DOHC - 2.3L Duratec / Mazda L Engines Discussions and Topics specific to the Duratec 4 cylinder engines

Playing with MPG,,

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Old 06-09-2006
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Playing with MPG,,

The weight of the rim matters,, or the width,,

Then Granny Speed(Under 2k rpm) got me 17.1mpg with my old 15x8" Steel rims that weighed 28lbs each.

Then Normal/Lead Foot (3k-5k rpm) 15.9mpg.

Now with 15x7" Alloys driving Normal/Lead Foot (3k-5k rpm) I get 19.2 and they weigh 18lbs each rim; so minus 40lbs of spinning mass.

I know this is really bad mpg for a 4 banger, so this summer is going to be a summer of mods to fix that. Planing for a E-fan, K&N, complete tune up, and some other goodies to help.

So yeah time to go to work,, laters,,
 

Last edited by FX2.3; 06-09-2006 at 10:08 PM.
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Old 06-09-2006
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Will an Electric fan actually help milage? I guess it could take drag off the drive system by taking the fan off the crank, but does it really make a diff?

Just curious...i'll be all over it if that helps.
 
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Old 06-09-2006
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yah it does. Your engine works less spinning the damn thing. Takes many thousands of miles to pay off price of efan tho, prolly umm...10k? So it should pay itself off in a year.
 
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Old 06-09-2006
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Originally Posted by Red_Ak_Ranger
yah it does. Your engine works less spinning the damn thing. Takes many thousands of miles to pay off price of efan tho, prolly umm...10k? So it should pay itself off in a year.
I've seen gains of 5% or more from E-fan installs on some vehicles....however I can guarantee if you replace your mechanical with an electrical, you'll see a difference in gas-mileage.
 
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Old 06-09-2006
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I wonder if by taking off the 40lbs, did it only make a difference because it was 40lbs of spinning mass or for every 40lbs I take off the truck my mileage goes up by 2?
 
  #6  
Old 06-12-2006
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that truck is getting REALLY REALLY poor gas mileage... I get 20ish MPG consistent with 31x11.5 Trxus STS and 29lb each aluminum 15x8s... this combination weighs a good 60-70lbs EACH and I'm getting this mileage with 304,000 miles on the engine, no rebuild, no engine work. If you keep it tuned up and running properly and drive it in the correct RPM band the mileage will go up. I've tried all the little gimmicks and tricks people have to increase mileage just because I was bored, and none of them changed anything, the e-fan didn't even change anything. keep the engine above 2300RPMs and it will be much happier, cruise with it around 2800-3000 and you'll be in the sweet spot.
 
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Old 06-12-2006
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I just got 20mpg on my last fillup. Keeping it around 65 on the highway, not accellerating hard like I used to (exception being emergency responses, in which case I don't care about milage), and my tires are inflated properly (they were pretty messed up).

And that 20mpg is without the tonnou cover on the bed since my tailgate handle is still broken.
 
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Old 06-12-2006
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damn, considering this is the 4-cyl forum, getting 20MPG with the 4.0L is pretty damn good, thats what we got in the GF's 4.0L when I managed to keep the cruise set at 70 and my foot out of the pedal. those 4.0s eat gas though, but the 4-cyl should be able to EASILY get 20+ MPG and if not something is wrong with it.
 
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Also keep in mind that while the 4-Banger might be a smaller engine and in theory use less gas, it also needs to work harder to do the same thing a 6-Cylinder can do in it's sleep. There will be a line drawn somewhere at which point the 4 Cylinder is burning more gas trying to work so hard while the 6 Cylinder just cruises along burning less.
 
