Is it true that during the break in period, the vehicle accelerates slower than normal until everything is broken in? My new v-8 explorer has about 160 miles and has gone through a full tanks of gas and in midrange or merging feels slower than my 03 5/4 expedition. Even with the hp and tq disadvantage, shouldn't the weight difference make the explorer quite a bit more fuelefficient and faster? I am getting about 8-9 mpgs right now with a farily conservative right foot.....is it expeceted to get faster and more fuel conservative? maybe? could something be wrong? Kind of a weird question i know, but I didn't pay for the v-8 if i could have been fine wiht the 6. I have an older used explorer with 38,000 on the clock, a 4.0 and it will stay neck and neck with the 4.6. Yes, i know it's not a racecar....but still

 

First of all, nice to meet ya. Someone with a similiar experience to me. Traded my beloved F250SD yesterday for an '05 Explorer 4.6l V8, 5sp-Auto.

"Is it true that during the break in period, the vehicle accelerates slower than normal until everything is broken in?"

Haven't noticed that on mine. Got about 100 mi on it. Compared with my 5.4 SD (2WD), it seems quicker, or equal, in every respect. I DID add a K&N,... Made a much bigger difference on this model that it did on the 250. You might try that.

"...160 miles and has gone through a full tanks of gas"

Really?
I got a little less than 3/4 left on the first tank and am hovering around 100mi (ODO) mi, picked it up with 30 mi, so 1/4 tank for about 70 miles, makes me on track for 280mi for a tank. hmmmm........

"Even with the hp and tq disadvantage, shouldn't the weight difference make the explorer quite a bit more fuel efficient and faster? I am getting about 8-9 mpgs right now with a farily conservative right foot.....is it expeceted to get faster and more fuel conservative? maybe? could something be wrong?"

Yeah, you would think... That's been my experience so far in mine that it is VERY quick and MUCH better on fuel than my SD. Maybe you got one (Explorer) with an extremely tight engine. My 250SD got 9-10 mpg for almost 1000 miles, than loosened up and got about 13mpg average... but that was as good as it got.

I am guessing that I'm (Explorer) getting somewhere around 15mpg in suburban / local highway driving. Compooter says 16.1mpg, for whatever that might be worth. I would expect this would get better. 9mpg seems too low to me, though. I would have the stealer check it out and pop it on the analyzer. That sounds very low to me and is NOT consistent with mine.

"I didn't pay for the v-8 if i could have been fine wiht the 6. I have an older used explorer with 38,000 on the clock, a 4.0 and it will stay neck and neck with the 4.6."

I rented an explorer with a V6, and around 60mph, that thing had NO cahonez what-so-ever. My V8, on the other hand, pulls like a freight train to 80mph. Can't wait to put a flowmaster on it . In stock trim with a K&N, my 4.6 is very quick in my eyes. Hatew to say it, but something doesn't sound kosher with yours. Have it checked out. Off the line, mine is a little scary the way it charges off. My 250SD was pretty quick with a 40 delta-flow and a K&N. My Explorer feels like it is a little quicker, even.

I dunno... let's wait and compare, and see what gives......

 

I have to agree with Kraut. My wife got a 2005 Eddie Bauer pimped out Explorer with the V-8 and while it only has slightly over 3,500 miles on it now she gets 16+/- mpg for local driving and 19 mpg for straight highway driving. It's not broken in yet so the mpg will probably increase as the miles increase. She had a 2002 XLT Explorer with the V-6 motor and ironically she got the same mpg. But the V-8 has a lot more "cojones" and doesn't peter out with a full load of people going uphill with the air on . Take it back to the dealer and have diagnose what's wrong with your Explorer. Because poor power and poor gas mileage are two things you definitely should not be experiencing with your V-8 Explorer. Perhaps as Kraut says your engine is "tight" and needs 1500+ more miles to loosen up a bit for more power and mpg. But 8-9 mpg does seem real low even for a new engine. If by 1500 miles you are still getting the poor mpg and power see you dealer. It may be something as simple as a computer reflash. Hopefully you are not running too rich and diluting the oil. Perhaps you should change the factory oil at 700 miles and do another oil change at 2500 miles. If your mpg and power are no better I'd have a professional like Terry Dyson analysis your oil to dertermine if there is a problem condition with your engine.

Whimsey

 

those sound like solid ideas....nice to meet you both also!! How much does an oil analysis cost? Maybe i did just get a really close tolerance engine...4.6's are known to be problem free from the information i know.... I'm getting the oil changed at 1,000 miles...is that about right? I remember now that the expedition felt a bit on the sluggish side until it's first oil change...thereafter it had more get-up and go... If i mash the pedal on the highway with the explorer it downshifts and picks up speed at a leisurely pace. MY other one, a V-6 at highway speeds pick up speed about the same... I still can't believe the mileage, a bit atrociuos...by goly, the ranger get's 10....one of the 02 sensors keeps going wack though.... Another explorer ?...if you are stopped and mash the go-pedal do yours take off and run strong through all the gears? Mine has exceptional torque until about 3,000 rpms, then you can feel it drop off and the engine is just singing it's V-8 song, then it shifts to the next gear....Just seems like all the torque is around 2,500 then above it falls off. The specs seem to differ with the meat of the torque band being around 4,000 rpms as i recall.....THANKS A LOT FOR THE HELP!! (I checked under the hood and there is in fact a modular V-8 under the hood....so it wasn't a misbadge..plus the V-8 is spec'd from eddie bauer up...after all who would want a 6 in a limited..)?????????

