Why does your ford 2004 explorer get lousy MPG?

Answer 1

One reason is that that your Explorer get such lousy mileage is because it has been "de-tuned" to accomodate the soccer-mom set. Afterall, it is a Truck, with a powerful truck engine. In the wake of the Explorer roll-over debacle of the late 1990's, there are several things holding back the performance and efficiency: Look at the air intake. The box, located in the left front of the compartment has a very small gap at the end of a plastic tube. I recommend removing the tube from the box. It can simply be pulled apart from the box and discarded. Having the airflow restricted in this manner acts like a "Governor" on the engine preventing it from acheiving it's potential. Additionally, I drilled 3 additional two inch holes in the bottom of the airbox to ensure that there is no restriction. Worried about water getting into the air intake? Don't be. I drove home during a sever thunderstorm with torrential rain. The highway was flooded on the shoulders with several inches of rain. It was splashing up above the hood and I didn't have any trouble whatsoever. Purchase a high-airflow performance air filter - such as K&N. They are not disposable filters, so you don't replace it every 5,000 miles. You simply wash it off every 50,000 miles and reuse it. These filters are more expensive, but you are saving money over the long term because you are not tossing out a paper filter every 3 months. Inflate your tires to the maximum tire pressure stated on the side-wall. I made these 3 minor changes and the mileage went from 12.5 MPG to 22 MPG instantly. Big difference in the acceleration, transmission shifting and obviously the economy. I would recommend that everyone look into making these simple changes regardless of what they are driving. I plan on making these changes to my wife's Chrysler Town and Country minivan soon as well.