horrible gas mileage!! help!!

[iceman]

hey im gettin some real bad gas mileage ie: i drove 100 miles and brned just about 1/2 a tank can anyone reccomend any remmedies mys mods are listed below
thanx!

 

[Rx4phun]

i dont know I got the same problem. did a 3" BL and tt/shackles but some 33s under there and went from 20 mpg to 13 or 14 mpg! Not to happy about that
Gary

 

[iceman]

well ive had my lift and swampers for over a year and it didnt affect it that bad, but just recently it really started to get bad

 

[Alec]

you noticed anything else? performance, smoke, smell, idling, etc?

 

[Rx4phun]

hmm I dont know how is your fuel filter, injector? driving to fast?, maybe it is in 4x4? I cant for the life of me figure out why mine went down the tube so much but I would really like to know
Gary

 

[DesertSpive]

My bet is the 02 sensor...

--Sean

 

[Howard]

Any codes?
Does it run rough?
Could be IAT so it thinks it is still cold (would give code)
Could be Thermostat stuck open therefore thinks not hot so runs rich (no code)
Need more info for full diagnosys (says the doctor)

 

[DarkFox1]

you have 4.10 gears and a 2" lift.. do you have larger than stock tires?

I have a 373 with stock sized tires and I only get 14.. I would expect 200 to a tank with any mods to go with a higher gear like that.

for the longest time when it was hot here I was getting 10-12mpg with my stock setup.. I thought it was bad.. but everyone told me the truck is fine..

also.. if you have a 6 cyl.. I beleive you have a 16 gal? tank? if so thats about 12.5 mpg.. so if you dont have anything else wrong.. codes, rough idle, rich smell, sulfer smell.. I would just check the filter, make sure its clean, try resetting the computer.. and if none of that works, then I guess I'd just chock it up to driving a heavy vehicle

 

[Alec]

Darkfox,
He said he hasn't made any changes lately and it just went instantly downhill. And the V6 should not normally be getting less than 14 or so mpg with moderate tires and lift. Also, his gas tank is approx 19 gallons.

Iceman, please let us know if you're experiencing any other ill effects or things that you think might be related.

 

[ALYZ1FLR]

I think Ice man has some problems. I,m not a slow driver and I carry some heavy loads and I still get 320 to 350 miles on a tank. And I have 180.000 on my X. I would check the 02 sen. and do the vac. rpm test to see if the tc lock up is slipping or non functional. Do an internet search for atg. Then a4ld second edtition manual. The revise second edition tells how to check for slippage.

 

[Rx4phun]

hmm if a V6 shouldnt get around 14 then I think I have a problem too. but it went with the lift so I dont know

 

[iceman]

the only smell is after i drive a bit then park and get out i can smell gas. but other than that my performance is the same i can still smoke my swampers. the engine sounds fine ans it idles well, my temp aalways reads no higher than the N in NORMAL. thats all i can think of though.

 

[DarkFox1]

sounds like me, ford told me that gas smell was normal if you ever drive over 3k rpm or so.

I can't smoke tires tho.

 

[Alec]

Hmmm, with the temp reading so low I'd guess you have a stuck thermostat and you're engine is running in open loop, using too much fuel. I'd replace the thermostat.

 

[DarkFox1]

sounds like an idea, thats pretty cheap and easy to do isn't it? also, if this doesn't fix your problem, I'd have a diagnostic ran, they're usually $50-$70 depending on how much they want to reem you for.. lol

then if theres anything unusual on the readout, you can perhaps follow a lead from there.

 

[iceman]

ok ill replace the thermostat and go from there thanks for all your help

 

[Mellotron]

Check anything that could cause drag such as tow in, Toe out, Steering pump, not using overdrive, e-brake stuck, tire pressure, intake choke or something blocking the air intake. Fowled plugs. Burnt ignition wires.
Good luck!

 

[Iggy flywheel]

I would check your MAF voltage in your year. THere is three test idle raised rpm and driving mode. Consumer reports recommends you carry a spare in glovebox
It can cause the sparkplugs to foul out over time a short time couple of months.

 

[Mellotron]

I almost forgot, a major cause for mileage problems are stuck EGR valves and other exhaust gas re-circulation problems. Are you in a state where you have a emissions test?



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[Tiger]

A very unlikely problem but yet possible is your torque converter. If it decides to go, it may be locking up when its not supposed to. Another possibility is check your Catalytic converter, if it is plugged, bingo! I emptied mine (SHHHHHHH), and it helped quite a bit actually.