Need some INFO..
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From: Perry,Ga.
Need some INFO..
I have a 96,4x4,4.0 Ranger.I have ben running reg.{87}gas in it since I got it about 3 months ago.No complants but the gas milage has not been real good{17-18mpg}.
So the last tank I put premium{93} in it and WOW!!!
what a difference.the performance is better and the milage is up th 20 mpg!!
What I need to know is.do you guys think that truck has had a chip put in it and if so how can I check?Or does the higher octane gas help the 4.0 run that much better?It made no difference on my 2.9 89 4x4 Ranger.
I know no history on the 96,I bought it ued at a car lot.
Thanks in advance,
Jeff B.
So the last tank I put premium{93} in it and WOW!!!
what a difference.the performance is better and the milage is up th 20 mpg!!What I need to know is.do you guys think that truck has had a chip put in it and if so how can I check?Or does the higher octane gas help the 4.0 run that much better?It made no difference on my 2.9 89 4x4 Ranger.
I know no history on the 96,I bought it ued at a car lot.
Thanks in advance,
Jeff B.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Connecticut
It's surprising that you got better gas mileage, since higher octane fuel actually contains less energy per gallon which results in a reduction in overall MPG. I suppose if the premium gasoline was burning more efficiently and thoroughly, helping in overall engine performance, then that could have played a role in things.
Which leads to another point, and that is, if your 4.0L is running better with premium fuel, then that may be a sign of engine performance that has slowly but surely deteriorated over time and mileage. You might think about a giving it a good tuneup (new Motorcraft premium spark plugs, some new plug wires, fuel and air filters, clean the MAF sensor, think about cleaning the throttle body, maybe even give the upper engine a thorough de-carbonization pursuant to TSB 01-19-7, as well. If you do the decarboning procedure- which I recommend- you should do that first, before you do the other things.)
Good luck with your Ranger.
Which leads to another point, and that is, if your 4.0L is running better with premium fuel, then that may be a sign of engine performance that has slowly but surely deteriorated over time and mileage. You might think about a giving it a good tuneup (new Motorcraft premium spark plugs, some new plug wires, fuel and air filters, clean the MAF sensor, think about cleaning the throttle body, maybe even give the upper engine a thorough de-carbonization pursuant to TSB 01-19-7, as well. If you do the decarboning procedure- which I recommend- you should do that first, before you do the other things.)
Good luck with your Ranger.
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Joined: Aug 2004
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In my old 1988 F-150 it makes no difference but, in my 1999 3.0 Ranger I also get about 1-3 MPG better. You should see the increase when you put 93 octane in a 1998 Mustang. A friend of mine won’t go back to regular gas.
Actual the higher the octane the more energy it releases as it is burned. High octane gas consists of an average of longer carbon hydrogen molecules. This makes it more resistant to ignition, basically it will reduce ping if you have it. And if you have a cold spark you might not get a complete burn giving less power for fuel.
Today’s ignitions systems will give a complete burn giving slightly more horsepower if you can get air to it.
In fact if you ran your car on jet fuel 120 octane you would get a large increase in power. At least until you engine blows. It will quickly burn up you valves. But that does not stop people from drag racing on the stuff it they can find it.
Some of the cheaper brands of gas have stopped doing this opting instead make one grade 87 octane and add additives that reduce ignition add octane. There would be no increase in mileage or horsepower with these.
Actual the higher the octane the more energy it releases as it is burned. High octane gas consists of an average of longer carbon hydrogen molecules. This makes it more resistant to ignition, basically it will reduce ping if you have it. And if you have a cold spark you might not get a complete burn giving less power for fuel.
Today’s ignitions systems will give a complete burn giving slightly more horsepower if you can get air to it.
In fact if you ran your car on jet fuel 120 octane you would get a large increase in power. At least until you engine blows. It will quickly burn up you valves. But that does not stop people from drag racing on the stuff it they can find it.
Some of the cheaper brands of gas have stopped doing this opting instead make one grade 87 octane and add additives that reduce ignition add octane. There would be no increase in mileage or horsepower with these.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Eastern WA
The TSB concerning decarboning the 4.0 advises against using fuel with an octane rating above 87 as this can promote carbon buildup.
Out of curiosity, how many full tankfuls of gas have you ran through in your mileage calculation?
On the determination for an aftermarket chip, one of our members was getting a code indicating bad ECM. He knew this was caused by the chip he added. The brute force method is to pull the ECM and look. The apperance of the truck might offer a clue; did it look bone stock or had someone "kiddied" it?
Out of curiosity, how many full tankfuls of gas have you ran through in your mileage calculation?
