sandbags in a 4wd?
 

I just bought my truck last week, its a 4.0 4wd, I have been getting pretty bad gas mileage, last tank I clocked 210 miles and filled up 15.8 gallons from empty, I guess I have a 16 gallon tank? Anyways It has snowed a few times and I have been using 4wd alot, on and off, probably about half of the time was 4wd. Is it better to use the 4wd in the snow or should I put sandbags in the back and just use 2wd? How much weight should I put in the back? Is it better to use the sandbags or to use 4wd for fuel economy? Does the 4wd really use alot more gas? Or is it miniscule? Im just wondering if I will be getting better gas mileage in the summer when I dont have to use 4wd. I am on half a tank now and the clock read 105 miles. Looks like its gonna be about the same again.

210-220 was kinda normal for my 4.0. I don't think using 4x4 is realy hurting you all that much.

Damn I bought a mini truck because I thought I could get good gas mileage compared to a full size, that sucks!! And I am going from a celica that got 30mpg. Also I figured the manual trans would help a little.

In all honesty unless you go with a 4cyl mini truck you're better off with full size. More room more power and better fuel milage

Here's the EPA fuel economy estimates for your 03 4.0 5 speed 4x4

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008c...umn=1&id=18929

EPA estimates 14 city, 17 highway. You got 13.3 so that's on the low end of the range, but if it was all city/winter and lots of 4x4 driving I guess that's about right. Try being as soft as possible on the gas pedal, keep the RPMs lower, etc. if you're a leadfoot.

you got that right my dads '06 Ram 1500 Hemi with the MDS(Multi-displacement System) is getting 17 mpg in city and near 22 highway

in the snow, 4wd period thats all u need and yes 4wd is a gas chugger

Practical MPG is better with a bigger engine as long as you keep the revs down.

v8 swap?

Haha

But I'd just keep using 4wd. Adding weight adds to the inertia in the rear when means once you brake traction in a corner it is going to sling the ass end around easier.

Ross,
You're in CT.You don't get real snow.Let alone enough to need 4WD hardly at all.
Put skinny ,decent all season tires on with about 150 - 200 lbs over the rear axle.
I go through 2-3 feet regularly down a 1/4 mile drive when I get home from work and never have any problem.And my trucks only 2WD.

I get about 200-220 miles out of mine if I fill it up at 1/4 tank.

And yeah,a new 5.4L F150 gets slightly better ga smilage than a 4.0 Ranger. Pretty sad.

Use the 4x4 when you need it. Yes, it impacts your milage and quite noticeably, but really, it's cheaper to pay for more gas than it is to pay for damage repairs or hiked insurance rates after an accident.

Tank size is 19.5 gallons.

I dont know about that. Zach and someone else have F-150s and they were saying they average 13 - 15 or something. I average 18 - 21.

I dunno, I was just reading an ad in the paper today for a 2009 F150 and they were rated like 29mpg on the highway. However, real life proves or disproves any actual claims on paper.

x2 on the tank being 19.5 gallons.

13.3 is pretty low mpg. 4wd is going to effect that with out a doubt. Also the cold winter tempatures will do the same.

Change to full synthetic motor oil and a good filter. This will help you gain some mpg.

My last tank was half city and half highway and I got 18.2 mpg and I am running over 33 in tires.

yeah, the window sticker on my truck claimed 29 MPG highway! :laughing:

i've gotten close to 23MPG all highway drivng.

i don't know why all of you guys get such lousy mileage, your best mileage is more like my worst!

are you sure your truck is running correctly? perhaps a tune up...?

sure your not talking KM per gallon

wow, i go to about 140 miles and it is just below quarter tank before i fill it up.

im really low mpg

I put 300lbs but thats when i know i'm not using 4wd, not much diffrence in fuel economy

1/4 ton isnt good for fuel economy

In Canada we use the Imperial gallon which is about 25% larger than U.S. gallon . . .

So it's not like we really get better mileage.

..we don't use gallons in canada...

Another funny thing about calculations - rather than km per gallon, or even km per liter, the calculation is based on liters per 100 km (liters/100 km), at least in Canada.

Combined city/highway, I use about 13 - 15 liters per 100 km.

That's a little less than 4 U.S. gallons to go about 65 miles or so.

I figure, with conversion, I get about 18/19 miles to the U.S. gallon - add a little over 20% more for mileage in Canadian (Imperial) gallons, and you're up around the 23-25 mile range per gallon (CDN).

Seems to be in line with what everyone else gets with a similar configuration.

Using 4wd - naturally mileage drops, sometimes drastically - slippery roads, less traction = wasting gas with wheels slipping; also the cold weather conditions usually means more idling = poorer gas mileage.

BTW, doesn't the 4 x 4 come with a 19.5 U.S. gallon tank? My Ranger 4 x 4 takes something like 74 liters.

You're right Mikey . . .

I'm showing my age.

When I do these calculations, I always convert to the system I grew up with . . . and then back

Kind of confusing, but, it works for me. :boggled:

I was guessing that on Big Blue Oval's truck, if it's an older model CDN one, the calculation for MPG on the sticker may be in old Imperial gallons. That's what I was trying to address . . .

ah gotcha. I never learned imperial/standard in school, unless it was in wood shop or metal shop. Math and science and everything was always in metrics.

I'm not very good with imperial measurements, like with fractions like 12 15/16"....just doesn't make sense to me like the simple metrics do. I always have to use the online calculators when I'm trying to convert stuff lol.

^ LOL. You get used to what you're used to . . .


Anyway, back to the original post topic:
I would say that the OP is experiencing only about 60 - 65% (about 2/3) of the gas mileage that most everyone else is getting with the same set-up.

Besides the factor of 4wd being used:
How is the overall condition of the vehicle?
Has it been well maintained?
When was the last tune-up?
How hard is it driven?

- and other factors may be the reason behind his lower than expected/average mileage.

I just bought the truck last friday with 118000 miles on it. The clutch went the next day, i just had it replaced for $800 the seller wouldn't pay for it. So, i couldnt do the tires and body lift i planned on, all my money is gone now, oh well. But i have no idea when the last tuneup was since i just bought it, seams to be in real good condition. I replaced the air filter, the old one was nasty. I also put on a flowmaster 44 series since I've had the truck. What does a tuneup consist of? Plugs and wires? How much will that run me for parts? And is it simple to do? Something I can do on my own? Is there some sort of timing involved? Also someone said synthetic oil helps a little for mpg, is that true? Maybe replacing the fuel filter might help also?

I take it easy on the gas purposley, trying to get good gas mileage, I keep the revs low and shift around 2000 - 2500 rpms, sometimes Ill bring it up to 3500 to hear the exhaust, but rarely.