I call BS (30 MPG Ford Explorer)

[kebels]

Hi Everyone,
I have a 2002 Ford Explorer 4.6liter V8, that I really love. I'm not too new to hypermiling. I just hypermiled my dad's V8 Lexus LS460 and got over 30mpg using his fuel meter. So, boy did I get a surprise when I did my best hypermiling in my explorer and got only 10MPG! I thought I was going to die! I was coasting down every hill, turned off the car at every red light, drafted semi's on the highway, only to have my jaw hit the floor when I did the math. I went 59 miles on 5 gallons of fuel! Is there something I'm missing? Is there a sensor that might be bad? Any ideas? I'm just running regular oils in the engine and transmission, but synthetic in the rear diff.
Kevin
Indian Trail, NC

[Gealii]

Originally Posted by kebels

Hi Everyone,
I have a 2002 Ford Explorer 4.6liter V8, that I really love. I'm not too new to hypermiling. I just hypermiled my dad's V8 Lexus LS460 and got over 30mpg using his fuel meter. So, boy did I get a surprise when I did my best hypermiling in my explorer and got only 10MPG! I thought I was going to die! I was coasting down every hill, turned off the car at every red light, drafted semi's on the highway, only to have my jaw hit the floor when I did the math. I went 59 miles on 5 gallons of fuel! Is there something I'm missing? Is there a sensor that might be bad? Any ideas? I'm just running regular oils in the engine and transmission, but synthetic in the rear diff.
Kevin
Indian Trail, NC

i would definitely say somethings wrong. my brothers 1996 5.0 f150 got 14mpg not caring about mpgs. Are there any lights on?

[Arragonis]

Dragging brake ?

[Frank Lee]

Anchor deployed?

[Arragonis]

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by kebels

Hi Everyone,
I have a 2002 Ford Explorer 4.6liter V8, that I really love. I'm not too new to hypermiling. I just hypermiled my dad's V8 Lexus LS460 and got over 30mpg using his fuel meter. So, boy did I get a surprise when I did my best hypermiling in my explorer and got only 10MPG! I thought I was going to die! I was coasting down every hill, turned off the car at every red light, drafted semi's on the highway, only to have my jaw hit the floor when I did the math. I went 59 miles on 5 gallons of fuel! Is there something I'm missing? Is there a sensor that might be bad? Any ideas? I'm just running regular oils in the engine and transmission, but synthetic in the rear diff.
Kevin
Indian Trail, NC

Nope that is just how much of a monolithic turd the older explorers are.
Long time ago I had a 1994 4.0L V6 that was doing good if it managed 16mpg on the highway at 65mph.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Nope that is just how much of a monolithic turd the older explorers are.
Long time ago I had a 1994 4.0L V6 that was doing good if it managed 16mpg on the highway at 65mph.

When I had my Prelude, I worked with a girl with a Metro, and a guy with an old truck. One day he told us that he figured out his mileage, so we asked.

He warned us that we were going to laugh.

8 MPG!

He said that he had been wondering where his money went.

He did not live close to work, either.

[Dubbio]

id have to think its possible. i had a 99 X EB, stock, heavy, 4wd. ford was nice enough to make the front end hubless so everything was always being pushed along. i got an avg of 25mpg (pump math) on my round trip to/from missouri from ohio. even had fat 255 tires, 4.10:1 fdr, and a weeks worth of camping crap. before i found hypermiling... CC the limit all the way.

the magic in the combo is where the 4.0 SOHC makes its best VE, and the hopes that the 5R55E keeps it in that range.

i just picked up an 02 explorer for $400. has the SOHC 4.0, and... (drumroll...) a 5spd manual! its probly the last 3rd gen 4dr with a factory manual left in the us. needs a clutch disc replacement that was never made...

[Baltothewolf]

Definitely possible. My uncle has a 2007 Ford Explorer limited edition, and on a trip out to Vegas at 75mph cruise control set we got 23.3. On the way back we got similar, might have been 22 or 21 but I was doing closer to 80 on the way back. At 55 and being easy, 30mpg should be possible.

[Edit]: His Explorer is a V8.

[gone-ot]

The OVERALL problem is that EPA does their MPG testing predominately at 55 mph, not at 75 mph, where most people drive on highways.