Taking to shop for MPG issues; what to check?

[AzScorpion]

Ignore the Dash calculated algorithm, it is a guessing algorithm "based" on history, how you drive and what it thinks you will get. ~ it can be manipulated! Everyone here gets something different and we basically have the same truck.

Put your tire pressure or something else in the dash instead and watch that. Basically ignore the mpg. Hand calculate if you want to. Get good gasoline, it makes a difference!

Drive it spirited, vary your driving. Driving it the same way constantly is a downward spiral to low mpg. Freeway will get you better, just keep it under 2k rpm.

Doesn't matter what you do to it, lift, tires, etc. No mods or a bunch of mods, mileage loss is minimal. it's all about the motor and what it thinks it should do for you. Make it think and work for you. Try cruise control vs. feathering the gas pedal on a multi tank trip. - Spoiler cruise control is worse.

Just my .02 after 5 pages.

Nice lookin' truck btw.

This! You can adjust the dash computer. Both of my Rangers were way off when I bought them and the Tremor was about 2.5 mpg off. I adjusted it right before leaving on our trip and after a couple tanks it's now dead on with my Fuelly app. Occasionally it'll be a couple tenths off but that's usually if I've gone up/down a steep grade then filled up shortly afterwards.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/fuel-calculator-adjustment.2996/

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[Rp930]

Curious. What does the topper weigh?

 

[sal33n]

Just out of curiosity, take your normal highway route but set the cruise at 55mph for as long as it is feasible (without pissing off too many people for going to slow) and reset your trip and mpg then see what the truck says you are getting while maintaining the 55mph.

 

[got3fords]

Do you drive around with those topper windows open like that?

 

[Jedadiah]

I also have a '21 XLT Supercab and seem to get much better mileage than you do (with according to your description a similar driving style.) My mileage can vary quite a bit, but I've only ever gotten 17-18mpg if I were just driving around town or pulling a trailer.

On a mostly 55mph highway tank, I'll get around 26
A long trip doing 80 down the interstate nets about 23
Purely in town is around 19

Overall I've averaged 23ish, which is right in line with the truck's window sticker. If you're doing worse without mods or and aggressive doing style, then I'd wager something is off. Hopefully, it's not a hassle to figure out what.

 

[jblc]

Hand calculate if you want to. Get good gasoline, it makes a difference!

Freeway will get you better, just keep it under 2k rpm.

Make it think and work for you. Try cruise control vs. feathering the gas pedal on a multi tank trip..

Thanks. I do all of these as standard, which is why the poor mileage is frustrating.
(I mentioned in various posts -- but the thread is long so of course it's not expected that you'd read them all

 

[jblc]

Do you drive around with those topper windows open like that?

No Just cooling the back while it's sitting, else it turns into an oven...

 

[jblc]

This! You can adjust the dash computer.

Yes, I've already calibrated it when I bought the vehicle. It's within 0.1 mpg of hand-calculated.

 

[jblc]

Curious. What does the topper weigh?

About 300-400 pounds -- so it's significant.
Note: as mentioned in the first post, I got 19-20 mpg with no topper and a stock truck, and still 19-20 with the topper on. Then that decreased to 17-18, with no change in total vehicle weight.

 

[jblc]

Just out of curiosity, take your normal highway route but set the cruise at 55mph for as long as it is feasible (without pissing off too many people for going to slow) and reset your trip and mpg then see what the truck says you are getting while maintaining the 55mph.

Yeah, this is a good one to try I've done it for short stretches, but for safety reasons I haven't been able to stay at 55 mph on the highways I drive. For short stretches, it's ~ 23 mpg at 55 mph.

 

[jblc]

I also have a '21 XLT Supercab and seem to get much better mileage than you do (with according to your description a similar driving style.) My mileage can vary quite a bit, but I've only ever gotten 17-18mpg if I were just driving around town or pulling a trailer.

On a mostly 55mph highway tank, I'll get around 26
A long trip doing 80 down the interstate nets about 23
Purely in town is around 19

Overall I've averaged 23ish, which is right in line with the truck's window sticker. If you're doing worse without mods or and aggressive doing style, then I'd wager something is off. Hopefully, it's not a hassle to figure out what.

Thanks. Yeah, it's way worse , and at 80 mph i'll get 15-16 mpg.
Purely around town is 15.
It's terrible...

 

[Trigganometry]

I have a 4X4 SCAB and your 2X weighs in less than mine. For the longest time I was 19/20 and then when I hit about 20K I went up to 21 ish. Now I’m around 22 and that’s with 70/30 driving.

Your window sticker was better mileage than mine by about 2MPG if I remember right. Agree with you, something isn’t right

 

[Rp930]

About 300-400 pounds -- so it's significant.
Note: as mentioned in the first post, I got 19-20 mpg with no topper and a stock truck, and still 19-20 with the topper on. Then that decreased to 17-18, with no change in total vehicle weight.

You keep saying it didn’t change but if I added 400-500 lbs to my truck (you said you carried 100lbs) I think my mileage would be about the same as your 17-18 or at least close. 500lbs is significant.

 

[Nomadjohn]

Lots of people have chimed in here I guess one more isn't going to make this any worse. Your MPG is low but I suspect it's not so bad that the dealer is going to really do too much without more information. I suspect there is a vacuum leak and this could be confirmed by looking at the fuel trim. Two possible explanations for the decrease in MPG would be worsening of the leak or perhaps that the spark plugs are fouled.

Definitely interested to hear what you find.

 

[jblc]

You keep saying it didn’t change but if I added 400-500 lbs to my truck (you said you carried 100lbs) I think my mileage would be about the same as your 17-18 or at least close. 500lbs is significant.

Right, but...mpg truly didn't change I have spreadsheet records to show that it didn't, as I started tracking mpg right away (hand-calculated).
Same as it didn't change on my '97 when adding the topper.

But yeah, agreed it's significant weight. It just doesn't really seem to impact mpg. And actually, that's perhaps expected: highway driving mpg is dictated by aerodynamic and rolling resistance -- not weight. Weight impacts starting/stopping effort mostly, ie city driving. That's why trains can be so efficient, regardless of huge weight: they have low rolling resistance mainly, and maintain a steady speed.

So at highways speeds, without constant accelerating/decelerating, and with the aerodynamics actually improved a bit with a topper, an extra 300 lb won't make a substantial difference for a vehicle that weighs 2 tons.

Said another way, aerodynamic benefit offset by weight penalty, perhaps, leading to about the same mpg. Again -- just for highway, where it's mostly steady speeds.

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