MPG,s? poor power?

[Contrldsub]

Im getting about 17 to 18mpg's per tank on my 3.0. my gauge dont work so i just fill it up and do the math each time. thats not too bad really i guess considering im running winter tires and all that. dont know what im getting highway or city. so is that about normal for that motor/year? what are other people getting on a stock 2000?

Next question. i dont seem to have much power in 5th gear above 2k rpm's i cant maintain speed on the interstate in 5th gear at all. empty truck bed, just me in the truck and it dont matter what hill it is. if im not doing 75 at the bottom ill most likely have to DS just to keep it above 55.

 

[adsm08]

Well the 3.slow isn't the strongest engine ever put in the Ranger, and not knowing the hills you are on, that may be normal. Both my 2.9 and my 2.2 pickups do the same thing on the hills around here.


18 MPG is a bit low for a 3.0. Most 3.0 sticks can hit low to mid 20s. Some 2wd trucks can even see almost 30 if its all highway. My first suggestion, before absolutely anything else, would be a good tune up. Plugs, wires, filters, and a run of some Seafoam through the brake booster hose.

 

[Earl43P]

That MIGHT be normal.

My 2000 3.0 4wd 5 speed w/ 4.10s would run 80 with ease in 5th, down shifting to 4th for big hills/mountains to maintain 80.

I suspect you have 3.73 gears and oversize tires. Mine came with 245/75/16 and I downsized to 235/75/15 and it was like a hot rod in comparison. I could bounce it off the speed limiter (92 mph) in 4th or 5th pretty much at will with either set of tires. It simply took longer to get up to speed with the OEM tire size.

It also consistently gave me 340 miles per tank (19 gal) in mixed driving. The best I could get was 21-22 mpg, with 18-19 pretty normal. I revved the piss out of it some of the time, 2nd gear to about 50 mph, 3rd was good to past just past 70. I hit the rev limiter quite a few times.

At slower speeds, you may spend more time in 4th, depending on the hills where you live. I did have to go all the way down to 3rd to pull some of the MD/WV/PA mountains at 65-70 mph (Interstates).

The 3.0 runs happiest right at or above 3000 rpms and still delivers 18-19 mpg (at least mine always did). Hell, I towed cars with a tow dolly and still got 17 mpg (again, on interstates), but 5th gear was useless unless downhill with a tailwind.

I'm guessing VT is pretty hilly. Keep it around 3000 rpm and enjoy the sound and proper performance. I always down shifted as soon as I noticed the speed dropping. My cruise would quit when it dropped 8 mph from the setting.

If you can't maintain 55 mph in 5th and it's not a fair sized hill, something may be wrong. I'd put the OEM intake tube back on and see if that is your power thief. Wouldn't be the first time I've heard of people losing power with one of those.

O2 sensors could be getting lazy too, if they are still original. Don't bother changing the 3rd one after the cat.

I've also heard if you upsize the exhaust pipe over OEM (2"?), you'll lose torque, especially at lower rpms. My 2 cents with a similar truck, drove it over 100k miles, myself. Now my boy has it.

 

[Contrldsub]

That MIGHT be normal.
I suspect you have 3.73 gears and oversize tires.

original gears as far as i know. and the tires are the oem 215/75R15s. i just got the pickup and the guy would put OEM snow tires on it during the winter.

I havent noticed that it has less power with the bolt on mods, just seems really sluggish in 5th gear. some hills its absolutely fine. i guess it sounds like maybe im just being to gentle. i rarely rev it over 3k. its got 155k mi on it so im being kinda gentle. since ive only had it for about 3 weeks. guess if its gonna break its gonna go regardless how nice i am to it..

 

[Destroyer000]

dont feel bad. my 99 4.0 with 4.10s feels slugish... was an auto i converted to 5spd.. and had 245/75/16 tires and put 31/10.5/15s on it.. i get 10mpg towing a sled trailer and about 12 around town... best i can get is 16 on interstate.. my dads 94 has 3.73s 31s and 5spd 4.0 and he pulled 25mpg out of it this weekeind going to ct..

 

[02RangerXLT]

On my stock 2000 that I had, with the 3.0 and 3.73's, I got a good 19mpg during the regular months... during winter it dropped to 15... anything above 65mph... it went down to 14 or even worse. Speed was not helpful for that truck like my current one now.

 

[adsm08]

original gears as far as i know. and the tires are the oem 215/75R15s. i just got the pickup and the guy would put OEM snow tires on it during the winter.

I havent noticed that it has less power with the bolt on mods, just seems really sluggish in 5th gear. some hills its absolutely fine. i guess it sounds like maybe im just being to gentle. i rarely rev it over 3k. its got 155k mi on it so im being kinda gentle. since ive only had it for about 3 weeks. guess if its gonna break its gonna go regardless how nice i am to it..

155K is just getting broken in. Go thrash that bad boy. Junk the bolt-ons too. Put it back stock since without getting tuned to make proper use of the intake and exhaust your truck can't make proper use of the intake and exhaust and they just end up hurting you.

 

[Contrldsub]

155K is just getting broken in. Go thrash that bad boy. Junk the bolt-ons too. Put it back stock since without getting tuned to make proper use of the intake and exhaust your truck can't make proper use of the intake and exhaust and they just end up hurting you.

gonna get it tuned as soon as i put the screamin demon coil and wires in. as well as 4.10s and 31s