Modifications and Fuel Mileage roll-call

[NorthernLite]

Hello everyone, new Explorer owner, '17 Sport, bone stock except for floor mats. Currently have 5000 kms on it and getting 15 L/100kms in the city and around 11 L/100kms on the highway doing 120. I'm currently looking to add a Team RX catch can and possibly a Livernois tune. Ultimately this is the wife's daily so more so looking for fuel economy, comfort and reliability than power. She loves the current amount of power it has.

On that note, I want to hear a quick blip about what you've done to your Explorer, how many kilometers/miles on it, and what kinda mileage you're getting.

Thanks guys!

 

[Mbrooks420]

15l/100Km= 15.681mpg
11l/100km= 19.061mpg

120kph = 74.5mph

For reference
Fuel Consumption Converter - The Calculator Site

 

[gmcv893]

OP I have a 2015 Sport, and getting around 14 per gallon in town (drive it like I stole it). Still haven't done any long distance driving to get a highway number. Have the weathertech floor mats like yours, and a drop in AEM filter. Doing the Livernois route hopefully this Saturday with downpipes, 3 bar, and 160 thermostat.

 

[peterk9]

........ Have the weathertech floor mats like yours,.......

He didn't specify the type of floor mats.
WeatherTech is good for Florida but Husky liners would be better for Saskatchewan due to their better coverage.

Peter

 

[peterk9]

Hello everyone, new Explorer owner, '17 Sport, bone stock except for floor mats. Currently have 5000 kms on it and getting 15 L/100kms in the city and around 11 L/100kms on the highway doing 120. I'm currently looking to add a Team RX catch can and possibly a Livernois tune. Ultimately this is the wife's daily so more so looking for fuel economy, comfort and reliability than power. She loves the current amount of power it has.

On that note, I want to hear a quick blip about what you've done to your Explorer, how many kilometers/miles on it, and what kinda mileage you're getting.

Thanks guys!

Welcome to the Forum.
There are many existing threads on mods that have been done by members. You can find most of them by just scrolling through the threads in this sub forum.
As for gas mileage; 3.5L Ecoboost Owners - What MPG are you getting? , Explorer Poor Gas Mileage - including Ecoboost
Mileage figures are variable depending on your driving style, speed, weather and to some degree the type of gas used so it is very difficult to compare. I have found very little difference between running 87 and 91 octane. 91 seems to give a slight boost but certainly not near enough to offset the extra cost. 3.5 Ecoboost - What type of fuel are you running?
There is a very useful 'Search' feature (upper right) that you should familiarize yourself with to find existing threads/posts on various topics in the different sub forum.

Peter

 

[NorthernLite]

He didn't specify the type of floor mats.
WeatherTech is good for Florida but Husky liners would be better for Saskatchewan due to their better coverage.

Peter

I actually do have the Husky Liners for the exact reason that they cover better than the Weathertech's do. I've ran Husky in the past 3 vehicles I've had and loved them.

 

[metroplex]

I used to get 16-17 mpg combined driving, but I started tweaking the tune and I now average 20-21 mpg combined. I can get 26 mpg pure highway. If I cruise at 40 mph, instantaneous mpg averages around 30-35 mpg. This is a 2018 XLT with the 3.5L N/A V6 and AWD. I'm running my own tune.

FYI... The factory did not program the shift schedules properly in Drive and Sport modes for the 2018. They copied the Drive shift schedule over to Sport mode, and a lot of the upshift/downshift curves cross. So that means the trans tends to hunt between 5 and 6 gears on the freeway with cruise control. In addition, it won't shift into 6th gear unless I am doing over 40-50 mph. I have it set to shift into 5th gear as early as 25 mph, and goes into 6th at around 30+. I also revised Sport mode so that it is similar to the SHO/Explorer Sport and Fusion Sport, where it will hold a numerically lower gear to a higher RPM.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

I used to get 16-17 mpg combined driving, but I started tweaking the tune and I now average 20-21 mpg combined. I can get 26 mpg pure highway. If I cruise at 40 mph, instantaneous mpg averages around 30-35 mpg. This is a 2018 XLT with the 3.5L N/A V6 and AWD. I'm running my own tune.

FYI... The factory did not program the shift schedules properly in Drive and Sport modes for the 2018. They copied the Drive shift schedule over to Sport mode, and a lot of the upshift/downshift curves cross. So that means the trans tends to hunt between 5 and 6 gears on the freeway with cruise control. In addition, it won't shift into 6th gear unless I am doing over 40-50 mph. I have it set to shift into 5th gear as early as 25 mph, and goes into 6th at around 30+. I also revised Sport mode so that it is similar to the SHO/Explorer Sport and Fusion Sport, where it will hold a numerically lower gear to a higher RPM.

How did you do your own tune?

 

[metroplex]

Lots of different ways, SCT or HPTuners are the most popular. I'm using HPTuners.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Lots of different ways, SCT or HPTuners are the most popular. I'm using HPTuners.

Weird how HP Tuners only does the 3.5 11-16MYs, but does the Sport up to 17MY.

 

[metroplex]

I had to request support for my 2018 XLT.

 

[jhu8]

Any of these tune companies offer anything for the 2.3L? It's actually a peppy little engine that I know can be even better.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d imagine Ford is squeezing more of the available power out of the 2.3 than the 3.5s. Smaller motors are typically at a disadvantage for adding power since they are more taxed out in stock form.

 

[metroplex]

Actually the 2.3 is more tunable. You just increase the boost and grab more torque. The 2.3 from the Mustang can go as high as 400 hp but fueling is a problem from what I heard. But I'd say 350 hp is attainable. I really wish I had gotten the 2.3 in my 2018 XLT.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Most likely at the expense of longevity.

 

[jhu8]

Actually the 2.3 is more tunable. You just increase the boost and grab more torque. The 2.3 from the Mustang can go as high as 400 hp but fueling is a problem from what I heard. But I'd say 350 hp is attainable. I really wish I had gotten the 2.3 in my 2018 XLT.

Yeah exactly. I keep hearing about all these tunes for the mustang with that 2.3 and it's got to be the same process with the explorer. I think it's a great little engine. Pretty damn good gas mileage and it does have some nice torque that should be able to be increased. I wish something would come out. Nothing crazy but just a little extra would be nice.

Plus combine it with the pretty good gas mileage I'm getting. Averaging 23.5 by hand calculation.

 

[metroplex]

Yes the gas mileage of the 2.3 makes me wish I had gotten that engine instead. With the warmer weather I am averaging 21 now with the NA 3.5 and my tune

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Yes the gas mileage of the 2.3 makes me wish I had gotten that engine instead. With the warmer weather I am averaging 21 now with the NA 3.5 and my tune

That's quite impressive. What kind of driving do you do?

 

[metroplex]

That's quite impressive. What kind of driving do you do?

It's mixed city and freeway. I noticed my average instantaneous mpg at slower speeds like under 55 mph is even higher. The aero drag on the Explorer is a lot.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

It's mixed city and freeway. I noticed my average instantaneous mpg at slower speeds like under 55 mph is even higher. The aero drag on the Explorer is a lot.

% mix? I get about 15-16mpg on my NA, w/o a tune.