18.1 mpg today

[Mjdtexan]

I had noticed that the ole Explorer was only getting around 15 mpg a few months back when I started noticing the truck was having issues. One of the codes said misfire, so I went and bought an ohm meter and tested the coil pack (sohc 4.0) and one of the coils was indeed bad. So, I replaced it and the milage went up to 16.9 and sometimes in the 17s. So I started being careful about the way I drive and today the ole gas mileage calculater thing in the dash rewarded me with an 18.1 display today. I noticed it on the way back from my final job interview. I got the job.

So, all in all it was a good day. Keep in mind that this ole Explorer still needs me to replace the heads. Now that I know what my schedule is I can go ahead and do all of this. I have all the new parts and tools now.

Thought I would share the 18.1 mpg with yall. Is that about what yall are getting or are yall doing better than that? I wonder iffin an electric fan could squeeze some more out of it.

 

[D Hook]

You should take that 18.1 and run. Congrats! I wish I could get that!

New job and 18.1 mpg from an explorer....all in one day...what more could you ask for? (Besides the love of a beautiful woman.)

 

[colintrax]

18.1 isn't THAT great, but seems a little over average. 20+ is doable if you care to try.
Oh, and some else that says if ins! Bwaha! Get crap for it all the time

 

[chetrick87]

Geez I get less than 12 good job

 

[zpn_by]

I'll be happy for winter to be over here - I'm sitting around 11 in-town for my 4.6. really not liking the mileage, but I still love the truck!

 

[Jumpjets]

20 on road trips. 17 around town. I guess I shouldn't complain.

 

[Exproblems]

I'll be happy for winter to be over here - I'm sitting around 11 in-town for my 4.6. !

Same here on winter and the mileage in town on my 4.0L, new engine and all.

 

[fusseli]

Sounds about right.

4.6L with 145k and I get 19 highway at 55-65, 16-17 at 65+ and about 10-12 in town.

 

[Explorer0204]

I got about 2mpg out of replacing my failing front wheel bearing, cleaning the throttle body, and taking a new route commuting. I get 15 in the winter and 17 summer... This is all 55mph roads but I am the least fuel efficient driver in the world so it's.. Yea bad...

All terrains don't help either.

 

[JCUZ]

At the moment, we are getting around 18 on ours - but that's 18l/100km which works out to around 13mpg. Hoping that a new air con compressor will address that to some extent - the current one screams when AC is on and the bearings/clutch is dragging even with AC off, so creating quite a bit of load on the engine - runs better with AC of then on, and we are currently going through a spate of 35 to 39 celsius (95F to 102F) days in our summer.....fun, fun, fun.

 

[D Hook]

Two things that I think are effecting my mileage:

1. Winter blend fuel has always dropped my mileage down. We can only buy 10% ethanol fuel now, unless you step up to Premium that has no ethanol. I tried both and saw no difference in mgp.
2. Changed from an aftermarket Cold Air system that was on the truck when I bought it, back to a stock air filter/filter box. Don't really care for the CAS since it's one of those filters that has to be cleaned and re-oiled and don't care to mess around with that. Over-oiling can mess with the MAF, or so I've read anyway.

Not sure which of these had the biggest effect on mileage, which is down to about 13mpg in town (from it's usual 15 mpg). Highway mileage is still doing okay at 20 mpg. But I think I'll see what the summer blend fuel does before changing back to the aftermarket CAS.

 

[ponkotsu]

Two things that I think are effecting my mileage:

1. Winter blend fuel has always dropped my mileage down. We can only buy 10% ethanol fuel now, unless you step up to Premium that has no ethanol. I tried both and saw no difference in mgp.
2. Changed from an aftermarket Cold Air system that was on the truck when I bought it, back to a stock air filter/filter box. Don't really care for the CAS since it's one of those filters that has to be cleaned and re-oiled and don't care to mess around with that. Over-oiling can mess with the MAF, or so I've read anyway.

Not sure which of these had the biggest effect on mileage, which is down to about 13mpg in town (from it's usual 15 mpg). Highway mileage is still doing okay at 20 mpg. But I think I'll see what the summer blend fuel does before changing back to the aftermarket CAS.

