

I also got A LOT better mpg using premium gas from BP or Shell. It's actually cheaper to buy premium gas. You save a penny on discount gas then end up buying twice as much in the long run so losing money. Some of these shady hindu type marts or redneck stops I don't know how they do it but the gas is "watered down" somehow and over a long trip I notice the difference right before my eyes. It will just suck down that cheap-o gas. Don't buy it.

I know ethanol gets worse gas mileage but that's not it because shell and BP have ethanol in their gas but it seems to last a lot longer than the cheaper brands. Kroger gas seems pretty good too.

^ premium gas is a waste. "premium" is simply a higher octane. Octane prevents pre ignition, which isn't going to happen in your explorer. High compression, advanced timing, and those fun things will require higher octane.
Kroger gas is Shell. FYI
Since when does Ford not test stuff?
What size tire is your spare? 100lbs is a pretty high guess. Try closer to 50lbs if it's stock size or well anything reasonable.
You got better mpgs driving cross country because a warm engine is more efficient. Your gas mileage is mostly killed when the engine is warming up. Also, people tend to drive more sensibly on unfamiliar roads.
I don't believe in BP or Shell being some how better, so long as you're buying gas at decent/heavy used stations. However, I have seen otherwise. Still think it's a fluke.

Find, the new AWD Tarus isn't the best example of a car. I see your point, but come on. That is a massive car, there's a reason it weighs almost as much as the explorer. They are built on the same platform. Regardless, you are right. The new cars aint exactly light
And a FWD 2011+ Explorer isn't going to handle as good as the old explorers. My 97 is the best handling truck/suv I've driven. RWD always kills FWD, and somehow these big, ugly, steel trucks handle well. It does have a tendency to pull the inside wheels up on tight turns, and it gets wheel hop occasionally. It aint a race car, but it'll out turn a few cars.
Comparing the sport to 4 door isn't completly fair. 400lbs feels better on the skinny pedal than the wallet but it will save you SOME gas. The sport doesn't do as good because it's shorter. Short vehicles tend to not be as aerodynamic. Granted that's a generalization, and I could be wrong about the explorers.

OP, better driving habits will make the biggest difference. Try ecomodder.com if you really want to get crazy. Unfortunately, don't expect much. 25mpg is about as high as it's gonna get, don't expect to hit 30. I bought an old 91 ranger, with the 4cyl, 5 speed, tiny tires, no PS, no AC, regular cab, 2wd, short bed. My sole intention was good gas mileage, and it gets 30mpg. Without any crazy hypermiling, or mods. I did see a 2mpg increase from a grill block. But when the weather warmed up I took it off, started running to hot.