so i got the truck about a month ago, and correct me if im wrong, i read that the newer rangers with the 2.3l engine should be getting around mid to high 20's a gallon.....
i know transmission makes a difference...
so im really asking what i should be getting on a 2007 ranger xl 2.3l automatic,

i did the fill up and burned some fuel off and filled it up again and divided miles driven by the amount of fuel it took to fill it back up and i came up with just over 20 mpg..

is that bad? are there any ways that i can improve it?

in the past week i have changed the air filter, fuel filter, oil and filter, without noticing no real improvements... i pulled a spark plug and checked its condition, it didnt look corroded or worn, and theres no telling how long its been in there as i bought the truck from an auction... only has 90000 miles

 

what kind of driving were you doing

 

i live right off the interstate so most of my driving to get anywhere is highway...

 

yea you should be getting a little better mileage...id throw a set of plugs and wires at it...theyre prolly the original plugs...and they arent too expensive

 

i'm usually getting anywhere betweet 28-32 MPG, but i have a fully stripped 2.3L XL reg cab


what trans, reg cab X cab? over size tires?


it also depends on your driving habits, if you drive like a grandpa, you will get great fuel economy

 

mines almost bare bones, it is an automatic tranny, has a/c, but thats it, no cruise control, and especially the past 2 weeks i have been making an effort to stay about 60-65 on the highway

 

If you try new plugs and wires you may want to also consider cleaning the throttle body and MAF sensor at the same time. Maybe some injector cleaner also.

I usually get 25-26 with 75% of my driving being highway miles using 10% ethanol and 28-29 if I'm using real gas under same driving conditions.

 

I'd do a tune up on it, that should defiantly get you better mileage.

 

your mileage is gonna be lower due to the automatic, but you still should be seeing MPG's in the mid 20's

 

Check spark plug wires and they still looked brand new on the contacts and the coating, I went ahead and changed out the spark plugs and noticed something weird, not sure which cylinder it was but the tube that goes over the spark plug was super loose. It wasn't pushed in all the way, and took 0 effort to get it off. And on the same spark plug there was some oil on it, all over the threads and on the very tip of the firing end of the spark plug, it didn't look like it was coming from a valve cover or anything though... is it possible for a cylinder not firing properly to have some oil in it?

 

does it sound like a sti loping at idle. if so then most likely not firing on all cyl. if its an 07 the plugs are ngk iridiums so they should have still been good even at 90k but it doesnt hurt to replace them especially if one fouled up with oil. odd to not be throwing any codes if you were pumpin a full cyl gas into the exhaust it would be a big difference to the o2 sensors

 

They were autolite, already in there,so I bought autolite platinums and put them in there. And before all this, I was noticing some weird idling issues, when sitting in the truck parked, it would jump around a bit...

 

This appears to be normal with the automatics. I get 21 tops city or highway, and everyone else gets the same. Check Fuelly.com. If you want higher, swap it to a 5 speed.

 

I've been getting 28, sometimes a bit more when using real gas, for the past 36,000 miles. Don't see how that can be the same as 21 - mine is also an automatic, 4.10 gears.

 

This may sound like an ignorant question, but how can I tell how my truck is geared?

 

look for a tag on your rear diff or look at the axle code on the cert. label in the door jamb

 

Mines a 07, 2.3L, Auto, Reg Cab, 2WD, and with 105K im getting 25-26MPG with Accel Filter, Stock Exhaust, and Custom XCal Tune.

Wayne

 

Whats the code under "AXLE" on your door jamb

it should be one of these
84 – 3.45 Non-LS
86 – 3.73 Non-LS
87 – 4.10 Non-LS
89 – 4.56 Non-LS
F6 – 3.73 LS
F7 – 4.10 LS
92 – 3.08 Non-LS
R5 – 3.55 LS
91 – 3.27 Non-LS
96 – 3.73 Non-LS
R6 – 3.73 LS

For instance, Mine reads "R6" which is what came stock in this truck.

 

It shows 87 under axle

 

that means you have a 7.5 inch open rear end with 4.10 gears

 

forgive me, but im not sure what that means...

 

i'll explain it for you

7.5 is the size of the ring gear IIRC
4.10 means that you for every 4.1 turns of the pinion gear the ring gear turns once

 

Ive got an 09 b2300 with 4.10's and a 5spd with 29,500 miles. I get cosistently 26-27 in town with a light foot and on the highway about the same cause i do about 75-80 when going anywhere. The in town is with letting it warm up in the cold mornings also.

 

Well I was assuming that the people who use Fuelly have better things to do than make up numbers, but I could be wrong.

http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/ranger/gas%20l4

Compare the notes on the ones that say 21.x and the ones that say 24.x+. If you're actually getting that much out of your ride while most of us can't even pull off 23 MPG, I would hold onto it for a long awhile.

 

Maybe they're just not aware that they're entitled to get a lot better from a 2.3 which is rated for 26/27 MPG Highway. I've seen similar numbers as mine being posted by many here...for years.


Can't imagine a stock 2.3 only getting 21 highway - if I ever only got that kind of crappy highway mileage (tuned and computer/sensors working properly) from a 2.3, I'd trade it for a 4.0 and try for 20-21 out of it...since the 4.0 is rated at 21 MPG highway.


Most? I sure haven't noticed that most of the 2.3 Duratec owners are mentioning how they can just barely squeak out 4.0 fuel numbers on other fuel economy threads posted over the past few years.