Changing the cold air intake wouldn't have any effect on mileage unless it was causing the engine to miss. The PCM would just compensate for any small effects it had on the MAF sensor. Winter mileage is always going to be less in city driving. It has to be in high idle longer to warm up and thus burns more fuel. Around here in Colorado, all we have is that crappy 10% fuel. It really irritates me because if you look at the scientific studies on it, it actually increases pollutants. Yes, there are 10% less hydrocarbons, but you get 10% less economy and thus burn 10% more. And it also makes it difficult to manage the engine performance. I tried that 85% fuel a few times years back. My economy went down dramatically, at least a 30% drop. They claim it's because the engine needs to adjust to the new fuel, but that's BS because the PCM will adjust the fuel trim for the correct stoichiometric ratio in a matter of a few minutes, or even seconds. Apparently it keeps the corn farmers and the lobbyists nice and fat though.

If you really think you have a drop in city mileage from previous years then probably it's running rich for some reason. Read my thread about the rough idle I had. I had a very noticeable increase after I finally fixed it. Went from about 11mpg city to about 13mpg. And the eleven was more summer/fall based. I'm getting better mileage now in the cold and snow than I did last summer. Highway mileage was much less effected.

 

[Exproblems]

Around here in Colorado, all we have is that crappy 10% fuel. .

As far as 87 octane fuel, same thing here in the Buffalo, N.Y. area. Not sure whether the higher octane grades have ethanol in them or not and too expensive to try thanks to NY State taxes. Go Manning/Broncos today!

 

[chetrick87]

As far as 87 octane fuel, same thing here in the Buffalo, N.Y. area. Not sure whether the higher octane grades have ethanol in them or not and too expensive to try thanks to NY State taxes. Go Manning/Broncos today!

I'm in buffalo too. Cheektowaga

 

[Exproblems]

I'm in buffalo too. Cheektowaga

You mean Cheek-ta-Vegas! Bird baths and plastic pink Flamingo's on many a lawn there. Have family and friends living in that town as well.

 

[SaltKing]

Citgo, if you have them in your area, doesn't add ethanol to their fuel at all. Only place I stop for gas.

 

[D Hook]

Really? I thought the ethanol was mandated by law.

EDIT: Here's an article talking about cutting back on the mandate:
http://www.businessweek.com/article...e-eliminated-if-bipartisan-legislation-passes


The gist of the article:

"U.S. legislation in 2007 mandated that a growing quantity of “renewable” biofuels be mixed with gasoline—9 billion gallons in 2008, climbing to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Last year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, responsible for implementing the law, demanded fuel companies mix in 14 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol and 2.75 billion gallons of so-called advanced biofuels, which are usually manufactured using scrap wood or corn husks. In the EU, the target legislated in 2009 calls for transportation fuel to be 10 percent biofuels by 2020."

But they're looking at cutting back on the mandate, much to the chagrin of the agricultural industry.

If what you say about Citgo is correct, I'm going there from now on. In our area, you can only buy 10% ethanol-blended fuel except for premium, which is still ethanol free.

 

[JCUZ]

For years before they had to tell us that fuel had ethanol in it, it had ethanol in it as an octane booster - they just never told us it had it.

 

[mrmontebuilder]

Mine (stock 03 Mounty 4.0 AWD disconnected) with a light foot going by readout on the dash which I reset at every fill-up goes between 9-12.5 in the city. I did new plugs, wires and coil when I got it and air filter looked brand new. This is a pretty light foot on a consistent route every day. These numbers are backed up by my math when I fill up and divide gallons to refill by miles traveled worst was 10 best was 12 over a tank. Pretty dismal in my opinion considering my stick shift full size V8 GMC pickup does better than that (15 avg)when using 4WD driving the same route. I am guessing mine has other issues but has no codes in the computer and seems to run just fine.

 

[dudee]

hi im a new member just bought a 05 explorer to discover its getting 15 mpg on the dash and by my math a friend and work told me that the computer can be programed for better millage any body heard of this? i had a 98 explorer that got 22 mpg before
this what happened to fuel economy ?