I have a 1998 Ranger XLT, 3L 6, 4-sp auto. Owned it since 2000, and keep careful track of every drop of gas. I ALWAYS get 12 mpg around town, 18 mpg on slow road trips into Baja Ca (I’m in San Diego), and 24 to 25 mpg cross-country trips, driving all day, 10-12 hours, at a steady 75. No mechanic/shop can find anything wrong with it; I’ve had the super-clean machine on the injectors (no change, at all), etc. I find it impractical to drive 75mph to the grocery store. Is there anything I can do to increase my daily mpg? The truck has not quite 50,000 miles on it, and so far as I or any shop can figure, is in like-new condition.
Perhaps a slightly leaking injector?
Take a look in your Haynes or Chiltons manual for the procedure to check fuel pressure & make sure the pressure holds with the engine off.
If it’s the same as my 87 Ranger 2.9 liter, checking fuel pressure is only slightly more complex/time consuming than checking tire pressure.
Gotta love those schraeder valves.
BTW, i have 230,000 miles on this V-6 & the injectors have never been flushed & I still get 26 MPG cruising at 70.
I friend of mine has a Ranger set up like that (I have a ranger too but with a 4cyl and 5spd) and gets about the same mileage. She is a demon on wheels. The lower mileage may be do to driving habits; ie fast stops and acceleration.
The gas mileage you mentioned is great for that vehicle. You will not get any more than 25 MPG. I2 in TOWN is good if you don’t get any half mile long runs. You would probably get better mileage with a four cylinder and a manual trans. There is nothing wrong with it.
I have a 2001 Ranger with a 4L automatic and I have been able to get juast about 13mpg around town. I have had this one since new and that is about all it will give.
Wow. I have a 99 Ranger 4cyl 5speed manual and I get, at worst, around 22 city. Granted my city is Akron and not San Diego. I also drive fairly light footed. If my acceleration, breaking, or shifting makes my dog slip when he is standing with his head out the window, I know I am driving to hard.
Fueleconomy.gov says that the new EPA estimates for your truck are 15 city and 21 highway if it is 2WD. The mileage is 14 city and 19 highway if it is 4WD.
You could change the rear end gear on it, depending on what you have now (probably either a 3.55 , 3.73. or 4.10) you could have it changed to a taller gear, like 2.73 or 3.08. The up side is that you will probably gain a bit of fuel mileage, the downside is that you will probably never recoup the inital investment of about $500 if you have a 2WD model or $1000 if you have a 4WD model. The mileage you are reporting is pretty close to what these trucks tend to get.
Install a vacuum gauge. Your driving will improve a bunch if you have a visual to guide you.