Newbie. Bad gas mileage.

[Zer0Kool7]

I have been here for awhile now, just browsing through the forums. Thought I would come out of the shadows and say hello to everyone and ask a couple of questions.

my ride is a 2001 explorer sport 4.0l sohc, 71,000 miles, all stock besides flowmaster 40series.

Im trying to find out what users with the 01 sports get for gas mileage. My mileage is horrible and I would like anyone to give me pointers on what to do to change that. my mileage is on average since ive owned it (about 6months) is 13.8mpg. It has a flowmaster, new plugs (bosch plat) and wires (carquest brand i think), good air filter, new fuel filter, ive ran 2 cans of seafoam thru the tank, someone even told me to check mass air flow sensor, so i bought a ford factory and had it installed $400 later nothing changed (wish i woulda bought aftermarket one). i checked it with my code reader and no codes are popping up. Can anyone help me think what to do next or am i stuck with 13 miles to the gallon? thanks in advance guys.

 

[snoborder42]

13 mpg is low. Have you tried resetting the computer. Unhook the battery terminals for 15 minutes or more, reconnect them and drive Its worked for me...

 

[Zer0Kool7]

thank you for the reply. Yes, I have reset the computer twice. I also last week installed a new battery, which should have done the trick also. so three times now.

Most of my driving is highway, with some city. Im from the country and have to travel 35miles highway to town. So I dont know how to configure that. I drive 60-70 miles highway going to town and back, and about 7miles while in the city. I dont really think I have a heavy foot. 70mph on highway and speed limit in the city(30-45mph). I forgot to put that earlier as my driving style.

I read on autozone.com tips for better gas mileage, one thing i didnt think of was the pvc valve? anyone know anything about that? could this be it?

one last thing, should the explorer have enough power to do a burnout or a power-brake burnout? or did i loose that option when i sold my v8 truck? j/w if maybe my explorer has a loss of power and a gas sucking issue. although i wouldnt be aware of the power loss since its been like this since i bought it. The one thing that made me even wanna think of maybe a power loss is the air-conditioner wont blow when im giving it moderate gas or going up a hill, like its needing to turn the a/c off to get more power. or maybe the two problems arent related. I dunno.

 

[bigdaawg01]

had great results from this in the past..

I get around 26 on the highway in my 01 sport and also run the platinum 4 plugs, optimag wires, and kn filter. These procedures have work on somany fords that I have worked on in the past and with realitivly low money expenditure to fix the mileage problem. Maybe it will help you..
Couple of suggestions,
first, check the IAC valve on the intake manifold, when electricity is applied it should open and when taken away it should close. If this is dirty with black sludge from the PCV system it will stick open and lets raw air go around the throttle body. That is what makes the system run at a higher RPM on a cold morning. Easy to clean if $40 bucks is an issue, but not 100% guaranteed.

second visually check the O2 sensor for damage or a think black coating of deposits. Something normally is wrong to make this Sensor go bad. Like an emmisions (PCV)or fuel problem.

Third, check the Coolant temp sensor ($14) for the computer not the one for the guage. This sensor tells the computer what temp the engine is running. if it is telling the comp the engine is cold it will rich the fuel and then you will have bad gas mileeage and loss of power from to much fuel.

Fourth, check the fuel pressure regulator for a vacuum leak. if you hook up a hand vacum pump you can make the fuel system fluctuate on your own. If the diaphram is bad the guage will leak down on its own. Hope this helps..

 

[aldive]

First thing I would do is hook up an OBDII scanner and monitor the O2 sensor function. How many miles do you have on the ticker?

Have you cleaned the MAF? the throttle body?

When was the last time the thermostat was replaced?

What air pressure are you running in the tires?

About the AC, it is designed to shut off at WOT.

Your comment about doing burnouts makes me question driving style and its effect on gas mileage.

Yes, your gas mileage is rather poor.

Good luck ....

