Help, california is insane, mpg mods needed

[Shabadoo]

So from the sounds of your situation, this idea probably won't work but you could try running E85. The catch is, you need a tune and/or tuner to make it work properly which both cost a decent amount.

Whether this is a viable option or not, here is a little info. I run E85 regularly and lose about 2 MPG (15 - 13). That's something like a 13% loss I think. I break even here in Texas but I don't run it to save money. In Cali where the price of E85 seems to vary from 20 - 30% less, you might save money over the long run. From what I have seen online, it will cause extra wear and tear on the fuel system but can be done without many problems. Long term, I have no idea what it might effect. Also, it doesn't like the cold. Starts get harder 60F and below I've noticed, unless you bump up the initial start fuel and even then, it only helps a to a degree.

I have done most basic mods that people talk about to save MPG (exhaust, headers, intake, tunes, underdrive pulleys, electric fans) and what I've found is that they don't quite have the effect most people hope for. In all honesty, you will not recoup your investment. In my opinion, assuming keeping the truck is your only option, your best bet is to reduce weight and change your driving habits.

If you can, swap it for a beater that gets better gas mileage.

I hope you're able to get that job. Make a good resume and send it out to as many people as you can. Most schools have some kind of a job portal to help students get both on and off campus jobs as well. Apply for scholarships. For a quick buck, donate plasma. That could make enough to be gas money. I apologize if I'm just repeating stuff you already know.

Also, I'm not very active in this forum so I'm not sure if it's my place to say this, and this is just my perception, but it's unfortunate how many times I see threads being turned political like this one. I can see why people might be defensive, some of these comments come off as attacks. Every one is entitled to their opinion, but that's what the lounge is for. Post your ideas and help each other out or GTFOMF. Just my 0.2

 

[BRIANGEE]

[QUOTE
3, how much you you guys normally spend on gas each month?[/QUOTE]

Hey, actually no joke...I sold my expy and bought a 4 cylinder Camry.

 

[Trainmaster]

I'm with Stamp: There's just no way to cheaply move a 5000 lb truck around town.

 

[stamp11127]

Well there is always this......make one of them thar eelectric vehicles

 

[Plati]

This idea was always one of my favorites ...

 

[Daves Not Here]

 

[1955moose]

Hey Stamp, does the dog in the back have to with the mileage? I knew when I mentioned Fred Flintstone in one of the other post's, this last one here would surface. He gets great mileage, but man what a shoe bill he must have. Goes through sneakers faster than a 10 year old boy!

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[stamp11127]

He is there as the "hill assist feature".

 

[01ExpyOwner]

He is there as the "hill assist feature".

Until he is on the wrong side of it

 

[Tocapet]

I'm in Colorado. 87 octane is going for $2.79. They have 85 also for $2.59, but my '09 EXPY calls for 87. I have run both. Right now I'm testing to see which gets the best MPG in my '15 Camry.

 

[01ExpeditionXLT]

I'm in Colorado. 87 octane is going for $2.79. They have 85 also for $2.59, but my '09 EXPY calls for 87. I have run both. Right now I'm testing to see which gets the best MPG in my '15 Camry.

I have a feeling that any differences you find between an 85 and 87 octane fuel will be less than your measurement uncertainty. You'll have larger errors and more variability in other factors (unrelated to the type of fuel you are using) that will effect your answer more than any differences that you see between 85-87 octane fuel.

 

[04EddyExpy]

1) Basically, the bottom line is you can't polish a turd, mileage-wise. Best thing I can recommend is that you get a job - any job - that fits within your schedule and share the Expedition with your mother, while saving up for something that will be much cheaper for you to operate. It's not going to happen quickly - that's just a fact of life. Then you can hunt for a better job that will increase your income. Baby steps. Don't jump into debt with both feet or you will drown.

2) Also - register to vote, and don't vote for people who promise you free shit. There's no such thing. California is in its current situation because of those people.

3) **** of California and move to a state where taxes are lower & the cost of living isn't 300% higher than average.

 

[ExplorerTom]

I have a feeling that any differences you find between an 85 and 87 octane fuel will be less than your measurement uncertainty. You'll have larger errors and more variability in other factors (unrelated to the type of fuel you are using) that will effect your answer more than any differences that you see between 85-87 octane fuel.

That’s my exact experience. Although the truck did feel like it had more “pep” to it with the 87 octane. Ultimately wasn’t worth the extra $4 per tank.

 

[JasonH]

OP didn't say anything about his commute, but I would suggest looking into a bicycle, (conventional or electric), or just trying to cut out a few trips a weeks. Keep the RPMs under 2,500 when accelerating, coast as much as possible. MPG can change as much as 30% just by driving differently. Easiest option to reduce the amount of driving by avoiding traffic, optimizing routes, and combining trips. If the vehicle is in sound mechanical condition, there are no physical modifications that will reduce fuel consumption substantially. There are plenty of dirt cheap EVs in California...I thought about having one shipped to me. You can get a used Spark EV for under 10K. The gas savings would pay for the car.

 

[bgrattan]

When I lived in California, I rode my bicycle a lot more--that was back when oil was around $100/barrel. Even in the IE (area east of LA) it was cool enough in the summer mornings to ride to work. Riding home was scorching though.

