I know any year of Explorer is no king in the gas mileage catergory. However, I travel 70 miles round trip each day to work, and I average 16.5 mpg. I was wondering if anyone has had any success in achieving better than that. What kinds of things do you do to get better than 16 mpg? Thanks!

 

I got 22 MPG on a road trip but generally average 18 to 20. Mine (actually my wifes) is a 2004 4.0L 2WD

 

Obviously fuel economy is very subjective and depends on driving style, environmental conditions, cargo that you're carrying around, type of fuel you use, and maintenance habits over the life of the engine and drivetrain.

My 2000 Mountaineer with AWD and the 5.0L V8 could regularly average 18 to 18.5 mpg with almost all highway miles. In the city I would get around 12-13 mpg, but I like the feel of acceleration and rarely took off from stops slowly.

My current 2004 Mountaineer with AWD and 4.6L V8 only gets around 18 mpg highway and about 13 mpg in city with similar driving habits.

-Rod

 

our 2002 with the 4L V6 gets about 19.5 average. We live in the country and drive 90% of the time on state highways at 58 MPH.

 

Thanks guys,

Mine is -
4.0 ohv
4spd. auto tranny
Control-Trac (full-time 4WD)
72,000 miles

I use 87 octane "super unleaded" ethanol fuel.
90% of driving is highway
Still, the best I've gotten is 17 mpg, and I average 16-16.5

I don't carry a load 99% of the time.
I travel around 60-65 mph on 4-lane highway.

I still owe money on it, so I can't do any modifications as far as CAIs, hood scoops, or anything permanent like that..... yet.

Is there anything that I can do to squeeze atleast another 2 mpg out of the 4.0 powerplant?

Thanks!

 

Install a RAW egg between foot and go pedal. Leave plenty of room to coast to stop.

 

Ha Ha Ha, that's funny

Seriously, I make less than $200 a week. 75% of that goes to making car payments. The other 25% goes for gas. I need to get better gas mileage.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Another thought: are there any program "chips" for the 4.0? I know they make 'em for a lot of pickup engines, but I have never seen any for smaller engines.
If anyone knows of any (Superchips, for example) I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

My wifes 96 Limited w/ 4.0 v6 has cracked 24mpg on the freeway several times, but most of the time its 16-17mpg around town/mixed driving.

 

A $300 chip would certainly not pay for itself in fuel economy improvements. The resistors that some unscrupulous sellers market as "chips" that improve fuel economy and power and "only" cost $15 simply don't work. They are a $0.02 (or less in quantity) resistor.

In all seriousness, the if your engine has been well maintained, the best way to improve fuel economy is what Aquanaut suggested, change your driving habits. If you're not sure if your engine has been maintained, then check/change the spark plugs and spark plug wires (you still haven't mentioned what year your Explorer is, so I'll assume you have wires rather than CoP). You should also consider picking up a can of SeaFoam and performing a cylinder decarb on it, that could improve economy. Also make sure the air filter is clean and that the engine oil and filter are replaced at the recommended intervals with the recommended weight. One other often overlooked item that can impact fuel economy is tire pressure. Make sure all tires are inflated to the proper pressure per the vehicle door sticker, and check the tires regularly (I think monthly is what's often recommended). Don't forget to make sure the spare tire is inflated.

-Rod

 

You should have bought a 4 cylinder Escape or Focus, but I recalled this thread from when I was thinking about an Explorer--it is over 100 pages of discussion by a guy who was/is shooting to get 30 mpg out of his Explorer:

My quest for 30 MPG - Ford Explorer Gas Mileage Tips - Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts "Serious Explorations"®

I haven't looked at this thread for a couple years, and there is probably a ton of "noise", but maybe there are some useful tips as well. It is the same year as yours, a 1999.... The guy has done stuff like add an air dam, removed roof rack, etc. Removing the crossbars on your rack is easy and might help a tiny bit. But if you get into the more serious mods, it might be cheaper to sell your Explorer and get the aforementioned 4 cylinder Escape...or even buy a Focus as a 2nd car

Another area where you might get an improvement is to go with low rolling resistance tires when it's time to change them. These will have more of a street tread, but all terrain tires do suck a bunch of gas which is used flexing and heating rubber blocks.

Good luck,
George

 

OK, I have a '96 All-wheel-drive Explorer with the 5.0 engine and auto trans. I used it for outside sales and so I was able to track my gas mileage over many weeks. MOST of my mileage was on the highway, but these were not freeways, just secondary highways with a maximum speed of 60mph and many slower areas due to small towns, farms, school crossings etc. My average mileage was right on about 17.5 miles per gallon. Consistantly.

I run 235/75R/15 tires. To get QUICK better gas mileage I would simply go for TALLER tires. You'd lose some bottom end acceleration, but get more at the top end, where, if you are commuting or doing a lot of highway driving, you can definitely use it. End of story. Try getting some USED tires for this from a tire store or gas station or wrecking yard to keep the cost down. I stuck with the same tire size because I did a lot of driving in snow or on bad farm roads from time to time. But you don't have to. Good luck!

 

going from a 30 inch tire to a 31 inch tire is only 3%. That is about .5 MPG . If the tire is heavier, you might not get that much due to the extras spinning weight. If your going 3-4 inches bigger you would see a definite RPM drop. AGain, the extra weight of bigger tires has to be considered.. THey guys talking about light foot, coasting, new plugs and fuel filters, etc are right on track.

 

'98 OHC auto XLT 4x4

11 in local short trip babysitter duty

15.5 in mixed lead-footed driving (sales)

17 in semi-mixed 11 mile freeway commute with a delicatessan touch on the loud pedal.

20 one time when it was new going to Las Vegas.

Roof rack rail removal, pump your tires up to 35, and the standard stuff already listed. Pull your wipers off if you're brave and in a no-rain zone.

Are you any good with metal? A belly pan would work wonders.....

 

Thank you all!!!

You all have given me some food for thought. I think I can make a lot of your suggestions work.

Also, my Explorer is a 1999 XL with the 160 hp 4.0 OHV
I just did an oil change two weeks (800 miles) ago. I keep the tires around 35 psi. I have a new air filter (haven't had time to install it yet).

When I feel I can afford it, I will replace the plugs and wires.

As for the coasting, I do a lot of rush-hour freeway driving, so I don't think that will work very well.

Still, I have hope that I can achieve better economy.
Thanks again!