How much does gas mileage improve after initial break in?

[Naa_Danno]

Just bought a 2008 FX4 and I love it, I am hoping to see some improvement in the fuel mileage after I break in the truck? If I do expect to see some improvement how many K will it take?

[Cowboy Dave]

I have 40k on my Ranger and my mileage hasn't really changed all that much from a year ago when I bought it. It's been a fairly consistent 20mpg. Drops to about 18mpg in the winter. That's US gallons, not UK.

What are you getting for mileage?

Cheers,
D.

[Naa_Danno]

Thanks for that, I have heard different stories from different salesmen, and I wanted to get it from actual Rangers owners..

[-crz-]

I started to see a difference after about 10 000 km, Im getting 22-23 imp. now. 4.0 L, 4:10 gears. 4x4.

[HotShotMedic]

i just went on a camping trip where the road speeds and highway speeds were between 80km/hr and 100km/hr. setting cruise control at these speeds i averaged about 24-25mpg.
(i worked it out and converted to mpg) current milage is about 7200

[mitchbtu]

The gas milage increase in theory is caused by the parts wearing together, and having less resistance from being broken in. You are supposed to actually get a bit more power after the break-in, which means you press the gas less... I have driven cars and trucks from new and never really got alot better...

[RuggedRanger15]

bring your ranger out to the meet tomorrow in langley!

[Chienlaid]

I have 40k on my Ranger and my mileage hasn't really changed all that much from a year ago when I bought it. It's been a fairly consistent 20mpg. Drops to about 18mpg in the winter. That's US gallons, not UK.

What are you getting for mileage?

Cheers,
D.

I have to agree with Cowboy Dave. I bought mine last year and I have about 20K on it. The gas mileage is pretty consistent and hasn't changed much since day one.

When I go on longer trips I usually get about 520km to a tank before the fuel light comes on. Next purchase is going to be a tonneau cover as I hear that helps a bit with fuel mileage.

[07rangersport]

Yepp. Doesn't reallychange at all. With 49000km on the clock I still get 18-20mpg, same as the very first tank of gas.

[Frazzle]

Well if my gas milage doesn't improve with time, then I may have made a mistake buying this 2011 Ranger. So far I've just been making short trips around town but I'm only getting 20.3l/100 km or 13.9 mpg imperial. Yikes, my 1984 Cadillac used to get better gas milage than that. Hopefully, I'm just bad at math!

[Lone Ranger]

You should be getting better than 13 mpg US, I was getting that commuting between S Langley and Tilbury with the camper on my truck. My first tank of fuel was actually the best I think (19 mpg) but I can count on one hand how many times I've averaged that. I average about 15 mpg but my canopy's a heavy whore to carry around, however I also drive slow as hell too. Pretty much most 4wd models should be getting a realistic 15 - 17 mpg there abouts.

They don't get that great of mileage no matter what anyone says. The only Rangers getting 'decent' fuel mileage are 2wd 5 spd models running stock tires and never exceeding 80 km/h. Period. I still get a chuckle when guys buy them to save fuel; if you've gone from a V10 4x4 F350 down to a Ranger, then yup you will be. LR

[b4000]

The 4 cyl./2WD models seem to get very good mileage for this type of vehicle.

But a 4.0L/4WD? Forget it. You don't buy one for fuel efficiency. And they're really not that much worse than somewhat similar Nissan or Toyota trucks. For the price difference, I can buy a whole lot of gasoline for my Mazda.

My mileage hasn't noticably changed since new. Modern vehicles really don't have much to "break in". I'm probably around 15-16L/100KM in the city, if I'm careful. The best I've ever managed was a little under 12L/100KM with highway driving, and taking it easy.

I've noticed the mileage you get on these trucks is VERY sensitive to how you drive. It seems to make more of a difference than with other vehicles I've owned. Also, idling seems to suck a lot of gas, as well. I noticed that when I used the block heater in winter and didn't warm it up for 15 minutes with the remote starter, mileage hugely increased.

Also, it really seems to hate gas with ethanol. The few times I've bought gas at Husky/Mohawk, with their 10% ethanol, I automatically got at least 15% lower mileage (not a scientific study, but it was very noticable). I avoid them like the plague now, since they don't give a 15% discount on their crappy gas.

[Spring]

I just checked my 2010 with the 2.3, 5 speed, 33.4 mpg. It hovered just above 30 all winter.

Before I bought it I did alittle research. About 70-80% of my driving is at 90 km/hr. which is just about optimal for this engine/transmission.

If I push it to 110 km/hr there is quite a noticeable difference.

I hardly drive it around town, but my guess is it would come in somewhere around 25 mpg.

Cheers!

[Lone Ranger]

The 4 cyl./2WD models seem to get very good mileage for this type of vehicle.

But a 4.0L/4WD? Forget it. You don't buy one for fuel efficiency. And they're really not that much worse than somewhat similar Nissan or Toyota trucks. For the price difference, I can buy a whole lot of gasoline for my Mazda.

My mileage hasn't noticably changed since new. Modern vehicles really don't have much to "break in". I'm probably around 15-16L/100KM in the city, if I'm careful. The best I've ever managed was a little under 12L/100KM with highway driving, and taking it easy.

I've noticed the mileage you get on these trucks is VERY sensitive to how you drive. It seems to make more of a difference than with other vehicles I've owned. Also, idling seems to suck a lot of gas, as well. I noticed that when I used the block heater in winter and didn't warm it up for 15 minutes with the remote starter, mileage hugely increased.

