Improving gas mileage....

[aldive]

Now with gas prices soaring and may hit $3/gal this summer, the concept of improving gas mileage may have come of age.

What have you done or are considering for your Explorer?

With this collections of minds, we certainally can find ways to improve mileage.

Please, no "get another car" or "park it" or "leave it on a trailer" responses....

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Have you tried to add air to your tires? I added 2 more pounds of air in my tires and got almost 50 more miles in a tank of gas. hehe. My 16" tires are recommanded at 30 psi instead of 26 psi with the 15" so I don't really have to worry about overinflating the tires.

 

[jjue]

I have already modified my airbox for cold air by removing the air silencer and replacing it with a 4" dryer hose. By doing so, I replaced the 2.25" inlet with a 4" inlet, increasing the effective area from 3.97 sq.in. to a theoretical 12.57 sq.in. Since the hose isn't full expanded do to circumstances, the effective area is really 11.04 sq.in., but it's more than it was getting. Also, I may be buying my roommate's mass air meter from one of his mustangs which will be ported and recalibrated. Next, I plan to get a new set of plug wires since mine already have a little of 66k miles on them, and they will probably be the Ford Motorsport 9mm wires. My next purchase along with the wires is the Hypertech Power Programmer III for the '97 Explorer/Mountaineer V8. Lastly, I will be getting a new exhaust system that flows a little more than stock, but not a lot more noise. I haven't figured out the exhaust yet.

While it seems as if I'm hotrodding, which I am, I am making the engine more efficient, which produces more hp and more mpg at the same time, to an extent. This will be true if I can keep my foot out of it except for when I run to the track.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by jjue
My next purchase along with the wires is the Hypertech Power Programmer III for the '97 Explorer/Mountaineer V8. .

Won't this require the use of premium fuel? Will your "hoped for" mileage increase be negated by the price difference in the fuel?

I was going to add a chip, until I looked at the numbers.

 

[ACBlessing]

Not that everyone else hasn't mentioned it already but just to relate...

Get the KKM air filter, pump up your tires, get it tuned up (you might want to check your timing as advancing it might give you a little more mpg), more efficient exhaust, change oil, use 87 octane fuel (cheaper), ditch all the weight you can (spare tire, jack etc, assuming you have AAA) subwoofer box (if you have one).

But the most important mileage booster of all is you...it all depends on HOW you drive.

I'm not going to say 'park it' or get a small car, etc but at the risk of sounding lame, ease up on the gas pedal whenever you can...you'll end up at the same red light as the guy gunning it everywhere.

 

[MikeTEC]

Key is improving tire roll resistance. In addition to maintaining proper air in tires, correct front end alignment is extremely important. A vehicle must roll straight w/o scuffing tires rolling at an angle. Even slightly out of alignment can reduce milage significantly, not to mention creating wear on front end, transmission and other costly components. MikeTEC

 

[aldive]

Do you think that different brands and models of tires have any effect on fuel mileage?

 

[AgExplorer]

Synthetic lubricants, specifically AMSOIL. My fuel mileage improved over 17% when I switched to AMSOIL motor oil, ATF and gear lube.

 

[aldive]

What mileage are you getting now?

Thanks....

 

[PLRBEAR]

When i first bought my X, i got 15.8mpg city driving. After changing/using:

1)All fluids
2)Plug wires
3)PCV valve
4)K&N FIPK
5)Fuel injector cleaner concentrate

it went up to 16.6-17mpg depending on the driving conditions. This is all city and no highway driving at all.

 

[Maduro]

I guess I have a really light foot, because with my last tank of gas I got 21.2 mpg. I bought my EX almost two months ago and the mileage has improved with every tank. I'm sure a lot has to do with the increasingly warmer weather. However, before purchasing, the dealer put on new Goodyears due to the Firestone recall, complete tuneup using bosch+4, TBI cleaned, etc. Oh, and I'm sure being a 5-sp vs. auto helps. Hope my mileage continues.....(wishful thinking)

ps. my EX is completely stock.....no mods got me this high mpg.....

 

[jjue]

Originally posted by aldive


Won't this require the use of premium fuel? Will your "hoped for" mileage increase be negated by the price difference in the fuel?

I was going to add a chip, until I looked at the numbers.

Actually, the Power Programmer III has a setting for 87 octane. It'll get a few more ponies, but it will also be more efficient in the process. This is the only reason why I haven't gotten a chip since I've been waiting for the programmer for the '97 Explorer/Mountaineer V8 to come out, and it did in April. As soon as my Chevy-driving roommate quits owing me money from last month's rent and expenses, I'll be able to afford the programmer. This is something that I haven't had to worry about my Ford-driving roommate.