 

[rjdelp7]

C.A.R.B.- California Air Resource board, has imposed its rules/blackmailed on the entire auto industry. California, banned all non CARB compliant auto sales. It has US cost consumers billions of dollars.

 

[01ExpeditionXLT]

C.A.R.B.- California Air Resource board, has imposed its rules/blackmailed on the entire auto industry. California, banned all non CARB compliant auto sales. It has all US cost consumers billions of dollars.

Clean burning engines are good and necessary when there are billions of vehicles in the world. You don't like clean air, then you'll love China. You can thank CARB for +300hp/+30 mpg Mustangs and being able to easily see the Manhattan skyline from the Verrazano bridge.

 

[1955moose]

Our friend RJ'S not old enough to remember the burning lung smog of the Los Angeles basin, or other pollution riddled areas of the 60's and 70's. Picture today being behind a freeway of 1960's muscle cars, tuned for maximum performance romping on their throttles, and your behind them. It was horrible, and I was in my late teens/early 20's. The Government finally do what they should have done 20 years prior, finally made it safe to breathe again. It was and still is worst on older individuals, as well as youths 14 and younger. It always kills me, sorry for the pun, how officials step in right at the brink. We'll be like the movie day after tomorrow, where San Francisco and New York will have a 300 foot freighter running down 5th Ave, or in my case Market street. We'll all have to move into Mexico to keep from freezing to death. You think Chicago got cold last winter on that day it hit 40 below, try 100 below!

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[Plati]

I second that emotion. The clean air one.

Try spending some time in Salt Lake City and you'll get a taste of air pollution.
At times you cant see the City from the beltway.

 

[Gregg Eshelman]

If you have off road tires with chunky tread, see if you can find a deal on a set of slightly used tires the right size with highway tread. Pump up the air pressure. Another tire thing that will net a slight MPG increase is going up one size in diameter. 'Course you'll throw off the speedometer but with the right equipment that can be reprogrammed. Ideally the shop where you get the tires mounted will be able to reprogram the computer for the different size.

Then there's aerodynamics mods, but they don't really do squat below highway speeds, especially on brick shaped vehicles. See what people have done with coroplast and other stuff at ecomodder.com

If you can find a gas station with "E0" no ethanol gas, that will help the MPG because there's more energy in gasoline than in alcohol.

Check the fuel pressure. Find where the pressure check port is and how high it should be. If it's too high or too low, replace the fuel pressure regulator. Having the right fuel pressure should help it get the best MPG.

Get a can of mass air flow sensor cleaner spray and clean the MAF. Let it dry fully before starting the engine. Use that and a soft old toothbrush to clean the inside of the throttle body. You'll need to rig up something to hold the throttle open to clean the back side of the throttle plate.

Check that the IAC (Idle Air Control) passage is clean. To properly do that the throttle body has to come off the intake. DO NOT spray cleaner into the IAC valve.

Today I finished up work on a 1997 Taurus 3.0 DOHC. It suddenly started running horribly. So off with the upper intake manifold (only way to get to rear bank plugs), in with new plugs and wires. New PCV valve (genuine Motorcraft, was cheapest from the local Ford Dealer, otherwise O'reilley is the only place to get the real deal) along with cleaning out the upper intake, throttle body, almost totally clogged IAC passage, and the rarely used intake runners and butterflies for half the intake valves. Wooooo! What a runner. Except then it developed an erratic idle, it couldn't decide if it wanted to go 2000, 1500, 1000, or 900 RPM. Much of the time around town I was almost constantly on the brake. Replacing the IAC valve helped some, replacing the TPS seems to have got it right. Never set any codes from start to finish of this project.

What's this to do with an Expedition? Same issues can happen. Start by cleaning and gapping the spark plugs. That's cheap, just the cost of a gap tool if you don't have one but do have a socket and ratchet set. If cleaning the throttle body etc makes it wonky on the idle, then it's likely the IAC and/or TPS are iffy and causing problems anyway.

Learn to shop around online for cheap parts. I get super deals through Rock Auto. Snagged custom fit plug wires on closeout for the Taurus for $10. Also got the spark plugs online somewhere for cheap. The IAC I got off eBay new, unboxed, with gasket. Having the DOHC 6 can be a PITA because only around 10% of 3rd gen Taurus/Sable have it. Single digit % had the SHO V8, the rest all had the Vulcan pushrod 6.

Another good place for deals is AM Autoparts, but be aware they have a more limited selection than many other sites or brick and mortar places. In the case of my Taurus, they only carry the IAC for the Vulcan engine, don't even have a way to select which engine for the Taurus.

That's what you have to watch for with online auto parts shopping, when you select a vehicle, some sites have you choose the engine first, some wait until *after* you search for a part to allow selecting the engine, and some sites just assume that if 97% of a model all had the same engine, you ain't getting parts specific to the other engines.

If you shop for deals you can get name brand parts as cheap or cheaper than the knockoffs. I paid only $100 for new name brand parts to rebuild the variable speed drive on an Acra milling machine. If I'd just bought some no-name parts without deal hunting, probably would've cost me $300. If I'd splashed out on a kit of name brand parts it would've been $1,000 or more, for exactly the same parts I collected piecemeal for $100.