2004 sport trac, help with adding gas milage and/or mpg?

[a kazbor]

hi everyone

i have a 04' sport trac xlt, 4.0L V6 with optional 4X4



i have already installed a K&N cold air intake, and it sounds and drive a little better, but nothing crazy,

i was wondering if straight pipes would help the gas milage or hp at all.

or if there was any other easy to install aftermarket parts like the K&N that would help me out as well

Thanks

 

[FlipTrac_511]

Try not to accelerate past 2000rpms when taking off from stops. This technique improved my mpg more than I ever noticed with my aftermarket intake and exhaust.

 

[Doctor CAD]

XCal is the absolute best thing you can do to the Trac (and lots of other vehicles as well).

 

[Robert Howell]

Another big free improvement in fuel economy is monitor tire pressure and keep the tires properly inflated.

A huge difference in mpg on highway is not only how you drive but who you follow. I drafted a large container truck from Calgary to Edmonton doing 115 KM/h in my 2001 ST and got 26 MPG, normally without the wind break I would get 18 or so.

 

[Richard L]

There is nothing you can buy that will save enough gas to offset the purchase price within 5 years.



Any improvements buy retuning are very minor and you may not even notice much difference because of where you drive and the traffic conditions. Anyone who thinks a tuner kit will work for you is only fooling themselves. That's why the old adage applies: "Your mileage may vary" and it usually does. You are not driving under the same traffic conditions as anyone else, so you are not guaranteed the same results that someone else gets...with or without a tuner kit.



The only thing you can control is your driving habits (speed, acceleration, etc.), tire inflation, keep the weight you are dragging around to a minimum, and perhaps using synthetic oils, etc will get you the best mileage you can get under the circumstances that you drive in.



I have purchased a UltraGauge for my Toyota Highlander and it has shown me that I had a lot of speedometer/odometer error and by constantly monitoring my "instant MPG read-out", I have been able to improve my driving habits and overall gas mileage by about 2 MPG. The UltraGauge and similar instant MPG read out devices are helpful in showing you what driving habits you have that are wasting gas, and those that can save you gas. Apply more of the gas saving driving habits and you will see an improvement in your gas mileag.



Also, the fact that the UltraGauge only cost about $60 makes it a cost effective device that returns your investment much faster, and can be moved from vehicle to vehicle since is simply plugs into the OBDII port under the dash. It also allows you to calibrate it's speed/odometer to compensate for the inaccurate OEM speedometer/odometer, so you get a more accurate speed and mileage reading.



...Rich

 

[Dean Kolar]

Yes I would not try to drive with a lead foot haha and also have you used fuel injector cleaner? I put some in and I think that I get a few more miles.

 

[John G]

Richard is correct that nothing you buy will improve mileage enough to pay for it. You're basically throwing good money after bad if you modify exhaust, intake, or anything else if your sole goal is to improve mileage.



The only reasonable measures, short of selling the vehicle, are those that cost nothing. I don't let my rpms go above 2300 and I keep the tires inflated. Those are good measures -- they don't help much, but they cost nothing, so they are definitely worth what I paid for them.

 

[John G]

Richard is correct that nothing you buy will improve mileage enough to pay for it. You're basically throwing good money after bad if you modify exhaust, intake, or anything else if your sole goal is to improve mileage.



The only reasonable measures, short of selling the vehicle, are those that cost nothing. I don't let my rpms go above 2300 and I keep the tires inflated. Those are good measures -- they don't help much, but they cost nothing, so they are definitely worth what I paid for them.

 

[John G]

Richard is correct that nothing you buy will improve mileage enough to pay for it. You're basically throwing good money after bad if you modify exhaust, intake, or anything else if your sole goal is to improve mileage.



The only reasonable measures, short of selling the vehicle, are those that cost nothing. I don't let my rpms go above 2300 and I keep the tires inflated. Those are good measures -- they don't help much, but they cost nothing, so they are definitely worth what I paid for them.

 

[John G]

Richard is correct that nothing you buy will improve mileage enough to pay for it. You're basically throwing good money after bad if you modify exhaust, intake, or anything else if your sole goal is to improve mileage.



The only reasonable measures, short of selling the vehicle, are those that cost nothing. I don't let my rpms go above 2300 and I keep the tires inflated. Those are good measures -- they don't help much, but they cost nothing, so they are definitely worth what I paid for them.

 

[John G]

Richard is correct that nothing you buy will improve mileage enough to pay for it. You're basically throwing good money after bad if you modify exhaust, intake, or anything else if your sole goal is to improve mileage.



The only reasonable measures, short of selling the vehicle, are those that cost nothing. I don't let my rpms go above 2300 and I keep the tires inflated. Those are good measures -- they don't help much, but they cost nothing, so they are definitely worth what I paid for them.

 

[Timmy-The-Ute]

I tried some ethanol free gas recently and got great mileage.

 

[Doctor CAD]

Sorry Richard, but a tuner DOES work in this instance.



Did the OP ask to recover his investment? NO, he simply asked if there was a way to get a few more MPG's and a tuner will without a doubt do exactly that.



Besides, if you get 2 MPG more, in one year (assuming 12,000 miles at 18 vs. 20 MPG and assuming $4.00 a gallon) you will save $268. My XCal in now 5 years old. It has saved me WAAAAAAAAY more than it cost.

 

[Richard L]

DoctorCAD,

I did not say a tuner does not work... I only said that what works for you in your driving environment may not work for someone in a completely different driving environment. That means that while you may notice an improvement in your gas mileage with the XCal, not everyone will see the same results...ie: "Your mileage may vary".



You said: if you get 2 MPG more, in one year (assuming 12,000 miles at 18 vs. 20 MPG and assuming $4.00 a gallon) you will save $268.



