hello everyone!

I am a rookie to the site as well as owning a ranger. so

i just bought this 99 4 cylinder ranger.its the 2.3L.manual.very well kept. its in great shape. ive seen everyones post on here saying that they get an average of around 25-26 miles per gallon. im only getting 22MPG on the highway!(i drive slower than your gma) and i pretty much only drive on the highway. I was just wondering if there were a few things i could do to increase this mileage or maybe fix what isn't working properly. or just somewhere to start looking for problems. there are only two things that aren't working right(that i know of) 1. windshield wipers have a mind of there own.. come on randomly sometime. but still work when i need them. 2 sometimes after driving about 80 miles on the highway, the temp gauge will drop to cold(completely cold) and only sometimes.. completely random. it either doesnt drop to cold or i turn the AC on and it goes back to normal. any input from you guys would be great.

thanks john

 

Sounds like you have a faulty wiper motor, and a crappy temp gauge.
as for MPGS. have you done a tune up? plugs, wires, the works.

 

You drive slow? 80 mph?

My milage dips significantly if I drive mine over 75. At 70mph I get 30 mpg on the highway but at 80 mph I only get in the low 20's too. City average is 25 mpg. These trucks aren't built to haul ***. If you take it down your milage will go up.

 

^^^^ LOL he said he drives 80 miles not 80 miles per hour.

By the way stock engine in 1999 was 2.5L, not 2.3L. We get slightly worse gas mileage that 2.3Ls. I average 20-25 city driving like a madman. You probably should do a tune up, plugs, wires, fluids, and filters.

 

yeah tune her up, and you could replace your temperature sending unit, that's usually the culprit for a faulty gauge

 

About the temp gauge.....are you sure it doesn't go back to normal when you turn the switch to OFF or MAX A/C?

The temp sender(s) (one for computer, one for gauge) is part of the branch that goes to your heater core. The port that goes to this branch is behind your thermostat in the housing. With this setup you are always getting fresh coolant over the senders, even if the thermostat is closed.

You could have a small restriction in your heater core causing coolant to slow down and cool down when its next to the sending units. When you turn your switch to OFF or MAX A/C vacuum is applied to your heater control valve causing it to bypass coolant around your heater core. If there is a restriction in the heater core or in that branch the restriction will be bypassed allowing fresh coolant to flow over the sending units causing the gauge to read correctly.

NOTE on this vehicles it is very easy to get air bubbles or pockets trapped in the heater core. Make sure you have enough coolant. I would even try filling some coolant into your heater hoses to avoid air pockets.

 

thanks guys...

yea its a 2.5L. my b. well as far as the temp gauge goes i haven't had time to investigate further. But i did put some fuel injector cleaner in the other day and now makes this slight rattle noise at high speeds in fifth gear. only happens when im in a steady "plateau" acceleration. There is no sound on normal acceleration or deceleration and only heard in 5th gear.

root2812 i drive about 75mph, i drive about 80 miles a day. and do you have a 5 speed. because it seems to me i have to use a lot more throttle in 5th to keep speed when its down around 70. does that even effect mpg.

 

What's the size of your tires (they'll play a big role in your MPG's) when i had stock tire size i'd get 25-30 (best of 32) when i moved up to a bigger tire (30x9.5) it dropped down to 20-22. Also my grandma does 55 so slow down to 65 to get better mpg on the highway and as others have said if you've just gotten the truck look to give it a tune up. Air filter, plugs, wires, Clean the MAF and if it idles oddly clean the IAC valve.

 

https://www.ranger-forums.com/general-ford-ranger-discussion-15/no-heat-replaced-heater-core-t-stat-123357/
That could be your temp problem. My water pump was pretty much gone. You definitely should check it out because your engine could over heat and you would never know it.

 

One. = Trucks are not known for their efficiency
Two. = Most trucks get terrible mileage, except the newer model F-150s
Three. = 22MPG on the highway in the four banger, I find exceptional, considering with my 4.0 SOHC V6, I only get 15, and 12 in the city
Four. = The newer controller for the wipers...if you use the wash feature, it should wipe 3-4 times, then a fourth or fifth wipe about 5-8 seconds later, to clear remaining fluid
Five. = The temp gauge, sounds like a situation to look more into