what's going on?

[shagg44]

well, here's my problem. on the way home from college, i'll drive roughly 200 miles. and i'll use 1/2 tank of gas(getting about 20 mpg). but when i dirve solely around the city i'm lucky 2 get 200 miles out of a tank of gas. getting less than 10 mpg. have any of you had any experiences w/ this kind of behavior from your explorers? if you have, how did you cure it? (i have a 94 4X4) all reply's appreciated. thanx.

 

[Quick]

You have bad gas mileage around town because of the constant stopping and going. The constant red lights that you wait it, etc.

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

same prob.

 

[shagg44]

i know that town driving uses more gas than highway, but i didn't know that they varied so much in mpgs.(in my case 10+ mpg) i figured i would get like 20 mpg highway and 15 or so mpg city. so i take it that this is normal for most early explorers then?

 

[espnfreak]

ya, bad sensors can cause a major decrease in your mpg, also stop and go decreases the mpg A LOT! gas is cheap now, so why worry so much?

 

[todd_c]

It could also depend on where you buy your gas. I've found that when visiting my brother in PA, I always get better milage on the gas I buy in PA as compared to the gas from NY. Kinda weird.

-Todd

 

[JDraper]

Hey Jas84,
Gas is cheap now??? You must be part of the "younger generation" over on the polls I remember buying leaded gas for my 65 Mustang at .89/gallon!! LOL. I know someone's gonna flame me for that one!

(BTW, I'm 36 going on 22)

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

Gas is cheap???? Down here, 2 summers ago I got it for .66, thats the cheapest ever for me. Now Im paying $1.25

 

[shagg44]

thanx 4 the replies. i replaced the O2 sensors a few months ago as well as put in some 4+ Platinum Plugs. i could definitely see an improvement in mpg on highway when i changed the sensors, but nothing in the city. oh well i guess i'll just be doomed 2 get poor city mileage. i dunno where you all are gettin your gas, but in OH its about $1.40 for econ. ocaisionaly some stations have specials 4 a day, but normally run out by the time i can get there.

 

[Ryan1]

yo draper,

I remeber going home to arkansas 2 years ago and gas was only 85 cents and im only 23. I remeber gas bitn 68 cents. when I was like 10 and 11.

so you arent that bad off


Ryan1

 

[JDraper]

PA kills us with taxes on gas. It's about 1.40 now. It hasn't been 85 cents here in decades. Be nice to be able to buy methanol at the pump. We got lots of corn in this country to make it out of.

 

[timfretwell]

Originally posted by shagg44
well, here's my problem. on the way home from college, i'll drive roughly 200 miles. and i'll use 1/2 tank of gas(getting about 20 mpg). but when i dirve solely around the city i'm lucky 2 get 200 miles out of a tank of gas. getting less than 10 mpg. have any of you had any experiences w/ this kind of behavior from your explorers? if you have, how did you cure it? (i have a 94 4X4) all reply's appreciated. thanx.

Shagg,
I have the very same problem! I get pretty good mileage on the highway (20MPG), but the very best I can squeek out of her in town is 13.5. The factory specs are 20/15, which sounds more reasonable. Did you ever figure out what was wrong? I wonder if it might be tempurature related?

 

[JamminG4Jim]

When I bought my first car and filled the tank, it took only $ 4.25 !!!!! .17 cents a gallon!!!! 1971 also....

Where's my cane????

 

[shagg44]

no i never figured out what was wrong. i've replaced the O2 sensors, spark plugs and wires and the thermostat. i don't smell any fuel or anything like that so its not the FPR. but i dunno, i guess i'll just get crummy gas mileage till i can think of a way 2 improve it. hopefully the new exhaust in the summer will help things out.

 

[PLRBEAR]

There are actually quite a few things you can do:

1) O2 sensor
2) PCV Valve
3) Air filter
4) Fuel Injector Cleaner
5) Throttle body cleaner
6) Clean air-flow and MAS
7) Be less of a lead foot
8) Change fluids in diffs & trans.

I've got a 95 EB 4x4 w/ 120,000 miles on it. I average about 16mpg around town doing normal acceleration (ie. better than Ma and Pa.)

 

[timfretwell]

Originally posted by shagg44
no i never figured out what was wrong. i've replaced the O2 sensors, spark plugs and wires and the thermostat. i don't smell any fuel or anything like that so its not the FPR. but i dunno, i guess i'll just get crummy gas mileage till i can think of a way 2 improve it. hopefully the new exhaust in the summer will help things out.

I read one thread where even if your t-stat is good and the engine temp is where it is supposed to be, you can still get poor mileage if your temp sending unit that talks to the computer is not reading right. Basically it lies to the computer and says the engine is still cold, it in turn makes the engine run richer in order to get the temp up. I've been told its a good idea to change the sensor when you change the t-stat. I think they only cost like $20, and you can do it yourself. I'm bound and determinded to get better mileage!! I think I'm going to try it...

 

[jimbo74]

Originally posted by jas84
...gas is cheap now, so why worry so much?

gas is cheap now?????i pay like 1.80 for the crappy stuff

 

[shagg44]

sounds like a good idea tim, i think i'll do it this weekend when i go home. barring that driving home doesn't drive me crazy broke.