Explorer Gas Mileage - including Ecoboost

[FormerLEO]

Hi all! I have a 2018 XLT and I’m getting 13-15 MPG in the city. Has anyone heard of this?

 

[peterk9]

Hi all! I have a 2018 XLT and I’m getting 13-15 MPG in the city. Has anyone heard of this?

Welcome to the Forum.
Your thread was merged with this one that mentions many variations in mileage. There are so many things that can affect this that it is difficult to actually get a true comparison from one to the other.
Have you had it since new and has the mpg changed much?

Peter

 

[Doug57]

I have a 2013 with a 3.5l NA I'm getting 21.1 on 87 octane. I'm running about 20% city 80% hwy. This is from the dash.

 

[CDW6212R]

I have a 2013 with a 3.5l NA I'm getting 21.1 on 87 octane. I'm running about 20% city 80% hwy. This is from the dash.

What rpm does that turn on the highway at steady speeds, such as 70mph and 60mph?

 

[Doug57]

What rpm does that turn on the highway at steady speeds, such as 70mph and 60mph?

My rpm at 60mph is 1700. I also have to say it is fwd with 65k miles it's flex fuel and on e85 I'm getting 16.5 mpg.

 

[ford2017FPIU]

Hi all! I have a 2018 XLT and I’m getting 13-15 MPG in the city. Has anyone heard of this?

I'm down to 12 mpg on a 90k mileage 2017 police utility 3.5L. Any suggestions?

 

[CDW6212R]

Check for codes, test the fuel injectors, and fuel injector cleaner.

 

[peterk9]

I'm down to 12 mpg on a 90k mileage 2017 police utility 3.5L. Any suggestions?

City or hIghway or an average of both? What octane re you using? Have the plugs been changed?

Peter

 

[wanted00]

Mine is like that: (2,3 lt rwd engine and 2,5k miles. So its a new engine)
Travelled a few hours around 70 mph. And it was 30 mpg. This is the max i saw
But in city (suburb area.) I am driving always 2-4 miles and stop. It goes down to 18 mpg.
The mix is 20-22 mpg

 

[ford2017FPIU]

City or hIghway or an average of both? What octane re you using? Have the plugs been changed?

Peter

City. I didn't notice any change from 87 to 91 (California). I don't know what they did to this prior to me getting it. I was going to buy / have this kit installed. 2010-2019 SHO/Flex/Explorer Sport SCT X4 Power Pack Package - Gearhead Sales
I took it to a shop that did my waterpump last month. They were able to get 2 more mpg due to a vacuum leak but it's still really bad. It was at 9 mpg.

Should I replace the coils also?

 

[Jordan E.]

I'm down to 12 mpg on a 90k mileage 2017 police utility 3.5L. Any suggestions?

When you let off the accelerator, does the car coast? Or, does it seem to immediately downshift and slow down?
I changed the spark plugs and fuel injectors in my 2013 XLT but didn't see a noticeable improvement. Compared to my 2020, the 2013 doesn't coast at all.
At a stop light, if I let off the brake, nothing happens. I have to hit the accelerator for the car to move. I'm starting to wonder if the Transmission needs to be reset to "re-learn" the driving conditions.

 

[fpiu2017]

Month 6 on this thing / 2017 Ecoboost. The best I've got it up to is 11.3 MPG. 90,000 miles. It was DOWN to 9!! I've spent like $1500 trying to fix it. More than I waste on just filling it up at bad MPG.

Driving is on roads that are upwards of 60 mph. There is some stop-and-go to it. However, getting on the freeway for 3-4 exits doesn't seem to improve things much.

=had Ford check it out / found nothing, but jerks charged me $200 for nothing
=had another independent shop check it out / found nothing. Say it's running great
=dash MPG is the same as manual calculations
=had a coolant leak fixed / $290
=went to tire shop, got tires all perfect. They think everything is fine there.
=stock wheels / Firestone All-season Tires
=bought new performance computer whatever gapped sparkplugs / install
=tried switching between stock tune or performance tune (still no gains). Stock is as bad as performance with a slower vehicle.
=91 octane
=Had a cracked cat, had that fixed which fixed the code ($500)
=coasts great, coasts forever. I got 0.5 more mpg just coasting around town
=weather is like 70 degrees
=changed the PTU fluid
=oil/transmission fluid should be good
=shifts SMOOTH as glass

>I do have an ops safety double drawer system in the back. That's the only thing I can think of.
>Some suggested carbon/walnut blasting
>Tire shop suggested a $140 fuel cleaning
>haven't changed the fluid in the rear differential


But there's another $500 there.

Still 11 mpg. If I get on the freeway ONLY I can get more. Best I've done so far is 17.5 on a long trip on freeway.

 

[Dan17ExpLtd]

Month 6 on this thing / 2017 Ecoboost. The best I've got it up to is 11.3 MPG. 90,000 miles. It was DOWN to 9!! I've spent like $1500 trying to fix it. More than I waste on just filling it up at bad MPG.

Driving is on roads that are upwards of 60 mpg. There is some stop-and-go to it. However, getting on the freeway for 3-4 exits doesn't seem to improve things much.

