I have a 2004 Escape - AWD & V6
It seems that the car has gotten worse on gas mileage.
I have changed air filter, checked tire pressure, etc.
It seems to average around 18.5 mpg...with a combination of city & highway driving. Is this normal? Does anybody else get better mpg.
engine runs & fells the same. Any thoughts???

 

On our 04 with the V6 fwd only we average 22mpg in-town/highway mix 23 just highway. Used to average 20-22mpg till I did a seafoam treatment, started using Havolne 5w20 and changed the fuel filter. I don't know which helped since I don't know what the stealership put in it...runs alot better though. I can get better mpg out of it than the wife.. jack rabbit starts and the Escape is a killer on mpg. It's hard to avoid and takes alot of practice.

 

I havent changed the fuel filter in a while...could that be a causing poorer mpg???

 

I don't see how but anything's possible. I'd replace it if you hasn't been done in 15-25k cheap and easy insurance even if that isn't the problem. How many miles are on the Escape and have you replaced the plugs yet?

 

it has 54000 miles...plugs have not been changed.
Its an automatic, so what about changing tranny fluid...do I need to??

 

If it hasn't been done.. yes. It's easy just pull the plug and refill with 3.5-3.8qts whatever it takes. Do that every 5k or whenever you change oil and after 3 changes you should have the majority of fluid changed. Then every 10k or every two oil changes after that (fyi I would suction out the ps steering fluid resiovor and replace at the same time). $5 roughly per each change compared to 100 bucks at a dealer to the full bit. I'm a bit **** but I do this I don't except any problems out of our escape... ever if I'm lucky.

Now as far as the plugs. If I can remember correctly somebody else was having low mpg and on a whim they changed the plugs. One of the plugs was fouled. I would do a seafoam treatment and then do the plugs if it doesn't help.

 

Your mileage isn't terrible but its hard to have an opinion since it is impossible to quantify just what kind of mixed driving you do. Some owners in the northeast states (including myself) feel that we have lost about 1 mpg since the switchover from MTBE to 10% ethanol in our fuel. Has your fuel in TN changed?