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Roger Batts

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Topped off the Trac this weekend. I actually cracked the 15mpg barrier in town! All I've done is be stingy with the A/C, use the cruise control, and keep the RPM's around 2000 or less. Only modification I have is the restrictor removed. I'm going to get a K&N or equivalent this summer and see if that gets me any more.
 
I have a 2001 4wd with a 4.0 and get 19.51mpg around town(50% city50% rurlal). I run Royal Purple lubricants and have a K&N air filter. The only mod I have done is about 50- drill holes with a 7/16ths bit in the air box BELOW the filtration. Be sure also to keep the tire pressure up( I have 36psi cold in my Falken STZ 04 tires. )
 
It makes a huge difference! At first I only put about 20 of them in and saw an increse of about 20 miles per tank,after I spoke to my service tech and asked him about it I put about 30 more and got another 20 per tank. The Ford tech told me that that was a simple way to increase mpg as long as the holes were below the filtration. I can run 360-365 miles on 18.5 gallons now. Prior to that the light would come on around 313.
 
Tom B, could you post up pics of your air cleaner? I had originally rejected that idea, but I might just rethink it!
 
I had my MPG tested with the fancy Ford computer the other day.



going 6 miles one way setting the computer gauge set to 87 with 10% ethanol I average 20 mpg at speeds of 55-60.





back the same 6 miles the opposit direction, and used 0% ethanol I average 25 mpg with same speed settings.





so the key is to TRY and find fuel that uses LESS ethanol THAT is why we are getting the crappy gas miledges in our Tracs!











 
GM, in Dallas county, you can't get any less than E10. Since emissions is so bad in the area, Texas has mandated that we use a blend of no less than 10% ethanol. I hate it. I get better gas mileage when I come home from visiting my folks in Shreveport than I do driving out there for that very reason. I won't buy E85 unless I don't have any other choice.
 
I filled up Sunday on the way to the wife's extended family get-together in East Texas, and reset the trip meter. I had to drive almost 80 most of the way up there to make it in time, and just barely did make it. I drove home normally (80 is not normal for me!) and filled up yesterday after work. 425 miles for 20.5 gallons, or 20.73 mpg.
 
Exactly Roger! TRY and find fuel with less than 10%, the 10% E added is standard almost everywhere!



E 85 is only for the clean air nothing more. Like you said and a few forget..it will NOT save miledge.



not bad dreman! ;) my 04 is pretty much stock nothing special in it..



I remember back in 05 when I drove to the Dallas meet and told folks I was averaging 24-25 mpg... many were in disbelief.... However, I know for a fact that was correct readings! :)



could just be the fuel I used back then had much less ethanol in it ;)
 
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There's a Mobil station here that claims to have no ethanol in their gasoline. I refuse to try it though, since they're trying to scam people on the price. The sign out front says $4.09 for regular, with cash only in small print. The price is $4.13 if you use credit.
 
Todd C, how is that a scam? A lot of stations do that.



I don't shop at any of them since so few do that in my neck of the woods, bu it is hardly a scam. I look at it as a discount for paying cash.



I wish more places had discounts for cash. Many CC companies charge 3¢ on the dollar, so for a $4 gallon of gas that could be as much as 12¢/gallon difference to many owners.



Most don't give the discount for paying cash because it ticks of customers who look at the whole arrangment in a negative way...like you I guess.



TJR
 
yeah it's a convience fee to use a credit card. at least they post it. Most places don't even post they are going to charge extra to use a cc.



 
The way I understand it, at least in Florida, is that the station MUST advertise "cash or credit" pricing on their sign if they do charge different prices.



I also recall that it is against most Merchant Services agreements with Visa, MC, etc. to charge a fee for using their card. This is why they advertise it as a "cash discount" instead.
 
All, and I mean all, of the other stations around here charge the same price for cash or credit. The station across the street from the Mobil charges the same price per gallon cash or credit. The Mobil has to display the credit price at the pump, so it's not really a scam, but they'll get customers expecting a competitive price to other stations in the area until they use their credit card.



Of course, this could be the start of a trend in the area. Soon all of the stations may charge extra to use your credit card.
 

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