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'05 XLT 2WD 4.0L Automatic longbed with Tonneau top, 3.55 rear axle ratio and 26K miles.
I can give you a good before and after example. Bought the truck 3 months ago from an auto wholesaler, the unit is a retired fleet vehicle. When selling it to me, the guy went on and on about how "well maintained a fleet vehicle" it was. Turned out to be a lot of B.S. The fleet company's idea of "well maintained" was nothing more than changing oil every 4K miles and rotating the tires (which btw, they had replaced with undersized P195's. The truck ran rough, had horrible vibrations at highway speed (I don't think they ever ran it outside of town) but I bought it anyway because the price was a steal, and I figured I could fix it. On my first full tank of gas I got 15.3 MPG in combined (about 50/50) highway and city driving. Then I went to work on it.
Replaced the tires with the Ford recommended P225's and am running them at 30-31psi which is a compromise between ride and mileage. I can get a really nice ride but poorer mileage at 27psi, or good mileage and a rougher ride at 36psi. Hence the 30-31psi (Owner's manual recommends 29psi). The air filter was a filthy black mess before I replaced it. So bad in fact that the Mass Air Flow sensor was gummed up and not working properly. Tried cleaning it and it worked better, but then just went ahead and got a new FoMoCo MAF on ebay for $40.00. Next, I put in new spark plugs,replaced the PCV, got an oil change and cooling system flush and a new fuel filter. So yeah, I spent a few bucks on it, but it was all things that were past due or needed attention anyway. The end result was that it eliminated the road vibration problems, the engine now runs smooth, and most importantly my combined mileage went up to 19.1MPG!
Then a friend of mine ('00 Ranger 2WD 3.0L) recommended using better gas. I had been using the cheapest, no-name brand 87 octane gas I could find. I had asked him if he was getting any better mileage using 89 or 91 octane fuel. He said that higher octane doesn't translate into better fuel economy unless you have a high mileage engine that is knocking. More important than octane, he said, is the quality and blend of the fuel itself. He recommended I try Shell or Mobile, and stick to the 87 octane. So, I for my next tank of gas(despite being 3 cents a gallon more) I used Shell, and I got 20.3 MPG in combined driving! Since then, I've continued to use Shell and have been consistently getting between 20.2 to 20.5 MPG. Of course, this is not a universal truth in all parts of the country. In some regions, Shell or Mobile might be just as crappy a gas as the no-name brand. You'll have to try several different brands to see which works best. But the point is ... keep up on the maintainence, and avoid the cheapy gas which in the long run is'nt really saving you any more.
18 gallons @ 3.40 = $61.20 At 19.1 MPG = 344 miles
18 gallons @ 3.43 = $61.74 At 20.3 MPG = 365 miles
So for .54 cents more, I'm picking up about 21 more miles, which is roughly equal to one gallon of gas, @$3.43 - .54 = a savings of $2.89 per tank.
I can give you a good before and after example. Bought the truck 3 months ago from an auto wholesaler, the unit is a retired fleet vehicle. When selling it to me, the guy went on and on about how "well maintained a fleet vehicle" it was. Turned out to be a lot of B.S. The fleet company's idea of "well maintained" was nothing more than changing oil every 4K miles and rotating the tires (which btw, they had replaced with undersized P195's. The truck ran rough, had horrible vibrations at highway speed (I don't think they ever ran it outside of town) but I bought it anyway because the price was a steal, and I figured I could fix it. On my first full tank of gas I got 15.3 MPG in combined (about 50/50) highway and city driving. Then I went to work on it.
Replaced the tires with the Ford recommended P225's and am running them at 30-31psi which is a compromise between ride and mileage. I can get a really nice ride but poorer mileage at 27psi, or good mileage and a rougher ride at 36psi. Hence the 30-31psi (Owner's manual recommends 29psi). The air filter was a filthy black mess before I replaced it. So bad in fact that the Mass Air Flow sensor was gummed up and not working properly. Tried cleaning it and it worked better, but then just went ahead and got a new FoMoCo MAF on ebay for $40.00. Next, I put in new spark plugs,replaced the PCV, got an oil change and cooling system flush and a new fuel filter. So yeah, I spent a few bucks on it, but it was all things that were past due or needed attention anyway. The end result was that it eliminated the road vibration problems, the engine now runs smooth, and most importantly my combined mileage went up to 19.1MPG!
Then a friend of mine ('00 Ranger 2WD 3.0L) recommended using better gas. I had been using the cheapest, no-name brand 87 octane gas I could find. I had asked him if he was getting any better mileage using 89 or 91 octane fuel. He said that higher octane doesn't translate into better fuel economy unless you have a high mileage engine that is knocking. More important than octane, he said, is the quality and blend of the fuel itself. He recommended I try Shell or Mobile, and stick to the 87 octane. So, I for my next tank of gas(despite being 3 cents a gallon more) I used Shell, and I got 20.3 MPG in combined driving! Since then, I've continued to use Shell and have been consistently getting between 20.2 to 20.5 MPG. Of course, this is not a universal truth in all parts of the country. In some regions, Shell or Mobile might be just as crappy a gas as the no-name brand. You'll have to try several different brands to see which works best. But the point is ... keep up on the maintainence, and avoid the cheapy gas which in the long run is'nt really saving you any more.
18 gallons @ 3.40 = $61.20 At 19.1 MPG = 344 miles
18 gallons @ 3.43 = $61.74 At 20.3 MPG = 365 miles
So for .54 cents more, I'm picking up about 21 more miles, which is roughly equal to one gallon of gas, @$3.43 - .54 = a savings of $2.89 per tank.
