Why do I get 15 mpg?

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Dave Tabata

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Hello all. My wife traded her beloved Jeep Rubicon for an 05 ST. Loaded with 4.10's 4X4. This is the only vehicle remotely close to the Jeep coolness factor she would consider. Anyway, we were hoping for better fuel mileage. The Rubicon got 14 mpg tops. The most miles I have seen to a tank on the ST was 330 and it was pretty much empty. Granted, it has only 2600 miles. What are some simple mods to actually increase mileage? Our driving is 70/30 highway mileage. We will be taking it to Gatlinburg TN at the end of Oct. so we will get a real road test. By the way, I am very happy she chose a Ford as she came from a Dodge family. I drive an 03 Powerstroke. Even with a Superchips tuner and 33's, I get better fuel mileage. And as a 4.0 comparison, the ST is much stronger powerwise than the Jeep. I confirmed on a stop to roadsign test. The ST was 4 mph faster.
 
Your mpg will improve as the drivetrain goes through it's breakin cycle. I have an 04 2x4 3.73 dif and my cumalative mpg over 31k miles is right at 18. Early on it was 15 to 17. In general, the 4x4 with 4.10's will not do quite as well as a 4x2 with 3.73's. In time though you probably could be in the 17 mpg range if you drive conservatively, keeping it under 2500 rpm all the time. Keep OD on too unless you are towing in a hilly area. If you have a heavy foot, 15 is pretty good.
 
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Remove lead from foot, and allow engine to break in, it will start to climb up after the 10k mile mark.



There's always the option to install a new intake and exhaust, and a custom computer program with a flasher from WFoy
 
15 to 17 is perfectly normal for the Trac. Maybe a little better if your out on the open highway.
 
If you look at teh MPG log you will see tha after 8 thousand or so entrys the average is right at 15mpg for all of us combined. UNFORTUNATELY!:(
 
For about the first 15K miles or so I only got 14mpg, but now I regularly get 16 or more. It'll get better....but not much....
 
I wouldn't expect much better from this engine/tranny combo. Got the same engine and tranny in my '97 Explorer Eddie Bauer, and it gets 16 city 20 hwy.
 
My around town is 15-17 mpg... Highway is close to 25...

Todd Z
 
Drive easier.... DW gets 14 mpg around town in my st. I get 16. I drive like an old man, slow starts, easy stops. Her, a little more aggressive, but not a lead foot.....



I'm watching the thread by roger about his mileage with the tuner from Wayne Foy.... sounds like it may help alot.
 
I wish i could get 14 or 15...i get about 10/12...i got 98,000 miles, and thats as good as i ever got...i dont think it runs right.



ANDY
 
Our ST, with regular Freeway passing romps, clears 390 a tank on 87 every tank. We have seen as much as 425 with light driving. On straight Highway, I have averaged 485 miles to a tank.

Thats with my tuning, intake, RT off road y-pipe and RT exhaust.



Hey Todd, if you would quit screwing with the fart pipin, wing wearing, Uncle ben type cars, you would get MUCH better gas mileage.
 
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That's probably about right. I do the same freeway/city split of driving on a 4x2 w/ 4.10 gears and I seem to consistently average 17mpg. I would expect the 4x4 to be 1 to 2mpg less so 15-16 is probably about right.
 
Most Sport Trac will not give their best mileage untill they are completely broke in, and that takes about 10K mile.



I have had 2 Sport Tracs and never got good mileage until they both got to about 10K miles. Now I get about 17 MPH in town and 20 on the highway cruising at about 75 MPH. I have gotten over 21 MPG on several tanks while traveling up to Ohio.



Also remember that some regions of the country have different blends of fuel and that can hurt your mileage, as well as the local terrain, traffic and weather.



,,,Rich
 
Perhaps with the current lifting of regional gasoline 'blends' by the EPA, this will help matters.
 
My ST is used about 3 miles per day, if that. I just got the truck after rolling my other ST. This new one is a 2001 4x4. I am well aware of my lead foot when I stop to refill the tank with another 16 gallons or so. I have to make these stops every 150 - 175 miles. So, I'm with Andy in the 10/12 mpg range with 85K on an engine I have little to no maintenance history on. I replaced all the usual tune-up/fuel saver items as soon as I bought it, less than 1,000 miles ago: fuel filter, pcv valve, K&N air filter(not intake), Nippondenso Iridium spark plugs at $15 a pop, Mobil 1 full synthetic oil with K&N filter, transmission filter and fluid replacement, etc.). I'm amazed at the numbers that Todd Z and WFoy are reporting. What mods have you two done that have been the most dramatic, in relation to fuel economy? And cutting off the leg to rid myself of the lead foot is not an option...because of steering wheel mounted cruise control.
 
I'm up there with Wayne and Todd. Volant Intake, RT Y-pipe, straightpiped exhaust, and a SCT Xcalibrator by WFoy. Averaging 19-20 right now around town; since gas prices have been goin up, I've been takin it easy. Get 23-24 on the interstate doing the speed limit.
 
Wayne, that stupid Nissan Maxima and Pontiac GTP didn't know what they had coming...!!!!!

HAHAHAH

Todd Z
 
I drive like a grandpa and i still dont make it past 10/12.... i rarely go over 3000 rpms, cuz it dont sound too strong above those rpms lol



andy
 
just an fyi... my 02 got an average of 20 mpg.. sold it at 53000 miles.. the new 05 at 3000 miles is just below 20 mpg.... i think on this vehicle you affect it a lot more by driving style than you might think.
 

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