Ouch! Fuel Mileage

[Jspafford]

I just picked up a 2002 Explorer Sport Trac with the 4.0L SOHC and a 5-speed auto. I thought I was doing good on a tank of gas, got over 200 miles on it, 211 to be exact... Divided it by the 15.8 it took to fill it back up... OUCH! 13.7MPG!

It has 4.10 gears so it shouldn't be struggling to move. I know, exhaust, tuner, etc.. But is there anything I should check that would cause low mileage?

 

[wahlstrom1]

Winter is gonna kill your mileage, but I'd clean the MAF, check airfilter etc and if it has an egr valve make sure it's working properly as well.

Don't feel too bad, my truck has a pooched cat and a malfunctioning EGR valve and is currently averaging 12mpg...hwy.

-andrew

 

[Jspafford]

Does anyone think resetting the ECU so it can 'relearn' our driving habits would help?

 

[wahlstrom1]

Can't hurt, but they usually do it on their own after a few start cycles. Forgot to add, check tire pressure, as it gets cold tire pressure drops and so does mileage.

Now that temps here have been averaging -30*C for 2 weeks I've seen more vehicles with flat tires on the side of the road then I have in the last 3 years...

-andrew

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

resetting your PCM isnt going to help your mileage, its more liable to hurt things and make it harder for the PCM to properly diagnose a failing sensor, if that ends up being the problem.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Winter gas will kill your milage, it doesn't have the same punch as warm weather gas so it takes more of it to do the same job. I didn't notice it so much with my car, but it really effects my F-150.

Dunno about where you are but I have been spending a fair amount of time in 4x4, that doesn't help. Neither does letting it run for a couple minutes to warm up in the mornings.

And if it is around town, then it may not be doing too bad.

The PCM will learn for the more common driver. So if your wife drives it all week, then you drive it on the weekend, it won't be quite tuned for you.

 

[mjonesjr]

I would suggest doing a tune up. That is something I always do to a vehicle when I buy it, no matter how new it is.

 

[rangerbert]

X2

 

[Jspafford]

She drives it most of the time... She sits in traffic a few minutes a morning. It is parked in the garage, so it does not get warmed up before driving. I drive it on the weekends sometimes...

She put 68 miles on it going back and forth to work. I put another 143 miles on it driving mostly on the freeway over the weekend going to family events. So most of the tank was highway, and it got 13.7.. If it was city only I wouldn't complain, but for those numbers on the highway.

I just checked on the EPA site, the new updated numbers for that year and model are 13city/18highway.

They must have just revised them!

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

confirm that the truck has the factory tire size. if not, your speedo/odo are probably off.

 

[Ozwynn]

Winter gas will kill your milage, it doesn't have the same punch as warm weather gas so it takes more of it to do the same job. I didn't notice it so much with my car, but it really effects my F-150.

Dunno about where you are but I have been spending a fair amount of time in 4x4, that doesn't help. Neither does letting it run for a couple minutes to warm up in the mornings.

And if it is around town, then it may not be doing too bad.

The PCM will learn for the more common driver. So if your wife drives it all week, then you drive it on the weekend, it won't be quite tuned for you.

thats not entirely true. your fuel is colder. 1 US gallon at 10* is about 10 to 20% more fuel when your fuel is at 62*F which is where the pumps are calibrated (1 US Gallon as measured at 62*F). in other words the colder it is the more fuel your fuel pump pumps.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

its not the tempurature that causes lower mileage. winter grade fuel has all kinds of extra anti-gel and anti-water additives...it always provides lower MPG than summer blend fuel.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

thats not entirely true. your fuel is colder. 1 US gallon at 10* is about 10 to 20% more fuel when your fuel is at 62*F which is where the pumps are calibrated (1 US Gallon as measured at 62*F). in other words the colder it is the more fuel your fuel pump pumps.

But at the gas station the fuel is ususally stored underground, where it is roughly the same temperature the whole year.

The vehicle's sensors will keep the mix the same reguardless of temp.

 

[Jspafford]

Well... Since the wiper motor took a shit on the B2, we will be driving the sport trac about 3 hours tomorrow... 150 miles or so to pick up a lab puppy. Will see how the straight highway mileage does.

 

[Jspafford]

Got back from my mainly freeway trip tonight. Got 19.08mpg driving 65 for 160 miles. That is respectable. I did about 10 miles last night in stop and go so that probably cut it back some.