 

OH one more question...sorry If i turn off the truck sitting there listening to the radio thanks to the delayed power retention (thank you FORD!), a fraction of a second before the interior lights dim until off, all the guages drop down past minimum quite a bit then go back up when the lights turn off...is that a sign of a weak battery? or is it a characteristic of the truck...? It starts in three starter rotations, just a bit worrying to see the guages do that....Okay...I'm done...i think...

 

So as not to waste another thread, i guess i'll ask here again.... How should an engine be broken in?? I know what the manual says....but I can't seem to keep my foot out of it...does mashing the pedal to the floor cause for any problems down the road?? This tank I have gotten 200 miles....so it's improving...i guess. Still though at around 40, if i stomp on it, the truck feels like something is dragging, but the parking brake is on....stumped here

 

Well maybe that's why you are getting poor gas mileage . It's not a good practice to use wide open throttle on an engine that's not fully broken in. While you should vary your rpm's during break in I don't believe "flooring" it is really good for the long term health of the new engine. But time will tell with your Explorer.

Whimsey

 

Well if the parking brake is on, you should release it when you're driving - was that a typo?

Now that you have 300 or so miles on it, change engine oil and fliter. I have always done this on new engines. My theory is this gets all the initial metal shavings and yuky assembly lube out of the engine. Won't help your gas milage but I think it will make your engine last longer.

But if you have a serious concern, for such a new vehicle, most dealers will take a look at it for you under a free warranty concern. Run a diagnostic, look for PCM codes...whatever they can find. Would not be the first time a new car was delivered with a problem.

 

i might bave typoed....it feels in at higher speeds that the parking brake is on a bit...feels to be dragging....However...in the past few weeks, I have gotten 14.2 mpg hand calculated, and it feels quicker....how much damage could i have done by mashing the pedal?? Passing I've put my foot into it a few times, and also from a dead stop a few times, but maybe i misspoke...I'm not mashing the go pedal wherever i go, just on occasion...almost 1,000 miles now!!

 

So when I rebuilt the 302 in the 71 Mustang I drove it around for a couple weeks then brought it by to show the engine builder. Mind you this was performance purposed - ported heads, bigger valve, big cam, headers, dual exhaust, 4 barrel...

So he says - "have you gotten on it yet" What? it's still breaking in, right? He said go for it, that's what it's built for.

So everyone has an opinion. Maybe his was to break it so he could get some more business. I wouldn't worry about it. I give my jetski motors 1/2 tank of gas tottling around then I hammer them.

 

that's piece of mind....i was starting to get a bit concerned...even though i have a lot of Ford's to drive they aren't high mileage at all so i don't know the side effects of driving hard during break in. Bad news though..had my first accident in the explorer.well, not accident, but 'accident'. I was stopping at a stoplight and looked down for a split second and thought i was stopped and just rolled into the car in front of me...i mean ROLLED...i was idling...I left two nice marks on her bumper from my license plate screws...mine had a line marr, but i buffed it out so you can barely see it at all, and the license plate broke, but i got a new one for free. The person i ran into got out of their car rubbing their neck and saying it hurt....I think I am going to regret not paying attention. Her car's bumper was barely changed at all, and she played it like i had rear ended her, not tapped her. She said she's calling insurance tomorrow...she even asked if we should call the police...What a frustrating day...

 

I fricking hate that. Same exact thing happend to me about 20 years ago. No damage to either vehicle but $20K in medical bills - how does that happen?

 

Got a call today from her insurance. That woman. I can't believe she did that!! I don't know what to do now. I am extremely apalled by what she did. Two small scratches on her bumper... I mean...how can she sue me for medical bills if there shoudln't be any. How can they prove that the tap was enough force to necesitate seeing a therapist. MAybe I am over reacting...but she is getting 'checked' out. What is this word coming to?! If I see here again I will have a few choice words to say to her...anyways..

 

I assume you have full coverage insurance...

If you do: File a claim with your carrier immediately---EVEN if it's her fault. Refer EVERY drop of correspondence to them. I ALSO recommend searching out an attorney for yourself. Do not say ANYTHING TO ANYONE without YOUR attorney present (YOURS or the Insurance companies, I mean).

If you DON'T (have FC Insurance): hide assetts and call a good LAWYER IMMEDIATELY. Do not pass go, do not collect $100. CALL ONE NOW.

What you're paying for with insurance premiums is legal coverage. Let the carriers hash it out. This is a money grab. I would also talk to a good attorney and keep him close to your vest in any case. This is in case she comes after YOU personally, which I don't think this is going to happen. Her lawyer will send her to a chiropracter to document a trail of medical problems. Then they will file a claim for easy money against your medical claim coverage on your auto policy.

Her (attorney's) goal is to collect cash EASILY. I understand your anger, and it is justified. No time for that now. Unfortunately, this is how the game is played anymore. Until we see tort reform, people get into accidents and act like they've hit the lottery.

Don't take it personally (I know it's hard not to). Keep your head on straight. Let the attorney's of the ICs hash it out.

Say NOTHING about it.

 

well...i have good and bad news.....good news...last tank in town driving 100% was 18.2 mpgs....that's great...now bad....the woman filed for injury I can NOT believe that. I called my ins, and they are investigating....