Thoughts on improving mileage?

I have a '98 XLT with the 4.0L SOHC. I get a pretty steady 14-17 mpg combined city/highway depending on the season. Anything I can do to improve my mileage significantly? I mean beyond keeping the engine tuned up and air cleaner element clean. Before I bought my truck everyone told me I could expect around 20 mpg but I have never gotten close to that.

I've heard about a product that you install after the air cleaner and its supposed to impart a swirl or vortex to the air being fed to the cylinders and result in more complete combustion and better mileage, but it sounds like a marketing gimmick to me.

Reply to
TJ
Loading thread data ...

Any one of those products that are supposed to improve MPG is bullshit.

I also had a 98 and would get around 16-17 MPG city and almost 20 MPG highway. That's just the way it is. Try to be lighter on that pedal.

Reply to
zoti

Check your tire pressure also. I do not know what tires you have now, but if you need new tires soon, Michelin LTX M/S or the Michelin Cross Terrains are a good choice.

Reply to
Mikepier

Good thought about the tires -- I have Michelin XCX/APTs, but I assume they're just Sears' version of an essentially similar tire. I keep the tire pressure at 35 psi - the maxium rated.

I figured those vortex things might be just a marketing gimmick, but was hoping somebody might be able to prove me wrong.

Reply to
TJ

Running the tires at 35 PSI will help mileage a little because you are decreasing rolling resistance in the tire, but the trade off is a firmer ride.

Reply to
Mikepier

Reply to
Phil Betzer

I put 3 of those in my SuperCrew..... now I have to stop every 50 miles and drain fuel out of the tank....

The biggest effect on fuel mileage will be with your driving style and circumstances.... These are well publicized and, basically, driven by common sense.... I have no idea who "everyone" is.... perhaps they were mistaken..... as it is, we have no idea about the mileage and condition of your car....

Reply to
Jim Warman

Buy a '93 XLT? My mileage is down, but it still hits 20 mpg occasionally.

Clean out the clutter. Excess weight drags down mileage. Of course, mine has a dishwasher and loads of crap in the back most of the time.

Tire pressure- keep them from getting soft. Mine are at 32 psi.

Turn it off- in the drive throughs, long red lights, etc. Every minute idling is a mile you could have driven with that gas. This is 15 cents per minute of idling for me, at 20 mpg and $3 per gallon.

Don't fill the tank- 6 lbs per gallon adds weight. If you don't need a full tank for your trip, consider filling only half full. I haven't tried this, but it makes sense.

Plan your trips. Doesn't really help the mileage, but it can reduce your miles driven.

TJ wrote:

Reply to
cmiles3

I always thought putting in a heavier oil would reduce fuel economy.

Reply to
Mikepier

As a general rule IT DOES.

Reply to
My Names Nobody

I am from the UK and fuel here is $7.8 per gallon but we have 95 and 97 octane fule so it helps on the mpg. I ahve a 4l sohc with 65k and does about 19 mpg around town its ok its no less than a Jaguar 2.9 to 4ltr . Good high pressure tires and a light foot helps. It also has a lazy auto gearbox which means you press harder to go. At 65 I just wait for it to happens as is the case at 65??????????

Reply to
edrickhard

I am from the UK and fuel here is $7.8 per gallon but we have 95 and 97 octane fule so it helps on the mpg. I ahve a 4l sohc with 65k and does about 19 mpg around town its ok its no less than a Jaguar 2.9 to 4ltr . Good high pressure tires and a light foot helps. It also has a lazy auto gearbox which means you press harder to go. At 65 I just wait for it to happens as is the case at 65??????????

Reply to
edrickhard

I am from the UK and fuel here is $7.8 per gallon but we have 95 and 97 octane fule so it helps on the mpg. I ahve a 4l sohc with 65k and does about 19 mpg around town its ok its no less than a Jaguar 2.9 to 4ltr . Good high pressure tires and a light foot helps. It also has a lazy auto gearbox which means you press harder to go. At 65 I just wait for it to happens as is the case at 65??????????

Reply to
edrickhard

Great tires but I noticed a drop in gas mileage after replacing general purpose tires on my Frontier. I suspect that street tires might get better mileage. Personally I'll take the drop in mileage and keep the Michelins ;-)

Reply to
Ulysses

I have this very vehicle and I can get 18/22 on it by keeping my foot out of the carburetor, keeping the tires at 40 and burning non-ethanol fuel. There is a consistent gain of 2 or 3 mpg by switching to regular from the ethanol blend. In that it now costs virtually the same - why not. RJ

Reply to
RJ

Drive slower on the freeway. You'll get better mileage at 60 than at

75... Drive a steady speed too- accellerating all that mass takes energy. I have a 94 w/manual transmission. I get 18-20 mpg, once in a while a little better.

Driving less is another way to conserve. If I can, I wait and combine trips I would have done separately, or just go less often. My labrador hates that...

-Paul

Reply to
carbide

I was always taught that a higher octane fuel does not necessarily give you better mileage. This because they have to add chemicals to stabalize detonization therefore decreasing the BTU of the fuel....

Reply to
ddodero

Gasoline is a mixture of different hydrocarbon molecules. "The bulk of a typical gasoline consists of hydrocarbons with between 5 and 12 carbon atoms per molecule."

Heavier molecules with more carbon contain more BTU's, but tend to cause detonation. For example, diesel fuel contains more BTU's per gallon than gasoline, but only has an octane rating of only 25. LPG has a higher octane rating than gasoline, but fewer BTU's per gallon. Same for alcohol or gas/alcohol blends.

So one way to get higher octane is to use more of the lighter molecules, which contain fewer BTU's per gallon. A high compression engine is more efficient, so that offsets the loss in BTU's. It's a waste to burn high octane fuel in a low compression engine and this is why you can actually get LOWER gas mileage burning higher octane fuel than your vehicle requires.

I think the non-hydrocarbon additives are a minor issue because the volume is small.

I learned this in autoshop years ago, but looked up the details in Wikipedia:

formatting link
There is a table which lists the BTU's of various fuels per gallon...

-Paul

Reply to
carbide

I've always heard that higher octane does NOT increase your mileage.

It just thins your wallet.

Reply to
Alan Moorman

Octane ratings for fuel are only an indicator for it's resistance to knock. The higher octane rating the greater resistance to knock. The caveat is that higher octane fuels are harder to ignite and the engine has to work harder to ignite the air/fuel mixture hence the higher operating temps. It does not increase mileage but in most instances it will lower it because more fuel has to be burned to get the same energy output. This is why they recommend it for high compression engines.

I bought a '95 VW Passat GLX VR6 and It "required" Premium fuel. But everytime I used it overheated big time. The dealer told me not to use premium anymore in order to save the engine. Most engines now adays have fuel systems that can automatically compensate and adjust for lower octane fuels.

I too think it is nothing more than a marketing ploy in order for the gas companies to make more money. That's why I won't use it!

Reply to
The Model Hobbit

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.