Fuel Mileage, Open to everyone

[Joe in NY]

I kinda of want to see what you guys are getting and your driving style. Also what have you done to your truck?

Mine is BONE stock, I did ALL maintenance except spark plugs. Currently 65,200 miles.

I started college now and its down in the valley and I'm up top a hill. I am using a nice light foot (not heard of for a college student right?) and I'm only getting barely 16 mpg... And on the highway its a struggle to get 19... Now I do have the V8 and 3.73 rear end, so neither help. (explorer is empty except me and my backpack)

But, Our 2007 suburban with the 5.3L has loads more power everywhere, and I can easily get 15.5mpg for something that is almost twice the size and weight 1,700 lbs more... But I can only get 16~16.5 mpg on the highway with it, so explorer wins there. But still, for a smaller V8 with much less power, 235hp VS 320HP 280tq VS 340 TQ, and much less weight I would have thought better of it... For the suburban thats with 4 family members, 100+lbs of tools, and all of our stuff to go to the lake on weekends...

Suburban is 4x4, 4 speed auto (1st gear is = 2nd in the explorer), 3.73 electronic locker. Climbs the hills lugging @ 2,000 rpm no struggle. My explorer has to downshift and rev to at least 3,000 revs to climb the same hill....

Maybe I just need to swap out for a 5.4L 2V

EDIT: I did do the BWM. I was tired of the shuddering on turns and I don't like auto 4x4. (I want to be in control) So I am driving around in 2WD. Other than that STOCK.

 

[Exproblems]

I kinda of want to see what you guys are getting and your driving style. Also what have you done to your truck?

Mine is BONE stock, I did ALL maintenance except spark plugs. Currently 65,200 miles.

I started college now and its down in the valley and I'm up top a hill. I am using a nice light foot (not heard of for a college student right?) and I'm only getting barely 16 mpg... And on the highway its a struggle to get 19... Now I do have the V8 and 3.73 rear end, so neither help. (explorer is empty except me and my backpack)

My 2005 4.0L V-6 Explorer has Remanufactured engine in it with roughly 4,800 miles on it(100K on body and 18K on rebuilt tranny, plus a recent tranny filter and pan fluid change)) and I only get 10-11 MPG in the city (stop N go driving) and 11-13+ MPG on the Thruway. This is for summer driving conditions, MPG's get worse in winter. My Explorer has had tons of tune up maintenance (fuel filter, fuel injection cleaning, plugs, wires, K&N air filter, MAF and Throttle Body cleaning, new tires etc) done to it including diagnostic testing by 2 different shops and nothing wrong with the vehicle could be found as to why the gas mileage is so bad. Never had a CEL either. I have the 3.55 open diff gears > (big part of the problem) and the vehicle is just a PIG on gas.

I'm familiar with the area of NY you live in (mountainous area) and I would take the 16-19 MPG's you get on your EX and run to the bank with it. The V-8 and 3.73 gears do not hurt you in any way as far as gas mileage, in fact, they help you get those kind of MPG's.

 

[Joe in NY]

What temp t-stat are running? The coolant temp has a lot to do with fuel economy...

 

[Tyleryac]

I get 18.4 MPG combined. I achieved this by doing a recent tune up. Check out my thread "Tuneup success".

 

[Number4]

Your getting pretty good mpg's. The mpg's would indicate you are being light footed. Most people with the V8 post less than 16, more like 15.

I've noticed, that if I smash the pedal at all (trying to enter street traffic in ATL) my MPG's suck. However, if I pussy-foot it through a tank, I can get 16.5 - 17.

That's street and freeway, but in ATL freeway is more like street.

I've swapped my fan clutch for an e-fan and have removed the step bars (which were the solid metal kind on mine.)

I have a K&N CAI, but have yet to install.

 

[Exproblems]

What temp t-stat are running? The coolant temp has a lot to do with fuel economy...

The new reman engine I have came with the factory T-stat and housing already installed on it, so I am assuming it is the factory rated range for the 4.0L V-6. My temp gauge on the dash reads "normal" just as it did with my original engine and t-stat, just slightly below the half way point on the low side of gauge. The water pump is new as well. I do quite a bit of stop and go driving thanks to all the f'in traffic lights around here.

 

[jsmn4vu]

'05 Mountaineer 4.0 ... ~18 MPG mixed city and highway, skewed a little toward highway. Usually drive between the speed limit and 5 mph over. Not at all gentle with acceleration, but finally realized it takes gasoline to make brake dust, so I try to anticipate stops as much as possible. I typically get twice the expected mileage out of brake pads.

 

[5whiskey]

'05 Mountaineer 4.0 ... ~18 MPG mixed city and highway, skewed a little toward highway. Usually drive between the speed limit and 5 mph over. Not at all gentle with acceleration, but have become keenly aware that it takes gasoline to make brake dust, so I try to anticipate stops as much as possible. I typically get twice the expected mileage out of brake pads.

