Mpg?

[peterbrown77]

I bought a 2000 Eddie Bauer V6 a few weeks ago. The trip computer says that I have averaged 18.0 mpg but the past 3 fillups I have calculated between 15.8 and 16.4 mpg. I am just coming out of a '92 XLT with a 5 speed that consistently returned 19-20 mpg (after 244,700 miles).

Am I getting truly horrible mileage or what? I commute 40 miles a day, 30-35 of it uncongested highway and the rest back roads. I drive 65-70mph, and the back roads are clear, 40mph zones. I'm really babying this thing to try to get better mileage but nothing seems to improve it.

The reason I'm asking is that I have a 60 day warranty from the dealer and if there's something wrong I want it fixed in this period.

Is 16mpg acceptable for a V6 Explorer or is there something out of whack?

Regards
Pete

 

[aldive]

Is 16mpg acceptable for a V6 Explorer or is there something out of whack?

I think that your mileage is low.

Do you know the history of maintenance on the truck? How old are the spark plugs.wires? Air filter? What tire air pressure are you running? Hook up an OBD II scanner and checj the O2 sensor dunction.

Good luck .......

 

[aldive]

For information on improving gas mileage, take a look at http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44372&highlight=quest

 

[Ray Lobato]

Can you tell us what your gear ratio is? This will also make a big differance in gas mileage.

 

[peterbrown77]

I don't know the history of this vehicle. It has 90,000 miles and looks like it was well-cared for. I've yet to check the plugs and wires but I'm scheduling it for service (something is clunking in the front end when I cut the wheel all the way in reverse) next week and want to point them in the right direction

How do I determine the ratio? Is it part of the VIN?

Regards

 

[aldive]

How do I determine the ratio? Is it part of the VIN?

The code is on the driver's door.

 

[peterbrown77]

The axle code is "D2".............whatever that means.

 

[Lloyd10977]

According to this listing I found, "D2" stands for limited slip 4.10 gear ratio. (Look under the listing for EXPLORER.)
http://www.broncoii.org/Tech Pages/broncoiiaxlecodes/

HOWEVER, I won't take that as gospel because MY X is a D4 (door sticker) and it is limited slip 3.73, where this listing shows it as a 3.55.

 

[peterbrown77]

4.10 sounds a little severe for a car without a tow package.........

Maybe my Haynes manual has more info.......

 

[Ray Lobato]

D2 is 4.10:1 limited slip gear ratio. This won't help you get better gas mileage, because you are geared lower (the higher the number the lower the gear ratio is) than many other trucks. You can offset this alittle by getting bigger tires. Your normal tire size is 29". If you go to a 31"x 10.5" tire or the metric equalivent, since I believe you are using 16" rims, you will then be running at the same speed, but at a lower RPM. This is not just changing tires, but you also have to have the speedometer recalibrated, and since you have a 2000, it has to be done at the dealership or a speedometer shop. I can do this myself on my 97 because it is a mechanical adjustment (changing the speedo gear), but your's is electronic. 3.55's would have definately given you better MPG then the 4.10's
I still don't believe that this is your only reason for bad gas mileage. I would definately get the plugs changed and add a dropin after market air filter, like a K&N to help it breath better. Make sure that the MAF is also cleaned, as this will also cause bad gas mileage.

Lloyd, The information on that site for the D4 is incorrect. D4 is a 3.73:1 ratio limited slip.

 

[peterbrown77]

Ray,

Is the MAF a hot-wire or speed-density system?

Regards

 

[Ray Lobato]

The Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF), senses the amount of air that is going into the engine (Part of the emissions system),and can cause the computer to make the truck run rich, making it use more gas than it should.
there is a write up on how to clean it, in the "Useful Threads" forum.
Just remember DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH YOUR FINGERS!!!!" You can ruin it, by touching it. The oil from your hands will cause it to send erronious info.
It is easy to clean, so don't be afraid to clean it, just read the write-up first.
Hope this helps.

 

[Ray Lobato]

I guess I should mention that the MAF is located right after the air filter

 

[peterbrown77]

Ray,

I was looking through my old Haynes where it states that the MAF is a hot-wire system, as in my old Corvette. I imagine I just have to get any debris off the wire. What's the recommended procedure - a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol or something like that?

Regards

 

[aldive]

What's the recommended procedure - a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol or something like that?

Take a look at Dead Link Removed

 

[peterbrown77]

The car's at the dealer and they say the scan tool is reading 20MPG or so.......perhaps a worn injector? I know for a fact that I'm getting 15-16mpg. I know that the scan tool and the trip computer can only perform a calculation of fuel economy based upon speed, rpm, and injector opening duration. It's not as if the car can actually MEASURE the amount of fuel going through the fuel line. Based upon that assumption, the only variable I can see is that more fuel is actually flowing through the injectors than the computer assumes there is - or am I missing something?

 

[CDW6212R]

The factory message centers all read a little high, that is normal and not your problem.
Do you have the SOHC V6, if so it should get better gas mileage.

Concentrate on tune up items. If you don't have maintenance records, assume everything needs to be done. Whether they are part of your purchase agreement or not, change the fuel and air filters. Put some fuel injector cleaner in the fuel tank.

Change the spark plug wires and plugs, they don't last as long as people think. If you will keep the truck for more than 50-75,000 miles, then buy the best wires, from Magnecor. Check the carfreaks website for good prices. Otherwise, get Motorcraft, they have a lifetime warantee. Welcome, and good luck.

 

[peterbrown77]

Well, it's been about 2 months since I started on this and still my mileage has improved only marginally. I find myself getting between 15.9 and 16.8 mpg. One highway trip netted me 17.5.

I have:
- Cleaned the MAF
- Changed the plugs
- Changed the wires
- Installed a K&N air filter
- Inflated the tires to 38psi
- Cleaned the intake with Amsoil Powerfoam.
- Driven like an old lady, never exceeding 70mph. No quick starts, lots of coast downs.

I'm thinking oxygen sensors again. If I am receiving no trouble codes, will new sensors improve fuel economy? What am I asking essentially, is do the either work or not or do they degrade over time until such a point as they trip a code?

Also, does anyone see any benefit (fuel economy-wise) from the brown wire mod?

Any help appreciated!

 

[aldive]

I'm thinking oxygen sensors again. If I am receiving no trouble codes, will new sensors improve fuel economy? What am I asking essentially, is do the either work or not or do they degrade over time until such a point as they trip a code?

The O2 sensors can degrade in function as they age. The definitive test is to hook up an OBD scanner and monitor their function.

Replacing without diagnosing can be a huge waste of money.

Good luck ........

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes agreed, and the brown wire mod has nothing to do with fuel mileage. All of the 4WD parts are moving constantly anyway. That is a big reason Al does so well with his 2WD.

I have 144k on my O2 sensors, and may change them sometime soon. Beyond a higher mileage like 100-150k miles, things like O2 sensors do become good preventative maintenance items.

Have you changed the fuel filter lately? If not, try that, it's not expensive, and that has been known to affect mileage. Regards,