On the determination for an aftermarket chip, one of our members was getting a code indicating bad ECM. He knew this was caused by the chip he added. The brute force method is to pull the ECM and look. The apperance of the truck might offer a clue; did it look bone stock or had someone "kiddied" it?
Last edited by CowboyBilly9Mile; May 9, 2005 at 02:04 PM.
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From: Perry,Ga.
A tuneup is in Oder.also the de-carbonization is on the list to.Thanks .
As for the gas mileage it was done with about 10 tanks of Chevron reg, and 2 tanks of Chevron premium same pump same station every time,so I'm sure the gas mileage is about as close to right as I can check it.The truck is used as a DD and the trip to work is 43 miles one way,the trip is mostly highway driving @ 60 mph.
I have a 96 Explorer and only time I ran the premium fuel in it was a trip to the MTS.I did this to help with the spark knock{it did}But other then that I could not tell any difference in the performance or mileage.Thats way I was so surprised with the difference in the Ranger.
As for the gas mileage it was done with about 10 tanks of Chevron reg, and 2 tanks of Chevron premium same pump same station every time,so I'm sure the gas mileage is about as close to right as I can check it.The truck is used as a DD and the trip to work is 43 miles one way,the trip is mostly highway driving @ 60 mph.
I have a 96 Explorer and only time I ran the premium fuel in it was a trip to the MTS.I did this to help with the spark knock{it did}But other then that I could not tell any difference in the performance or mileage.Thats way I was so surprised with the difference in the Ranger.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Connecticut
A factory engine cannot run any better nor deliver any more power than what it is designed to do, whether or not you use regular or premium fuel. In other words, only engines that are designed for premium fuel will actually deliver more performance with it. And very few of them are so designed, particulalry when we are talking about Fords.
With respect to the vast majority of OEM engines today, the compression ratios are fixed and timing is set at its max setting, i.e., the most advanced it can be before spark knock becomes an issue. As long as it's not knocking, an EEC-controlled engine is making as much power as it was designed to make using good 'ol 87 octane. It simply cannot do any better. Increasing the octane of the fuel does not increase the compression ratio nor advance the timing in these engines.
Now, there are a few engines out there with higher compression ratios and timing curves that can actually be advanced by the computer (my SHO 's engine, for example). These engines can and do get more power out of a gallon of premium gas, but that's only because of the higher compression and also the higher octane allowing for more advanced spark timing on account of the engine being less prone to spark knock. Hence, it is the design of the engine that is responsible for the greater performance, not the octane rating of the fuel per se.
Even still, most of the vehicles today that do have knock sensors (4.0L SOHC, for example) are incapable of advancing the timing like my SHO can - they only can retard it - which means that premium fuel can, at best, only help bring these engines back to factory performance levels after their performance has degraded, but nothing beyond that.
Good article on octane (copy and paste the address in your browser's address bar without the FTE redirect stuff, and it should work) can be found here:
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1
With respect to the vast majority of OEM engines today, the compression ratios are fixed and timing is set at its max setting, i.e., the most advanced it can be before spark knock becomes an issue. As long as it's not knocking, an EEC-controlled engine is making as much power as it was designed to make using good 'ol 87 octane. It simply cannot do any better. Increasing the octane of the fuel does not increase the compression ratio nor advance the timing in these engines.
Now, there are a few engines out there with higher compression ratios and timing curves that can actually be advanced by the computer (my SHO 's engine, for example). These engines can and do get more power out of a gallon of premium gas, but that's only because of the higher compression and also the higher octane allowing for more advanced spark timing on account of the engine being less prone to spark knock. Hence, it is the design of the engine that is responsible for the greater performance, not the octane rating of the fuel per se.
Even still, most of the vehicles today that do have knock sensors (4.0L SOHC, for example) are incapable of advancing the timing like my SHO can - they only can retard it - which means that premium fuel can, at best, only help bring these engines back to factory performance levels after their performance has degraded, but nothing beyond that.
Good article on octane (copy and paste the address in your browser's address bar without the FTE redirect stuff, and it should work) can be found here:
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1
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From: Perry,Ga.
Rockledg thats why I ask if ya'll thought that someone had put a chip in it,I know that some chips out there are programed to make you run premium fuels.I know that premium fuels don't give you more HP.I never said it did.I did say that it stop the spark knock my 96 X had when I went to the Mountains.I live at 533 ft. above sea levels,so my vehs.don't preform as well at higher alt.Now I did have a car that need high octane fuel,it had 13 to 1 compression ratio.we ran 114 octane racing fuel in it.
