My mileage s*cks

[cbxer55]

Checked my mileage the last time I filled it. The previous time, I zeroed the odometer, usually ignore it. On Monday, took a five gallon container to get some 93 for my two bikes, beat on them both over the weekend. I went ahead and filled the Ranger as well. 6.8 gallons, 123 miles. 18.082 mpg. This on a 98 3.0 Ranger with 182,000 miles coming up soon, factory o2 sensors, MAC CAI (with four cold air sources feeding it), mufflerless exhaust, JET chip that bumps the timing, shift points and fuel profiles, a larger throttle body, shift kit in the trans and 4.10 gears. EGR is deleted, and I believe the cat no longer works based on the exhaust smell. Baby runs awesome!

Frankly, I was surprised by that. The odometer reads correctly. All our major intersections are one mile apart. The odo reads exactly one mile between them.

 

[James Morse]

Wow that's great but lot of mods there.
After last fill I read 100 miles on odometer and 3/4 full tank, which obviously means per usual gas gauges go slow at first then faster as it goes down, they 'always' do that. Otherwise I'd be getting like 25 mpg, wouldn't happen, in town driving. I did check tires, they were about 2 lbs low, filled them to 30, don't know if that would make much of a diff.
Rear brake drags sometimes, when I release park brake it doesn't always release all the way. Rebuild coming, as soon as money... meanwhile minimizing use of truck (and brakes, ha ha).
Seems like gas gauge is operative even when key is off, is that normal?
Your truck same miles and engine as mine probably almost a match. Maybe you will come over and do these mods to mine, although, if I live long enough, I see 5.0 in the future.

 

[cbxer55]

Yeah, my fuel gauge is like that. It takes around 40 miles before it starts dropping off the full peg. After that, it sinks like a mob fat cat wearing custom-fitted cement shoes. But still, odometer read 122.8, and it took 6.8 gallons to the click off. Numbers don't lie.

I've had the truck since January 2000, so 22 years. It had a bit over 10,000 when I bought it. First thing I did was the CAI. Last thing I did was the larger throttle body, earlier this year. I forgot that I also run a 180 thermostat in place of the factory 192. Truck still runs great, starts first turn of the key no matter the outside temperature. No stumble or missies. Check Engine light covered with black tape, I gave up on that years ago. There's no smog or safety checks here, so why bother with it.

Pulled all six plugs the other day, out of curiosity. They've been in there about four years and 30,000 miles. They looked great, so I stuck them back in.

And talkin about injector cleaner. I only use Berryman's B-12. It's got Methanol, Acetone, MEK and Toluene as it's primary ingredients. Don't spill it on your paint. Run it about every fourth tank. Always run one ounce per gallon of Marvel Mystery Oil, mainly as a top end lubricant. At 182,000 miles, the valve train still purrs like a kitten. Never adjusted them.

I pull the sensor off the cam position sensor once a month and squirt some 20w-50 down it's throat. Not had a problem with that yet. I also run Valvoline Max Life 20w-50 in the engine, have done so for 22 years.

 

[James Morse]

Numbers don't lie, except, that's assuming it was filled to exactly the same point it was the previous time. That's hard to do - the best thing you can do is always go to the same place and park at the same pump and always stop filling when it shuts itself off. All that said, of course we like to see what is the mileage per fill. Perhaps the best thing is do that, but also keep a running tally then you can know what is the mileage since day 1 and you could also have a running average of the last, say, 10 fills or something. Obviously if there is much change it will be reflected up/down in those averages - not so much in the average of all the fills, of course, but the running average will give a good indication. Just my thoughts on it.

Thanks for tips on the additives, that sounds good.

That's a long ownership. I just got mine last fall. First pickup I ever had, I love it to death. Have to fix stuff as it comes up, nothing really major yet. Only thing is I wish it was 4wd but that's what I saw and liked and price was ok. Already had more fun in it than the ton of expensive Saabs I had before. Easy to work on, visibility excellent, etc etc.

 

[RonD]

Old O2 sensors lowers MPG

O2s use chemicals to detect oxygen in the exhaust, this reaction generates electricity
As the chemicals are "used up" the electrical voltage drops
Computer reads that voltage as:
0.1v Lean
0.9v Rich

So the math is pretty simple, lol
As the voltage drops computer "sees" FALSE LEAN so adds more fuel than is actually needed, doesn't hurt anything except your wallet

By the time O2 sets a code you could have bought at least 3 new O2s, maybe 5 at today's fuel cost

So just change O2s at 100k miles or 12 years to keep that fuel money in your pocket