 

[NoBoundaries]

Ways to improve gas mileage:

1. Lower your vehicle and put a new air dam on the front end. The air dam will decrease air traveling under your vehicle, thus decrease drag. Loxer will decrase the amount of space under your vehicle and will also help to decrease drag.

2. Smaller tires. This will make less tire rotation necessary to reach speed and increase your mileage.

3. Remove your back seats. Most people seldom use their rear seats, so just take them out. It's unneeded weight and it will increase your mileage.

4. Take out your A/C. Air Conditioners are very heavy. Taking out the A/C will take a good amount of weight off you vehicle.

5. Given the fact that you live in a warm climate, your engine gets and stays warm rather easily. Turn your heat on full blast. This will help you engine stay cool and increase you mileage. If it gets too hot and you have a sunroof, open it up. It will let the air out without creating as much resistance as your side windows would. Or you could remove you rear window. It would help you stay cool and take some more weight off the vehicle without creating wind resisteance. This would be better than opening you sunroof.

6. Create a thin, aluminum (light metal) skid plate for the entire underbody of your truck. This will also help decrease drag and improve mileage.

7. Fiberglass leaf springs. These will also take a tremenduos amount of weight off your vehicle.

8. Put in an electric fan. This takes the pull off the engine to turn the fan. A great way to add hp and gas mileage.

9. Redo your cooling system and buy a nice radiator. The coolor you can keep the engine the better.

10. Take out your front axle. If you really do not need 4wd, remove the front axle. 2wd vehicles get better gas mileage without the weight and resistance created by 4wd.

11. Redesign the crossbars of your roof rack to be more like an airplane wing. At highway speeds, this could act as a wing and give your vehicle a slight lift. Your vehicle then in this case will weigh less and improve your mileage.

All of the suggestions will improve your gas mileage.

This is all I can think of for now. Good luck with improving your gas mileage. BTW: I'm not looking for you to comment on any of these suggestions, simply take them or leave them.

 

[JulieEx]

Re: Ways to improve gas mileage:

I enjoy reading what everybody is doing to their Ex to get better gas mileage. I plan to implement a lot of the suggestions. Gas is expensive and I like to save as much money as I can. I like my toys ( Vette, Jet Ski, Ex, a horse and others ) and I can definately aford to pay whatever they ask for gas. It only makes sense to do what you can to get better mileage. Keep this one going please.

 

[Mike]

Originally posted by Maduro
I guess I have a really light foot, because with my last tank of gas I got 21.2 mpg. I bought my EX almost two months ago and the mileage has improved with every tank. I'm sure a lot has to do with the increasingly warmer weather. However, before purchasing, the dealer put on new Goodyears due to the Firestone recall, complete tuneup using bosch+4, TBI cleaned, etc. Oh, and I'm sure being a 5-sp vs. auto helps. Hope my mileage continues.....(wishful thinking)

ps. my EX is completely stock.....no mods got me this high mpg.....

21.2? my god... i would kill to get anything over 12 =\ i have a v8... heh im gona die this summer gas is allmost $2allready =[ its sick $36 to fill up my truck...


Mike

 

[Houston at NCSU]

the biggest improvement comes with the way you drive, i drive slow, i rarely get above 2500 rpms, and get 16 around town, and around 20 on the road, when my dad drives, he likes to get it moving faster, and he only gets about 13 in town and 17 on the highway.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Hey PLRBEAR...

What's your rear end ratio? How many miles does your rig has? Mine has 4.10 LSD and it gives me a respectable 15.9 MPG city/highway. My truck has 52k and I'll be doing a tune up in about 8k miles. What kind of plugs and wires did you use? My dad got some new Bosch plugs for my other car, '90 Honda Accord, and it got a lot better mileage (320 miles a tank). The Honda already has almost 170k miles. I'm pretty happy!! Hehe. Anyways...thanks for answering my questions.

 

[PLRBEAR]

Hmmmm...i'm not sure what ratio my rig has. It has about 120,000miles, Motorcraft plugs, Borg-Warner (is that the right spelling?) plug wires...you know...the NASCAR stuff...hehe. Do you know how i can find out what rear-end ratio i have?
As for answering questions.....no prob.....that's what everyone's here for.....to live and learn.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by PLRBEAR
. Do you know how i can find out what rear-end ratio i have?

There is a code on the drivers front door that tells the ratio. To decode this look at http://www.users.qwest.net/~ntrpriz/Axle.htm

 

[95ExplorerLtd]

Do a search for "ghetto ram air", I think it might have been TURDS who did this but not exactly for sure. He said it made a significant difference.