I'm looking for ways to get some extra gas mileage. Has anyone used the Tornado?? Any other products out there that will help on the Expedition?


John B.
1998 Expedition 4.6

 

Don't buy a tornado. It's a waste of money. Only way I can think of to get better gas mileage is to have a light foot.

N700MS

 

What about the K&N air filter? or any other air intake products?

 

MILEAGE

I hate that this question keeps coming up and understand that by responding to it simply moves it up the tread but I just can't seem to leave it alone.

Now I don't want you to think I'm railing aginst you but what were you thinking when you bought your 5000+ lb truck? These are not economy cars. Now while I understand being hit by the realism of leaving a car that cost $15 - $20 to fill and then living with a full size SUV can be like, you just can't do much that will really help.

Like the guy above says, drive with a light foot (helps with anything when you want better mileage. You can also thry to lighten the truck, for exaple, take the third row seat out and leave it in your garage. That thing weighs about 80 lbs and can make a differance if you do alot of stop n go driving.

As for the intake kits / cat back exhaust / performance chips, etc.
they are designed and aimed at increasing power NOT fuel economy. While some have and will experiance an increase in their MPG when these are installed, you will never "save" enough on your fuel cost to "pay" for these upgrades.

So, if it's large increases in fuel economy you are after, you had better sell your Expy and look at the Escape with the 4 cyl., or maybe that new Escort replacement, they do make a wagon version.

Petrol
XLT 5.4L;-)

 

Amen! Better advice could not have been written. I drove a Topaz back and forth to work for years and while easy on the wallet at the pump it didn't carry much. My Expedition has twice the pistions, twice the displacement and twice the weight so it is just plain physics that it is going to burn more fuel. But, I can go just about anywhere on or off road and I can carry and tow. Evaluate why you need a vehicle. SUVs are great but for economy on your daily drive you may want to look at other options (please try to stay away from rice).

 

I'm fully aware that the Expeditions are gas guzzlers, I was justing wonder about products on the market that claim to increase gas mileage. Thanks for your response....

 

You could spend hundreds, even over a thousand dollars on "engineered packages" that can include, headers, low restriction CAT's & CAT back exhaust, low restriction intake system (leaving off the chips because they will require a switch to premium unleaded)and you'll get a great sounding truck with a noticable power increase of bettween 20-25 HP at the rear wheels.

You may even get a 4-7% increase in mileage. of course 4-7% of 13-18 MPG isn't much (.5 to 1.25 extra MPG) and not worth the expenseand hassel

That is unless you are after a great sounding truck with a noticable increase in power

As for the Tornado and other gimmicks, well your going to find a few snakeoil salesmen when you go looking for snakeoil.

 

I installed a K&N filter...No Change. I did notice about 1 to 1.5 MPG better by switching to FULL synthetic oil.

 

I use K&N filters in everything I own, but not for the increase in mileage. I use them for the better filtration and the ability to reuse the filter over and over and over. They do improve air flow, and I have noticed a small increase in throttle response, but nothing to make a decent claim. I didn't notice an increase in mileage with the use of synthetic either, but I did notice easier starts when is is below zero outside, as well as a smoother running engine when cruising.

Everything that is advertised for increasing fuel mileage I have either tried or had a friend who tried it, and nothing has worked. If you want better mileage, do what I did and get a motorcycle. When it's warm and dry, I drive it to make up for the mileage difference in my Bronco. My Expedition gets decent mileage, mainly because my wife drives it, not me!

 

I was a dealer for 23 years and could not count the times customers would ask about some new "increase gas millage" devise. As a dealer I was given all sorts of devises and oils to try. I never found any that made any difference. The auto manufactures spend hundreds of millions of dollars to get a tenth of a mile per gallon better, if any of the oils or devises worked, they would be installed at the factory.

 

Wford, I am going to have to disagree with you, except on the issue of fuel mileage, other than that if the Manufacture can save 1 cent on a part of manufacturing, they are going to save it, why else would they make a part better and sell it to you under a revised part, How about the Ford clutch with a plastic pushrod, good idea don't you think, revised part was steel, and the customer still had to pay to have it installed, good deal don't you think?. The bottom line is that it puts money in there pocket and gives us the grief, there are to many items here to toss over, but for the fuel mileage issue, I have a '97 Expedition 4.6 with 114,000 miles on it, 3.55 rears, all synthetic, I get at 65 MPH consistantly 19.8 MPG empty, 15 loaded pulling a pop-up trailer, and I mean loaded to the roof and on top, make sure the vehicle is in proper alignment, go to someone you trust and have all four wheels checked, tires are of proper inflation, LT tires usually have a higher pressure rating than passenger, so less rolling resistance, make sure the brakes don't have calipers hanging up on them, a couple of ideas tha don't cost a bundle and keep your ride in better condition. Electric1

 

I have the same power train in my 98 Expid. I get about the same milliage with Motorcraft 5W30.(if I drive 65)
I became a dealer in 1978 when just about everything was crap. With the QC program and the Taurus in 1986 things really got better. Then came Trottmann and then worse Jack the Knife. The it started going to crap again. Hope Bill Ford Can/will get back on the right track.