A slightly heavy foot on acceleration isn't really bad on fuel mileage. The brake thing... well, you've got it figured out.

 

[zpn_by]

Gotta say, in hills, if you're getting 16/19 you're doing pretty good. Although half of your driving is downhill!

Seriously though, it's close to what I get with my 02 4.6 (3.55). I get 15-16 city, where the stop lights are perfectly spaced to make you stop once you get up to the speed limit (grrr). I have a stuck thermostat, so my truck runs too cool, so it's hurting my MPG. Once I get my transmission sorted, I'll be replacing the thermostat and coolant before the winter. Last year I had to do a freeway run, and the CEL came on with a code of "can't enter closed loop" or something along those lines. Cardboard in the grill fixed that for a while.... Oh - do you use your AC? If yes and you're getting those numbers, you're either WAY too soft on the pedal or I can step up to 3.73's with no penalty! Good luck. BTW: I get 19-21 on the highway, windows up, no AC.

 

[Joe in NY]

Highway is with windows up and a/c on.

Now that it has cooled off a lot and now nights are in the 40's. My MPG is down more towards 15 with heat on max and defog with electric defrost and heated seat to school. Then home is windows down and nothing on but radio. Its getting cool enough where I have to go back pump my tires up 36 psi cold. Now they sit around 34ish after a 8 mile drive.

 

[n2audio]

Wife's aviator will do 17+ on the highway if I'm not driving 80.
In town it's more in the 13 range.

Really not that bad considering the granny van I've been driving the past few weeks ('04 Chrysler T&C 3.8L) only gets me about 23, mainly hwy.

 

[Joe in NY]

I think mileage is poor considering I can get 16+ on the highway with a full size SUV and 15 in town on the full size SUV.

This week, I continue on with my light foot but my mileage has dropped right down to 14.0 MPG.... ??? huh ??? Trying to be even lighter, I got it up to 14.1 MPG... same style driving as the first two weeks with 15 mpg...

 

[ExcursionMJ]

When my wife drives the Mercury it averages about 15 mpg, and she does about 70/30 city/highway. When I drive it, I average about 18 mpg and I drive about 60/40 city/highway. I can baby it in the city and get 17-18. On the interstate cruising at 70-80, I can average 19-20 mpg. When I bought it and drove it home from Michigan, I averaged 22 mpg on two tanks of gas. It just depends on how much I lay off the gas. I have a 4.6L.

I have a friend with a 4.0L explorer and he averages 24 mpg doing 20/80 city/highway. We took a trip to NY from IN and he was getting 25 mpg the whole trip.

My families explorer which is a 4.0L averages between 18-20 depending on who drives it. We have a lot of drivers in my family.

 

[Joe in NY]

What size tires do you have?

I am running 265 70 16. So my odometer is off by 3.6%, too low. So who knows how many actual miles are on my explorer because it had that size when I bought it, liked the look and put new ones on the same size...

So my 14.1 * 1.036 = 14.6 Actual.

Whats really weird is that right now my tank is empty. It says 15 mile to E. Over the course of yesterday and today, same driving, my MPG is now at 14.4 twitching to 14.5... ????? :scratch:

So really my MPG went up to 14.9 actual... The best I saw with it so far on the highway is 18.6 over a trip so means 19.3 actual. That doesn't seem too bad. But the 14.7 MPG in town, that sucks. I can get 15+ out of our 2007 Suburban in town. Best of the highway is low 16's.

 

[Duranged84]

Joe, Take the 5.3 and 4l60 out of the suburban and throw it in your ex and tell us what kind of mileage you get..... lol. Im actually planning something similar, and not for mileage

Also, I upsized to 265-70s on mine and the speedometer is dead acurate now. from 245s that is on the door sticker and gas lid. It was off before the upsize. Rear is correct 3.55s that matches door sticker. Is the tire size able to be programmed on these with the 4.sl0w? Off topic sorry.


On topic, currently have no thermostat or overdrive so you dont wanna know my mpgs


Oh wait, forgot to mention the 265s did give me a touch better mileage.

 

[Joe in NY]

Well today I got to school with "2 MILES TO E" and left at 11 am and got down the road to the gas station with "0 MILES TO E" The Explorer took 21 gallons

So now I know what "E" means. lol (suburban goes past E and still has 4 gallons... :scratch:"

So, 288 mile trip with 21 gallons = 13.72 mpg * 1.036 = 14.2 mpg.

Then that means 22 gallons * 14.2 mpg = 298 miles.

Thats it!?! For comparison the suburban get over 450 miles per tank... So that would mean around a 15.4 mpg average... (Full is 450+ miles. E is 50 miles then stops reporting, thats when we fill up takes roughly 26 gallons out of 31 gallon tank)