8mpg Problem

[Viva*the*Ranger]

im going for the tune up and all filters changed

I would look into the parking brake too. Does the truck feel like its really lacking power? and are you caculating mileage right? Like different tires off setting the speedo? Smaller gas tank then you think?

I'm going with these two opinions. Start simple and cheap. Even if those aren't the culprit they will only do good for your rig. Start there and begin the sweet sweet process of elimination

 

[GoodOld85BlueBalls]

It's just a 4 banger. Tune it up and don't try to drive it like a ricer.

 

[D.J.]

Thanks BRUTUS_T_HOGG I thought there for a minute I thought I was going nuckin futs.

 

[LearjetMinako]

WOW, 8mpg on a 4cyl. Is that even possible? The worst that I have ever gotten out of my 4cyl was 18mpg. And that was because I was trying to do 75mph through hilly terrain.

Something to check. Check the fuel pressure regulator for any fuel leaks. Also any stuck open fuel injector(s). Run a can of fuel system cleaner through it too.

 

[spededdy]

how do i tell if clutch is going bad

 

[mini274]

if it revs and dont go nowhere fast

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I would assume it would smell and smoke slightly as it would be slipping when it shoudn't be.

 

[spededdy]

my 4th and 5th gear are like a dog, i shift and its no power what soever, how much are clutches for a 1990 ford ranger, 4 cylinder, are they hard to change?

 

['99 EB Explorer]

I had a '93 ranger with the 2.3L and a standard tranny. It sucked major wang when it came to fuel milage. I'm convinced that the older 2.3's were just too small to haul all that truck around. Not to mention that it's older and probably getting tired.

I gave my old ranger a "tune-up" EVERY spring. that included plugs, wires, air/fuel filter, serpentine belt, check all fluids, grease everything that can be greased, check tires for proper inflation, check front end components, run fuel conditioner through the system, run injector cleaner through....blah blah blah.

Also....EVERY oil change, i'd make sure it got Lucas Oil Stabilizer added to it. That stuff is a god-send.

Preventative maintenance is your friend!

Beyond that...there are a million different things that could be causing your issue but, the above mentioned stuff isn't a bad idea..and generally isn't all that expensive if you do it yourself.

 

[88gt]

battery bables could be corroded and not passing enought power to efficiently ignite the gas/fuel mixture causing it to pump more gas to make up for the lack of spark

 

[spededdy]

****ing POS brake lines went out on me last night, luckly was in my work parking lot....

 

[naford]

I would suggest a tuneup because it's easier and cheaper than a clutch. Check all the fluids and if you can change all the fluids. In some cases low fluid or the wrong fluid could cause gas mileage problems. It could be the brakes are freezing on you. If you can don't use the parking brake because they almost always lock up. You could do this test. Find a parking lot with a slight grade. Facing downhill and the truck running push really hard on the brakes. Now let up and the truck should coast downhill. I should clarify the truck should be in nuetral or the clutch pushed in. You could set the parking brake then release the parking brake and see if it rolls downhill. Going up hill you could see if the clutch is bad. Facing uphill start off in first gear in as low an rpm as you can let out the clutch you should notice it slipping. You can try this in other gears. If you still suspect it's the clutch it might be out of adjustment. Maybe somebody else can help with that.

 

[The purple one]

My 87 F-350 with a 19 foot deck and around 7700 lbs. gets 11 MPG empty. I get 5 MPG at 13000 GVW. My 93 Ranger gets 18 MPG loaded. Do you smell gas? Could have a leak somewere.

 

[spededdy]

it runs great though, how could it be a tuneup?

 

[adsm08]

you would be surprised, even on a 4 banger i've seen partial mis-fires that let it run fine with horrible mileage, at least check your plugs condition and spark quality.