1st Gen explorers gas mileage and how to increase!

[swimmernate]

Freaking awesome. I just spent the last half an hour searching the forum about electric fans. Yes, I will do this. But just not right now. From what I've read the electric fan is such a great idea, it's just stinks that there isn't a uniform switch over. As far as I'm concerned, this is an absolute. As for the under drive pulley's, yeah they do seem a little more expensive but the gains should justify it.

 

[jd4242]

Freaking awesome. I just spent the last half an hour searching the forum about electric fans. Yes, I will do this. But just not right now. From what I've read the electric fan is such a great idea, it's just stinks that there isn't a uniform switch over. As far as I'm concerned, this is an absolute. As for the under drive pulley's, yeah they do seem a little more expensive but the gains should justify it.

Yea efan is pretty easy to do but yea there isnt a ""bolt" in swap.the guy who I sold my udp too said he was seeing a 3mpg increase in city, didnt do any highway yet and I haven't talked to him in awile now.I did udp, efan and increased my compression all at same time so my results cant really be used but I went from 12mpg city to 16-18 mpg city and from averaging around 18mpg highway to around 23mpg..I should add im lifted on 36x14.50 and 4.88s so my mileage sucks compared to what it could do with stock gears and tires.

 

[Jason94sport]

Slowing down is free. Telling you 55 light on throttle will save you gas more then anything you can buy......At least try it.

 

[swimmernate]

Slowing down is free. Telling you 55 light on throttle will save you gas more then anything you can buy......At least try it.

I absolutely agree that driving 55 MPH rather then 75 MPH will save gas, there is no doubt. The only issue is that when I drive across Montana the posted speed limit is 75 MPH and to drive 55 on that will impede traffic. Even if I were to do 65 I'd save gas really. When it comes down to it though, I'll be doing the trek across Montana on July 1st and that's to go home. I'll have been away from my wife and kids for almost a month and a half (that's only cause training and stuff my normal schedule will be 22 days on 8 days off). The speed limit says 75 and I'm going to do 75. I'm trying to do everything I can to save money and gas and the only thing I'm not going to do is drive under the speed limit. I accept that as a reasonable loss.

 

[Jason94sport]

One thing I have seen over the years & Explorers I have had is that some 1st gens get much worse MPG's then others for some unknown reason. If you mileage doesn't seem to be great no matter what you try you could have 1 of these examples.

 

[Maniak]

I absolutely agree that driving 55 MPH rather then 75 MPH will save gas, there is no doubt. The only issue is that when I drive across Montana the posted speed limit is 75 MPH and to drive 55 on that will impede traffic. Even if I were to do 65 I'd save gas really. When it comes down to it though, I'll be doing the trek across Montana on July 1st and that's to go home. I'll have been away from my wife and kids for almost a month and a half (that's only cause training and stuff my normal schedule will be 22 days on 8 days off). The speed limit says 75 and I'm going to do 75. I'm trying to do everything I can to save money and gas and the only thing I'm not going to do is drive under the speed limit. I accept that as a reasonable loss.

The speed limit in Arizona, on I-10 and I-8 at least, outside the city is 75mph (which I take every day for work). You see people driving speeds from 50mph up to 90 mph..

Most of the 50mph are Box trucks with a pickup in the box pulling a truck with a truck in the bed, heading to mexico..

Semi's around here either run fast or they are governed at 63mph or so.

When I drive my Van I try to stay right at 60-65 (so I average out to 63-ish).. That is loaded/towing or not. That is already 2500 rpms for a 7.5L motor..

In the Explorer I stick around 65mph as I don't like the mileage I get going faster (I get 17-ish at 65)..

In the honda I run just over 80.. I'm averaging 36.9 mpg with the A/C on at those speeds. If I run slower I end up out of the power band of that little 1.6L..

I don't get to drive the mustang much, so I drive that one a little faster because, well, it's fun.. That one averages low 20's (mixed)...

Now, with all the said.. I have no issues with people doing 55 in a 75 mph zone. . What I do have issues with is people who aren't watching what is going on, come flying up on someone doing 55, slam on the brakes and then try move over to the passing lane causing everyone in the left lane to hit the brakes and which causes the slinky affect. Some people just don't drive far enough ahead.

~Mark

 

[swimmernate]

Most of the 50mph are Box trucks with a pickup in the box pulling a truck with a truck in the bed, heading to mexico..

That is hilarious. Seriously, my sides hurt. Even though some Explorers just get bad mileage, even though mine might be one of them, I'm going to get better mileage. And I'm not going to keep secretes either. If I try something and it works then you'll know. If I try something and it fails then I'll just say I didn't think it'd work and I proved myself right

 

[Gadget X]

I never thought this would be true, but I have researched it for the past few months, and I actually get almost 20 mpg running 80 mph on the highway! If I slow down to 65-70mph, I'm only getting around 15 mpg! I think a lot of it has to do with the gear ratios. At 65-70 mph, my engine is only turning about 1800-1900 rpms, whereas at 80 it's turning about 2300 rpms. This is with the ac off, by the way! It's hard to push against the wind at 1800 rpms without keeping your foot in the gas! Not sure if this will be true with your explorer, just my own personal experience!

 

[2TimingTom]

Sell it and buy a 4 cylinder.

By the time you throw little parts at it here and there (under drive pulleys, efans, trick lubricants, low rolling resistant tires.....) you'll have dumped thousands into it. And all to eek out an extra 5 mpg with a tail wind.

If you take the selling price and put that towards some 4cylnder vehicle, you'll instantly get 25+ mpg.

And guess what, those crazy snow storms- you'd be amazed at what a lightweight 4 cylinder can do. Just because your Explorer has 4wd, doesn't mean you can stop any better. It's usually the 4wd vehicles that are upside down in the ditch when it snows.

 

[94Fexplorerxlt]

Shoot ,I still get great gas mileage on my 94 x. I get 300 miles outta a full tank. I change oil every 2-3 k miles, and use lucas oil's upper cylinder lubricant every time I fill up. I have also seafoamed once or twice but stopped only because I never get any white smoke after. Must be clean Im currently at 260k miles with original engine and tranny. Many thanks to the tranny cooler

 

[damnford]

the best way to get excellent mileage is to get a 4 banger for the spring summer and fall and drive the explorer in the winter.

 

[Centaurious]

If you want better mileage then slow down! If you have the roof bars on top remove them, they can cost as much as 5 mpg themselves. The first gen Explorer has all the aerodynamics of a brick. I got 8 mpg on one trip across Texas as I was fighting a steady 20 mph headwind. The normal 63 mph was actually 83! Speed costs money! It always has and it always will.

 

[Mbrooks420]

There’s no way the factory roof rack costs 5mpg. Realistically they wouldn’t cost more than 1. The entire truck isn’t aerodynamic, the roof rack is negligible.

I removed them on my 4.0, along with lowering it 2 inches, removing the antenna, and adding lighter tires. It made a 2mpg difference, max.