13 mpg!!!

[99stocksport]

i ahve a 1999 explorer sport 4x4 with the SOHC, 84,000 miles and the K&N FIPK and i am gettin 13 mpg around town!! this is very disturbing t ome considering the price of gas at the moment. does this sound like normal gas milage or do yall thisnk somethin is wrong?? please let me know...i need better mpg

 

[agallant]

I get about 14 city 19 highway

 

[302Xplorer]

You should be getting better. I get better in my V8. When was the last time you changed your plugs and wires or pcv valve? An alignment might help as well as switching to synthetic fluids

 

[Interstate]

Definately get synthetic fluids. I just change to synth crankcase oil and already getting about 50 miles more per fillup.

Is the PCV valve the valve for the valvecovers? I think I got that replaced when I switched to synth.

 

[ExplorerDMB]

I believe a stock 4.0L SOHC should get 18mpg/city 21mpg/highway. I believe it's the exact same numbers as a cobra (unfort.)

-Drew

 

[99stocksport]

does this mean that i should change all the fluids? i.e. trans...diffs..engine..ect? and i take it i should also get new plugs and wires? also a friend of mine mentioned something about the cats...could they cause a problem too????

 

[ricklorion]

Definately get synthetic fluids. I just change to synth crankcase oil and already getting about 50 miles more per fillup.

Is the PCV valve the valve for the valvecovers? I think I got that replaced when I switched to synth.

Curious, I heard "rumors" that synth oil is bad for the seals. Is this true?

 

[aldive]

Curious, I heard "rumors" that synth oil is bad for the seals. Is this true?

No

 

[ntoprator]

Curious, I heard "rumors" that synth oil is bad for the seals. Is this true?

Actually, on a very high mileage vehicle it can be, Synthetics tend to do a great job cleaning the seals, the problem is, with worn seals, it will actually clean so well it eats through.

However with your vehicle being only 5-6 years old, I doubt it would be a problem for you.

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

I believe a stock 4.0L SOHC should get 18mpg/city 21mpg/highway. I believe it's the exact same numbers as a cobra (unfort.)

-Drew

I don't know that its that good. 21 sounds right, but 18 is definitely not. I'd say you'll get 15-16 best case scenario in town, and 13-14 on a more normal day.

I get about 16-17 overall with my OHV, and that's with 75% highway miles.

 

[Interstate]

90% of manufacturer mileage claims (or whoever rates them) are very optimistic. I know I was getting 13 in town before synthetic. (Bone stock with 50lbs of audio equipment and 200lbs of person)

BTW, aldive is the oil expert for this forum.

 

[Brian_B]

I don't drive in town a lot, but I average about 20 in mixed driving. I drive pretty hard in these small hills and sharp curves. I seem to get about the same on the highway, but I drive faster there to, so I guess it evens out.

 

[FL Oil Guy]

Synthetic lubricants are fuel efficient, extended life lubricants manufactured from select basestocks and special purpose additives. In contrast to petroleum oils which are pumped from the earth and refined, synthetics are custom-designed in the laboratory, with each phase of their molecular construction programmed to produce, in effect, the ideal lubricant.
If you switch to a high quality 100 % synthetic lubricant this is an average improvement you can expect to get.

Engine 3.42%
Differential 5.59%
Engine, Transmission, and Differential 8.2%

As far as causing seals to leak untrue. It would be foolhardy for lubricant manufacturers to build a product that is incompatible with seals. The composition of seals presents problems that both petroleum oils and synthetics must overcome. Made from elastomers, seals are inherently difficult to standardize.

Ultimately it is the additive mix in the oil that counts. Additives to control seal swell, shrinkage and hardening are required, whether it be a synthetic or petroleum product that is being produced.

 

[Brian_B]

With a newer engine I don't see any drawbacks to running synethetics.

I know my old 2.9 (182,000) leaks too much now to worry about synthetics. It would get expensive fast trying to keep full synthetics in that thing.

 

[icepounder]

I have a 99 stock Sport and I'm getting about 13/city and 19/highway since new. The city mileage is all local and with warming up in the winter it goes down to 11mpg. I'm using mobil 1 in the engine and trans.