gas mileage
New User
Joined: Sep 2006
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JFusion is right about the 6 cylinder plugs, get a Haynes manual, follow the directions, and anyone can do it. Make sure you have the right size spark plug wrench with enough of an extension to get to them, and its a piece of cake.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 223
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From: London , On
yeah it really looks intimidating when looking at it from above the engine bay, but once you get into it and start pulling off the appropriate parts you quickly see what needs to be done and it goes pretty quick.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 634
Likes: 2
mines say to inflate to 30 psi... needless to say, I run 33-34 psi..
Whoa, DO NOT over inflate your tires! Stick to the specification listed on the label....this is why Explorer owners ran into trouble. The suspension, brakes, and handling are all designed with the specified tire pressure on the label. Any deviation just asks for trouble. If it didn't matter the manufacturers wouldn't spend the money on a label.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 1
From: North of Boston MA
Originally Posted by BII Plow Truck
Whoa, DO NOT over inflate your tires! Stick to the specification listed on the label....this is why Explorer owners ran into trouble. The suspension, brakes, and handling are all designed with the specified tire pressure on the label. Any deviation just asks for trouble. If it didn't matter the manufacturers wouldn't spend the money on a label.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,512
Likes: 18
From: Detroit
Yup, no problem going to the tire max...
Originally Posted by Nitramjr
The Explorer's problem was the tires being underinflated and overheating. The recommended TP on the sticker is mainly based on ride quality. I've found that splitting the difference between the sticker (35 psi on my Escapes) and the tire manufacturer maximum pressure (44 psi) results in no loss of ride quality but measurably better gas milage.
Actually, the Michelin 235/75 XL's on my van have a max recommended pressure of 41 lbs, but on the mfr site, they have specific recommendations to increase the pressure somewhere between 1 and 4 lbs or so if you are pushing the higher speeds allowed by the tire.
The sticker is on the door jamb because the govt requires it. Explorers had low pressure recommendations (for a nice ride), and folks would let them run lower than that, causing them to shred (in large part because the tires were also faulty). Ford issued new door stickers with higher recommended pressures.
George
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: North of Boston MA
I've been watching the tires closely on both of my Escapes and have yet to see any unusual wear at all on any of the tires. After about 30k miles on each one, all tires look great with even wear all around.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
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If you stay within the tire mfr recommendation for pressure, you're fine...
The PSI on the side of a tire is just the MAXIMUM pressure, so the tire mounting tech doesn't overinflate to seat the beads, and so the maximum weight of the tire has a reference point.
Underinflated or overinflated, it doesn't matter....the point is that it's wrong either way.
It's just like overfilling your crankcase by an extra quart of oil, you just don't do it.
Do not risk it, it's an accident waiting to happen with improperly inflated tires. I've know too many people who have skidded off the road due to overinflated tires too hard to grip the road, and many people underinflate and the tire tucks under the rim causing the vehicle to flip in a manuever.
We don't know more than the manufacturer's engineers, there are reasons they design the suspensions this way.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 1
From: North of Boston MA
Originally Posted by BII Plow Truck
Do not risk it, it's an accident waiting to happen with improperly inflated tires.
I will inflate my tires to the vehicle manufacturers recommendation of 35 psi...±5 psi.
New User
Joined: Mar 2008
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I am new to this forum and this is my first post, but I just got done changing all 6 spark plugs on my 01 Ford Escape XLS v6 3.0L with 97000 miles. I also changed the oil, air filter, and I plan on changing the fuel filter.
I also have nitrogen filled tires that are around 32 psi. My gas mileage (before the tune up) was 17 in town and 23 on highway.\
Can replacing the oxygen sensors help gas mileage? I am nervous taking them off because they are on there pretty long and are rust and with all the heat there usually makes them hard to take off. If I were to crack the manifold, then I would need to replace all of that too and I do not want to do that.
I also have nitrogen filled tires that are around 32 psi. My gas mileage (before the tune up) was 17 in town and 23 on highway.\
Can replacing the oxygen sensors help gas mileage? I am nervous taking them off because they are on there pretty long and are rust and with all the heat there usually makes them hard to take off. If I were to crack the manifold, then I would need to replace all of that too and I do not want to do that.
New User
Joined: Mar 2008
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I agree, I only inflate my tires up to the psi listed on the sticker. I always feel like im going to have a blow out if I over inflate the tires.
Originally Posted by BII Plow Truck
No this is incorrect. Follow the vehicle manufacture's label, period. Tire pressure is very critical. They don't spend the money to place a label there for nothing. The government does not 'Require' a tire pressure label unless the suspension was designed with a different pressure specification then the tire maximum pressure rating.
The PSI on the side of a tire is just the MAXIMUM pressure, so the tire mounting tech doesn't overinflate to seat the beads, and so the maximum weight of the tire has a reference point.
Underinflated or overinflated, it doesn't matter....the point is that it's wrong either way.
It's just like overfilling your crankcase by an extra quart of oil, you just don't do it.
Do not risk it, it's an accident waiting to happen with improperly inflated tires. I've know too many people who have skidded off the road due to overinflated tires too hard to grip the road, and many people underinflate and the tire tucks under the rim causing the vehicle to flip in a manuever.
We don't know more than the manufacturer's engineers, there are reasons they design the suspensions this way.
The PSI on the side of a tire is just the MAXIMUM pressure, so the tire mounting tech doesn't overinflate to seat the beads, and so the maximum weight of the tire has a reference point.
Underinflated or overinflated, it doesn't matter....the point is that it's wrong either way.
It's just like overfilling your crankcase by an extra quart of oil, you just don't do it.
Do not risk it, it's an accident waiting to happen with improperly inflated tires. I've know too many people who have skidded off the road due to overinflated tires too hard to grip the road, and many people underinflate and the tire tucks under the rim causing the vehicle to flip in a manuever.
We don't know more than the manufacturer's engineers, there are reasons they design the suspensions this way.
