Goodbye gas milleage, see you next spring

[retep88]

We just got our first real snow around here and I can almost watch my gas needle go down. Winter is about the only time I use my 4x4 and my tired little 2.9 doesn't like it when I use it. Not only that, but I get super aggressive when I drive in the winter. Don't know why, but I just do. It's nothing crazy, but it's stuff like spinning the tires for thirty feet till they get traction. It kills my gas mileage. I love the snow, just not what it does to my gas mileage.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Winterblend gasoline also will lower your mileage.

 

[K.Strong]

I'm in the same vote as you. Seems like I could go though a tank of gas in a matter of a few hours if I wanted to.

 

[Daniel_187]

I hear you man. 19-20 in the summer 15-17 in the winter(depends on how much I have to use the 4wd)

 

[RustedRanger]

One thing that helps mine is to feed it warm(er) underhood air in the winter. The fuel mixes better with the air when the air is warmer. I have been doing this for many years and notice very little drop in MPG over the winter.

 

[feellnfroggy]

how exactly do you feed it warmer air besides running one of you heater vents to the intake?

 

[mp3deviant721]

I feel you. Except I don't have a 4wd, its just the winter blended fuels, long idle times, and lots of tire spinning that drop my mileage. Just curious though, where do you live? Here in Eau Claire, WI, we just got our first real snow too. It might not stay, but still, it was actually was snowing.

 

[dc66]

I just bought winter tires this year for my Ranger 4X4. Hopefully this will help to limit the 4X4 use and cut my gas bill a little.

 

[adsm08]

I don't really use the 4x4 that much. I use it if I need help getting going or if I have to turn on ice or pack snow, but once I'm moving and gonna be going in a straight line for a while I pop back into 2HI. Doesn't hurt my handling any unless I get going fast enough that I shouldn't be going that fast.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

how exactly do you feed it warmer air besides running one of you heater vents to the intake?

My 2.8 is supposed to pull warm air from around the exhaust manifold. It has a little vacuum actuator to open a door in the intake tube, but I am missing everything below that.

Winter fuel is the biggest killer for me. 4x4 sure doesn't help, but I think most of the blame should go to the fuel.

 

[RustedRanger]

feelnfroggy.....just unhook the tube that feeds the air box outside air. Notice that I said "warm(er)" air. Maybe it's more accurate to say,"feed it less then freezing cold outside air". I use an aftermarket air filter but I have it sitting where the bottom half of the stock airbox is so when the average high temps got around 50F or so I blocked off the air intake to the filter box. At highway speeds the air going through the radiator isn't gonna be that "warm" but it will be "warmer" than the outside temps.