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Old 06-12-2006
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You guys must all be driving city there...I got a v6 and I get about 23-24mpg average off of that, and I don't drive it any particualarly special way. Then again, about 90% of my driving is going 55 to 70 with barely any stops, maybe that's where I'm getting the nice mileage. Even when I lived in the city I was getting about 18mpg on it though...who knows
 
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Old 06-12-2006
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after talking to several of my friends with huge old chevys getting 9mpg ive desided **** it, its a truck so its never going to sip fuel like a car but, unlike a car, a truck can have fun when the pavement ends,,
saving up for that 3" lift and 30" A/ts,,

though after much thought I found a way to save on gas,
make my friends with the econoboxs drive!

so far I have over $500 saved up for the lift, getting paid over $200 this week, and just got a pay raise, so by my birthday in just a little over a month I might have double what I need to get the lift, tires, custom skidplate, and limited slip diff If the 4banger can take it,, **** maybe get a complete tune up with new plugs and everything too,,
 
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Old 06-12-2006
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Dude I stopped dating really fat girls and my mileage went up.

Aaron

/i lie. I still date the fat girls. We jus go in their car.
 
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Old 06-13-2006
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I've gotten 19 mpg so far with my 88 2.3l with more modifications to do
see https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ad.php?t=23542
 
  #14  
Old 06-20-2006
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I finally got my tach working and I'm getting 19 mpg keeping the engine in the 2500-3500 rpm range.
 
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Old 06-20-2006
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Originally Posted by Red_Ak_Ranger
Dude I stopped dating really fat girls and my mileage went up.

Aaron

/i lie. I still date the fat girls. We jus go in their car.
That is Mountain Dew on the Keyboard funny! That is my new signature!
 
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Old 06-20-2006
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Originally Posted by TireIron
damn, considering this is the 4-cyl forum, getting 20MPG with the 4.0L is pretty damn good, thats what we got in the GF's 4.0L when I managed to keep the cruise set at 70 and my foot out of the pedal. those 4.0s eat gas though, but the 4-cyl should be able to EASILY get 20+ MPG and if not something is wrong with it.
I too have the 4.0L V6 in pretty much the heaviest trim imaginable (4x4 LII w/ 4.10's). I used to average in at about 16 MPG.. lately I'm getting 18-19 MPG and have even broken 20 MPG on one tank. What changed? I started shifting at 2,000 RPM all the time every-time and won't exceede 70 MPH indicated on the super-slab.

If I can get a 15-20% bump in mileage by changing the way I drive, logic would indicate that you guys w/ the 4-banger could potentially do similar as well.
 
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Old 06-20-2006
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Originally Posted by XL2.3
though after much thought I found a way to save on gas,
make my friends with the econoboxs drive!
Hah yeah thats my theory!
 
  #18  
Old 06-22-2006
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with my 01 2.3 5spd reg cab i am getting around 27-28mpg on mine driving highway and city but i must be lucky because i usually am either doing 80-90 down the turnpike hitting 3000rpms or in toledo stop and go. with no mods totally stock next week the series 40 is getting installed at the shop down the street and i can definately see myself getting the electric fan later in the summer.
 
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Old 06-22-2006
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^ if your thinking of getting an efan, nows the time... theyre having a group buy sale and so far theyre only 135$ but we're 4 people from 125$ for a fan....


man you do get bad millage lol, good to hear it went up with the new wheels.... i havent filled up my tank to the top in a long time, ive actually been running on 30$ worth for almost 2 weeks now lol....
 
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Old 06-25-2006
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Originally Posted by NHBubba
I too have the 4.0L V6 in pretty much the heaviest trim imaginable (4x4 LII w/ 4.10's). I used to average in at about 16 MPG.. lately I'm getting 18-19 MPG and have even broken 20 MPG on one tank. What changed? I started shifting at 2,000 RPM all the time every-time and won't exceede 70 MPH indicated on the super-slab.

If I can get a 15-20% bump in mileage by changing the way I drive, logic would indicate that you guys w/ the 4-banger could potentially do similar as well.
Well I just tried the shifting at 2000 rpm deal on my 88 2.3L w/5 speed, 3.73 gears, and stock dia tires and it did not work for me, I lost .5 mpg on this tank full of gas. My 2.3L does't like the 2000 rpm shift points, it lugs it down way too much, I was getting 19.2 mpg city-hwy driving the speed limits and shifting at 3000-3500 rpm's. BTW the truck and engine has 220000+ miles on it and the engine doesn't burn oil nor has it been worked on internally.
 

Last edited by Kenneth S; 06-25-2006 at 09:30 PM.
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