ACTUAL Milage SUCKS

[t4thfavor]

I'm only get 15.9 mpg on mine (4x4 FX4). I really don't think its my driving style.. my wife calls me "The Coaster" because I coast up to every stop light

Do we have reason to believe the TSB for rough idle could be negatively affecting mileage (mine was built 12/19/18) or is that just a guess? Also, I keep hearing that they run rich for the first 1,000 miles (I'm at 480 miles) but is that factual or just a guess too? I haven't been able to find anything via Google searches on either of them.

Thanks for your help!

Mine has never left the 20's since new. I got it 2/4/19, and have 2200 miles on it now. It did run richer for the first 1000, but 15 is ridiculous unless you're idling in traffic all the time.

Use the cruise control a lot and see if the MPG improves, also reset the trip meter and see if it's just including time that it was idling at the dealership, or being ragged by test drivers.

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[Krzydmnd]

Just hit 3500 miles Avg is 19.2
That's three 200+ mile road trips, LOTS of city driving, and occasionally hauling so it's a pretty good sampling of my driving needs, and I'm OK with it. I'd be happier with 20 but I also choose to drive my own style VS hyper miling.

 

[uthunter]

Mine has never left the 20's since new. I got it 2/4/19, and have 2200 miles on it now. It did run richer for the first 1000, but 15 is ridiculous unless you're idling in traffic all the time.

Use the cruise control a lot and see if the MPG improves, also reset the trip meter and see if it's just including time that it was idling at the dealership, or being ragged by test drivers.

I reset the trip every fill-up and a few other times just to watch what happens in different conditions. When I am out on the road going 60ish, it'll get low 20's but the city MPG is horrible. Once I get back in town it drops like a rock. PS. Auto Stop/Start is still engaged.

I'm getting the PCM flash next week so hopefully that will help.

 

[Jason L]

When my tires were overinflated with the fx4, my truck was bouncing all over the place. No way with those shocks is mpg improved.

 

[t4thfavor]

I drive 54 miles one way to work from the middle of nowhere into Southfield MI (basically Detroit). It's lots of stop and go, and my mileage is good, tires at 41psi currently. My Auto Start Stop has worked like 5 times since new (it's really temperature finicky), so I have to be doing something different than you guys if my dash still reads 21mpg... I have 2200 miles on so far.

 

[t4thfavor]

We can't run E85 in our trucks anyways. I usually get my fuel at the exact same station (mostly the same pump) and when I had a vehicle with a flex sensor it would read < 5% all the time. I agree on all of your points though. Ethanol sucks unless you need it for the octane boost.

 

[uthunter]

Ethanol sucks unless you need it for the octane boost.

I'm still confused on this point and could use some help.

I've been running 91 through my ranger; my other option is Ethanol-Free 88. Which is better for power? For fuel economy?

 

[rangerdanger]

I'm still confused on this point and could use some help.

I've been running 91 through my ranger; my other option is Ethanol-Free 88. Which is better for power? For fuel economy?

91 octane isn't better than 87 for fuel economy, only power.

 

[t4thfavor]

in rare circumstances the increased octane can help boost economy as you can add timing instead of more fuel, but it makes it hard to keep your foot under control. I'd suspect the ethanol free would net the best mileage, but is probably crazy expensive.

 

[uthunter]

I'd suspect the ethanol free would net the best mileage, but is probably crazy expensive.

The 91 and Ethanol-Free 88 are actually the same price. Switch to EF88 for better mileage?

 

[t4thfavor]

Yes, more energy per unit of volume in gasoline than ethanol, so removing that should net the best mileage.

 

[Deleted member 773]

Also keep in mind there are two different rim sizes, along with a few tire choices, different sidewall heights and different widths will produce changes in mpg, as your tires wear out you can see a mpg increase as well. The optimum tire pressure changes depending on vehicle load and road conditions.

Turbo charged engines CAN be more efficient, the idea being a smaller engine at low boost is more efficient than a larger na engine. When you need the extra power, more boost and therefore more fuel makes more power per cc. One of downsides of high boost is higher engine temperatures and pre ignition (knock.) One solution is higher octane due to slow the ignition, another solution is to dump fuel into the cylinder to cool it down and therefore slow the ignition. Problem with that is mpgs take a dump. On paper the power of a v6/v8 but the fuel economy of a inline 4 makes sense but in the real world it seldom does. Other efficiency advantages of turbos include lower weight compared to a larger na engine, less rotating mass in the engine, and air/fuel forced into the engine vs the engine drawing air/fuel in.
Hotter engine temps can actually increase the efficiency, but at the cost of performance.

At the end of the day, mpg is not going to be an apples to apples comparison.

There’s a aftermarket thermostat for the f-150 v6 ecoboost that lowers the temp of the engine and makes more power as a result..

 

[Julie dominesey]

I’m still seeing 20.9 delivering pizzas .. at 1189 miles now .. my truck idles like shit .. burns a hell of a lot of gas at idle .. we go outside to smoke so we sit in truck to keep warm .. ranger burns more fuel st idle than the 3.5 twin turbo in my f 150 .. this could be perception though as the f 150 has a 36 gallon tank and tge ranger only holds 18 .. even so it seems to burn a lot at idle and not idle smooth ..I run nothing but 87 octane .. my tires show 37 to 39 based on temperature. On highway seeing 24 to 26 at 65 mph .. .. themikaege difference from 60 mph to 70 mph will supruse you ..someone talked about optimum tire pressure and where one cancels the other.. trucks are made to get best mpg at 60 mph .. best gear ratio, best airflow , best drag .. luck it up to 70 and drag starts to eat at tge mileage a whole bunch .... to be real exotic if someone created air flow adjustable flaps computer controlled based on wind tunnel studies .. that might move the sweet spot from 60.... but for tge time being tge sweet spot is 60 ... to get better around town a tonneau cover makes a big difference because again 60 is the magic number .. lower speeds cause more drag in bed as air not flowing fast enough ..and thus is 25 years ranger experience talking .. tge cover made a big difference in my other rangers ( 2011, 2008, 1999, 1996 , 1993 ) like 5 mpg difference around town

 

[THLONE]

The way you drive is the variable that can change mpg numbers. True mileage numbers require averaging your usage over time. Every time that you fill up write down the mileage on your speedo and the amount of gas you put in the tank. After many fill ups you will get an average that is your mileage. The gauge in your vehicle is not a substitute for actual measurements. Also you need to verify your speedo readings with a GPS. Most speedos are not accurate. Nobody has had a new Ranger long enough to say what they get in the way of mileage. Oh, and by the way you hot rodders that have to see who can be first to the next light will use more gas. Every time that you get that turbo spinning you are packing more gas in to the cylinder.

 

[Robert Jay]

I have a 4X2 and l am getting 15.9mpg. Dealer Said I won’t see the stated mileage till 5000 miles. I am using a calculator to get my figures. I guess he figures I will loose my interest by then.

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