Your figures are all based on "Assumptions" that fits only you, driving your vehicle in your environment, in your traffic conditions....That hardly qualifies as proof or a guarantee that everyone will experience that same improvement and savings, or anything even close to that.



You live in Greenwood, South Carolina which is a much more rural area than Canton, Michigan which is a suburb of Dearborn/Detroit....I can assure you that weather and traffic conditions are very different where you live vs where a.k. lives



That is the elusive part of gas mileage...that minor changes in traffic conditions from one day to the next can have significant impact on your gas mileage that you cannot control or may not even be aware of. The more vehicles, more traffic lights, and weather conditions will have a bigger factor on gas mileage and you don't have any control over that and neither does the XCal...Simply catching a light that you did not catch yesterday, or getting stuck at a traffic light for 30 seconds longer than you did yesterdays can have more impact on your gas mileage. Under those constantly changing conditions, it is difficult to measure results. With an UltraGauge you can see a lot of those changes but you cannot do anything about them.



I can see a difference in my gas mileage when schools are in session and when they are not...depending upon the time of year and the time of day I go through school zones.



When people are concerned about getting better gas mileage, and especially when they spend a lot of money on some device to improve mileage, they will unknowingly alter their driving habits to save gas, which frequently accounts for much of the gas mileage improvement, often more so than the results of installing the device.



You claim that you went from 18 MPG to 20 MPG with the XCal, but that just proves my point since I got between 20 and 22 MPG with my two Sport Tracs without any modifications. Would an XCal have improved my mileage? Perhaps, but I doubt that it would have been that much of an improvement, and certainly not worth the extra cost.



That's why I recommend that if people want to improve their mileage, buy something like an UltraGauge, with an "Instantaneous MPG readout". That will help you correct your driving habits by letting you see exactly what driving habits can save gas and what habits waste gas.



...Rich

 

[Doctor CAD]

Only giving estimates, not my actual figures.



And I now live in a city, but my mileage has remained constant at 20.56 (although I am seeing a downward trend lately to 20.50, think its time for a tune up) from 2007 until today. That is overall, towing, commuting, shopping trips, red light racing, etc.



You can downplay it all you want, but tuners done correctly work.

 

[Richard L]

DoctorCAD,

I am not downplaying it and never said that tuners do not work, only that your results may vary.



For everyone who says that the tuner significantly improved their mileage, there will be someone who saw little or no improvement...And their payback never happens or goes beyond 5 years. Some people don't keep their vehicles long enough to even get the payback, and the tuner is setup for that one make and model vehicle.



A heavy vehicle like the Sport Trac in city driving is never going to get very good mileage. By keeping your tires properly inflated (a few psi higher) and if you hone your driving habits to save gas, you can accomplish similar mileage improvements without spending a dime.



I only recommend that people who are experiencing poor gas mileage, invest in something like an UltraGauge or ScanGauge to monitor their driving habits and they may be amazed at just how much of an improvment they can make in their gas mileage by just developing better driving habits. Can a tuner further improve the mileage??? Perhaps a little, but when the driver knows how to drive to save gas, the cost of a tuner kit is probably unncessisary.



I.m just not a fan of throwing a lot of money at something that may be unncessisary or no guaranteed results. Keeping your tires inflated, engine tuned, reducing weight, and improving your driving habits cost nothing, but will always result in maximum gas mileage for your driving environment.



...Rich

 

[Johnny O]

In my experience, K&N filters and/or CAI's make little to no difference in mpg simply because the stock intake isn't really very restrictive.



Best bang for the buck, both according to what I've read and from personal experience, is a cat-back exhaust. I picked up a solid 3 to 4 mpg on the highway, city mpg is no different.



Otherwise, as mentioned just keep it in tune, tires filled, fresh synthetic fluids in the engine, axles, and transfer case. There is nothing you can do that will make a huge difference.

 

[Richard L]

JoynnyO,

I agree that K&N filters do nothing to improve gas mileage. They are designed to allow more airflow at higher RPM for maximum HP, which is contrary to saving gas. The engine gets adequate air with the stock filter for normal highway driving. K&N filters can provide a HP improvment at WOT (wide open throttle), but in everyday driving, they do nothing to improve either HP or gas mileage.



...Rich

 

[swshawaii]

Try not to accelerate past 2000rpms when taking off from stops.

The best advice from this thread. Heavy throttle from stops are a MPG killer.

 

[Richard L]

swshawaii,

I agree. If anyone doubts that, just get an UltraGauge and watch your gas mileage drop when you step on the gas....Any acceleration, even light acceleration will show a drop in gas mileage. Light acceleration can cost you a few MPG (it's hard to keep it under a 4 MPG loss even with slow grandma starts). Under hard acceleration, you can instantly drop your mileage by 8-10 MPG and often more until you lift your foot off the gas pedal. With an UltraGauge you can be cruising at a constant speed and you can watch your MPG go up and down with the slightest dips or undulations in the road....but when you step on the brake or slow down from 65-70 MPH, you can see your MPG jump up to 150+ MPG...but only momentarily :grin:



That is also why I always suggest that when you are on the freeway using cruise control, set you speed at the same speed or even 1 MPH slower than the traffic in the right lane and drive in that lane. You will rarely have to slowdown to pass anyone. If you do slow down to pass, you will have to speed up again to get back up to your cruising speed, and that will waste gas. The more times you have to slow down and speed up the more gas it requires...and it's a lot more gas!



If you insist on driving faster than the majority of the traffic around you, you will constantly be slowing down and speeding up. The faster you try to go, the more frequently you will come up behind slower moving vehicles and have to slow down and speed up again and again. It's very easy to loose an average of 3-5 MPG while driving in that manner depending on traffic conditions.



...Rich