 

[Zer0Kool7]

Aldive, air pressure ive already checked and all 4 are perfectly at 32psi. as far as the MAF thats the mass air flow sensor right? Its brand new from the ford factory, only a month old now, should it need cleaned already? Ive never changed the thermostat or sensors, but if the dealer/guy owner before me did i dont know, bought used with 65,000 miles, now has 71,000 miles on it. and as far as the comment with the burnout, i drive normally, nice and calm, but every full blue moon i might want to cut up a bit and spin a tire just to feel some power, but i dont feel none with the explorer.

 

[aldive]

I would scan the O2 sensor function.

Good luck ...

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto to all of that, and check out the fuel pressure also. Good luck,

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Has the fuel filter ever been changed?

 

[mikeh44]

tire air pressure should be at 35 to 40 psi

 

[CDW6212R]

Tire pressure should be adjusted based on the vehicle, the tires, and the driver's ride/handling needs. There still are tires made with 35psi maximum ratings. You can't stick 35-40psi in just any and all tires. Do not exceed the tires ratings, note that some are way over 50psi.

The higher the tire is rated at, the higher the best tire wear pressure will be. Don't stick 28psi or 32psi in a tire rated at 55psi, that will be much too low. It is not simple to determine tire pressure, no one chart, or book, or manual knows all of the answers. All of those charts, books, manuals or any other source, they are just guides. They are a place to start.

Ask the many members here who spend a lot of time analyzing and monitoring their fuel mileage. You will find that they all experiment with tire pressures. They adjust it to maximize fuel mileage, tire wear, and handling qualities. If you compare their actual tires, pressures, wear and handling, you will see that they are not running pressures matching any chart, book, or manual. They are getting maximum life out of their tires, maximum fuel economy, and acceptable handling. Good luck,

 

[jordan23]

I have the 01 Sport 4x4 with a few "extras" that weigh the vehicle down. I was very disappointed with the 15-17 mpg I was getting, so I got an open air intake as well as the Flowmaster. I usually use Seafoam 2 to 3 times a year. I did some other suspension mods which I doubt helped with mileage. I now get 19-22 mpg and am moderately satisfied. I have never changed my plugs or wires (vehicle now has 98,000 miles on it)! I really need to get it in for service again!!



Jordan23

 

[sjr033]

I have a '01 Sport and get 13 just city with the air on. Highway I get 17. I replaced the thermostat last fall and have a K&N filter. I know I can do a burn out. No one has asked what kind of tire he has. Do you have a mud tire or all season, etc. A mud tire will get less mph. Also, what rear gearing do you have. Mine is a 3.73 but I know a 4.10 was an option in '01. A 4.10 will get less mph. Do you have a large speaker box in the back or carry a heavy load of stuff. More weight = less mph.

 

[aldive]

I have a '01 Sport and get 13 just city with the air on. Highway I get 17. I replaced the thermostat last fall and have a K&N filter. I know I can do a burn out. No one has asked what kind of tire he has. Do you have a mud tire or all season, etc. A mud tire will get less mph. Also, what rear gearing do you have. Mine is a 3.73 but I know a 4.10 was an option in '01. A 4.10 will get less mph. Do you have a large speaker box in the back or carry a heavy load of stuff. More weight = less mph.

Do you mean MPH?

 

[CDW6212R]

If an older truck was having mpg issues I'd guess that the gearing might be 3.27's. Ford learned around 1992/93 that higher ratios help mileage in these trucks.
The later models like the 99+ have a lot more 4.10's in them. The 4.10's are much better for towing(stock), but they will hurt mpg's unless you are driving under 45mph or have bigger tires. My 99 may be okay with 4.10's because of my slow speeds at work. If not for that I'd want to change down to 3.73's.

 

[sjr033]

Sorry I ment mpg not mph

 

[westph2k6]

Your burnout problem may not be a problem of lack of power, you've got rear disc brakes, so alot of the reason it wont spin them is because your rear brakes are holding them. When I do it, I kinda feather the brake a little, til it breaks the tires loose. It also depends on tire temp and road temp. Just something to think about.

 

[baritoneblaster]

I drive a similar amount of highway and city driving at the same speeds as you in my '01 sport that is stock other than the stereo and get 21mpg.