=had ford check it out / found nothing, but jerks charged me $200 for nothing
=had another independent shop check it out / found nothing. Say it's running great
=dash MPG is the same as manual calculations
=had a coolant leak fixed / $290
=went to tire shop, got tires all perfect. They think everything is fine there.
=bought new sparkplugs / install
=tried switching between stock tune or performance tune (still no gains). Stock is as bad as performance with a slower vehicle.
=91 octane
=Had a cracked cat, had that fixed which fixed the code ($500)
=coasts great, coasts forever. I got 0.5 more mpg just coasting around town
=weather is like 70 degrees
=changed the PTU fluid
=oil/transmission fluid should be good
=shifts SMOOTH as glass

>I do have an ops safety double drawer system in the back. That's the only thing I can think of.
>Some suggested carbon/walnut blasting
>Tire shop suggested a $140 fuel cleaning
>haven't changed the fluid in the rear differential


But there's another $500 there.

Still 11 mpg. If I get on the freeway ONLY I can get more. Best I've done so far is 17.5 on a long trip on freeway.

After market wheels? Heavy wheels can impact mileage.
Hard takeoffs from lights and stop signs?
That drawer system looks like it weighs a bit by itself depending on how much you have in it that could be an extra 500lbs or so you are carrying. That would be a biggie.

 

[CDW6212R]

Install high end brand synthetic fluids, all of them. If you have a computer tune, have the transmission shifts firmed up, smooth shifts are wasteful shifts(wear out clutches faster). Replace the spark plugs regularly, before 50k miles, not 100-200k. Replace the O2 sensors if they are old or there have been any issues of economy, or the tune being altered for any reason.

Buy a quality tire pressure gauge, and check the tires regularly. Set the pressures yourself, don't rely on a shop. The front tires should be higher than the rear for any vehicle that is heavier in the front, 2-4psi more than the rear tires. Set the pressure not by the door jamb decal, or a shop, or a service rep, but by yourself with time and experience with your vehicle and those particular tires.

Begin with pressure about 5psi below the written MAX on the tires. It takes time to learn if the set pressure is a little too high, or low, by watching the tread wear, and how it feels. You want a secure feeling when driving, solid and firm, not super soft and wiggly. The talk you will always get about the pressure needing to be at exactly 32psi, or 35psi, or whatever the jamb tag states, is always wrong. That's the conclusion of idiots who are not smart enough to learn properly, they want the easiest way out that doesn't require thinking. Walk away from those fools, ignore them, and do it the right way.

I just described how to begin finding the proper pressures, and after a few months, you should have the best pressure, and then achieve the best lifespan of all four tires. You have to rotate them of course, every 5000 miles or so is good, and varying it slightly from the ideal, can gain a small amount of mpg or performance.

 

[peterk9]

Month 6 on this thing / 2017 Ecoboost. The best I've got it up to is 11.3 MPG. 90,000 miles. It was DOWN to 9!! I've spent like $1500 trying to fix it. More than I waste on just filling it up at bad MPG.

........................................................................................................


But there's another $500 there.
Still 11 mpg. If I get on the freeway ONLY I can get more. Best I've done so far is 17.5 on a long trip on freeway.

Welcome to the Forum.
With my 2017 Platinum Ecoboost, I averaged 18.6 mpg in mixed driving over the 3 years that I had it.
Are you using the OEM steel Interceptor wheels?

Peter

 

[fpiu2017]

Thanks. I'm on OEM steel wheels and Firestone All-Season
I tried to look up the storage system weight in the back, the best I could find was 350 lbs? Not sure on weight.

OPS Public Safety Introduces FIU Combo Radio Drawer Unit

www.police1.com

As far as shifts / https://www.livernoismotorsports.co...ord-lincoln-mks-3-5l-t440-performance-package

I do pretty mild takeoffs. Barely press the gas.

I have NOT replaced the O2 sensors and that's what my pops (80 years mechanic) suggested. Does anyone get a link to which ones for 2017 ecoboost?

 

[fpiu2017]

(my other list is 4 posts up)

Issue: 11 MPG. Got 13 on the highway. Something is incredibly broken.

=Changed the rear differential fluid (no mpg improvement)
=Changed the oil (said 28% left)
=Installed a new thermostat
=Ran the Chevron 65740 Techron Concentrate Plus Fuel System Cleaner, 20-Ounce

Still no MPG improvement past 11 mpg.
(3.5L EcoBoost, 90,000 miles)

Tried pressing the gas as little as possible and coasting around town. I got 0.5 mpg improvement.

Have not replaced the O2 sensors but they're not returning any code. There's (4) of them so that would be $400. I am getting p420 p430 on the cats *IF* I run the livernois tune. Livernois said I'd get that if the cats are starting to fail, however, if I roll it back to stock tune, all the DTC disappear.

The MPG thing is driving me insane. I'm not sure what else to check. 220 miles a tank at $72 a fillup, 91 Octaine.

=One poster said piston rings/compression.
=not sure what fuel related/cleaning or changes I should do. Clean throttle body ?
=is carbon buildup significant enough to pay $500 for walnut blasting, no idea.

I'm a casual low-level new mechanic (3 years).

 

[peterk9]

I doubt this low mileage is due to any type of fluid the vehicle uses. Cleaning the throttle body wouldn't be a bad idea.

Peter