Also, it really seems to hate gas with ethanol. The few times I've bought gas at Husky/Mohawk, with their 10% ethanol, I automatically got at least 15% lower mileage (not a scientific study, but it was very noticable). I avoid them like the plague now, since they don't give a 15% discount on their crappy gas.

I agree 100%. I mind as well just poke a hole in the fuel tank if I'm going to idle mine, it'll lose gas slower. Mine doesn't seem to overly 'hate' ethanol, but it doesn't really like it either. Unfortunately, almost all gas now has at least some in it so its hard to avoid the stuff. Its just filler as far as I'm concerned. LR

[HotShotMedic]

2007 xlt 4.0L 4x4 here. mostly city driving, short trips, 350km per tank.. yah you read that right. hwy mileage is better.

[Lone Ranger]

I get somewhere between 350 - 400 km per tank if I drive super nice. I used to get 500+ on the highway even in the mountains of BC, but I had the small canopy on the truck and I was holding up traffic doing so (80 - 90 km/h). I nearly cracked 600 km once just to see if I could do it, no dice and almost ended up walking. That was with 31s and nothing in the truck..

Mine likes the 70 km/h mark, if I can keep it around that point on flat ground without any major winds (new canopy sticks up so much that its drags) it does ok. Currently, my work is 15 - 20 min away and the drive is rural with speeds between 60 and 70 km/h so its perfect, not even any real hill either. LR

[b4000]

I mind as well just poke a hole in the fuel tank if I'm going to idle mine, it'll lose gas slower.

LOL! :icon_biggrin:

Oh, wait ... :icon_cry:

[Maritime Storm]

Mine's currently averaging 22 IMPG, I get as high as 27 IMPG in the summer, the worse I've seen has been 18 IMPG this winter.

[Spring]

I can run 700 km on a tank no problem. In fact as memory serves the only time the low fuel light has come on was at something like 705 km. I recall fuelling it at 720.

I picked up gas yesterday having gone 658 km. It took 56 litres. I'd done a little bit of both city and highway driving on that tank.

[Maritime Storm]

Spring, how is your truck set-up?

[Lone Ranger]

You guys must be running 2wd 4 cylinder trucks. I can honestly say that if you're running a 4.0L 4wd truck with anything other than OEM tires, you'll be lucky to crack 450 - 500 km/tank. I've done it, but it takes a lot of careful driving. I drive slooooow due to the current $1.35/L fuel prices here, and I'm still doing good to crack 450 km/tank, while staying under 70 km/h and O/D off so the TC locks up at 60 and stays there for the duration of the drive. I literally just idle the truck everywhere when I can, trying to stay off the power.

Thankfully, I'm back on the road shorthaul trucking (usually gone on overnight runs) so I'm only driving my pickup once every couple of days, so I can sneak about two weeks out of a tank of gas (I'm only 15 min from work too). Makes the current fuel prices easier to deal with. LR

[v8ranger]

well i drive the tires off of my ranger with a programer an get about 600-650 a tank

[b4000]

well i drive the tires off of my ranger with a programer an get about 600-650 a tank

Your truck doesn't, by any chance, have really tiny wheels installed on it? :icon_biggrin:

[v8ranger]

Your truck doesn't, by any chance, have really tiny wheels installed on it? :icon_biggrin:

235/75/15 in the winter an 315/35/17 in the summer months

[Lone Ranger]

He's running a 2wd too though IIRC, big difference not pushing the front diff all the time. My bro just did a 5" lift and put 285/75/16s on his 4runner (still has stock 4.30s), and going from the stock vacuum-disconnect front diff with 30" ATs to locking hubs and heavy 33" MTs, he actually gained about 2 - 3 mpg. Seriously. He's getting an extra half day driving on the same amount of gas commuting with a now-lifted 4runner and 33s, vs a sagged out low truck on lightweight 30s. I told him to do so, but he fought me saying it wasn't worthwhile. He was shocked when he started adding things up afterwards.

235/15 tires, mine would probably push 20 mpg too... if I didn't take it on the highway! 4.10s and 29" tires would SUCK over 90 km/h. Locally it would be beautiful. My 33s on heavy steel wheels eat up a lot of fuel getting started, but its gettin' me thinking though, maybe its time to pick up a set of lightweight aluminum wheels and small tires just for DDing. Kinda kickin' myself now that I sold the OEM wheels and tires.. LR

[Spring]

Maritime Storm.

2.3 litre. 5 speed. NATO standard. Just as it rolled off the lot. No mods.

[b4000]

and going from the stock vacuum-disconnect front diff with 30" ATs to locking hubs and heavy 33" MTs, he actually gained about 2 - 3 mpg. Seriously. He's getting an extra half day driving on the same amount of gas commuting with a now-lifted 4runner and 33s, vs a sagged out low truck on lightweight 30s.

I think the bigger wheels are like an extra overdrive gear. It's just getting them going that takes a bit of extra energy. But once they're spinning ... So, on the highway you'd get better mileage (assuming they're not super fat tires with high rolling resistance, and you keep the speed reasonable).

maybe its time to pick up a set of lightweight aluminum wheels and small tires just for DDing.

Yeah, but how many full tanks of gas would you have to save over the life of the vehicle to make the new rims and tires break even? It might become a case of saving gas for the sake of saving gas, instead of saving money.

[v8ranger]

Welcome to the site post pics of the truckMaritime Storm.

2.3 litre. 5 speed. NATO standard. Just as it rolled off the lot. No mods.

[Maritime Storm]

Sorry Lone, my truck's specs are listed in my signature and and that's what I'm averaging. I wish mine had come with 3.73's in it, I've give up a mile or 2 per gallon for a little bottom end, but I'm not modifiying her while she's under warranty.