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I have a 1998 Ranger with a 3.0 v6 and 5 speed tranny. I was wondering if I should drive in 4th or 5th gear at 55-60 mph. 4th gear revs about 2500-3000 rpm and 5th is about 2000-2500 rpm. The torque peak is around 3000-3500 rpm and HP peaks at 4500. The torque curve is anything but flat, so I know there is a sweet spot in there somewhere. My instinct is telling me to keep the revs near the torque peak for the best fuel economy, but what do you guys think?

Hi Just Randy:

___Welcome to CleanMPG!

___Owning a Ranger w/ a stick is a huge positive but the 3.0 in her is … well … Ford’s 3.0 and 4.0L ICE’s were never efficient other then when the 3.0 was first released back in the 85 Taurus/Sable twins. The Accord/Camry contingent quickly ate up the FE advantage with their own next gen releases :(

___Fifth at that high a speed and R’s while in a steady state cruise. Torque curves do not mean nearly as much as you would think when pushing tanks. Sure we all run on one but nothing near WOT and all that torque that is not available down low including the poor FE that should result at just above lug sure seems to produce some outrageous FE for Insight, Prius and Ranger P/U drivers for those of us that care to test those waters ;)

___An SG-II will show you the above results in real time after abut 3 or 4 seconds of use at those speeds and R’s.

___Good Luck and again welcome!

___Wayne

i use the highest gear that will not lug the engine for any given load condition. for the insight its 5th gear above 30 with a very light load. for your situation, 5th. lower rpm means lower amount of air going through the engine, and less fuel mixed with the air for combustion.

Well, one reason I ask is that I have noticed my intrepid (which has the little mpg computer thingy) consistently gets better mpg at 70-75mph than it does at 55-60mph. Another reason is that a guy on a ranger forum said he gained 4mpg by keeping the rpms in the 3000's on his ranger 3.0.

I have also suspected my F150 with the 300 l6 gets better mpg by keeping the revs elevated. I just bought the ranger mostly to save gas while doing what I need to do with a pickup. I was hoping it would pay for itself relative to the F150 in terms of gas in a couple yrs.

The only thing I can figure is (barring any RV cam or High Mileage cam) that these engine are terribly inefficient at low rpms.... And any increase in wind resistence, friction, etc is offset by increased efficiency of the engine.

Well, one reason I ask is that I have noticed my intrepid (which has the little mpg computer thingy) consistently gets better mpg at 70-75mph than it does at 55-60mph. Another reason is that a guy on a ranger forum said he gained 4mpg by keeping the rpms in the 3000's on his ranger 3.0.


That paragraph makes me cringe a little. Ok, a lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you have seen the numbers on the computer that led you to your conclusion. But I'm willing to bet that there are other factors when you are in the 55-60mph range that confound your observations. If you are used to driving 70-75mph it's pretty easy to get twitchy at lower speeds, getting on and off the gas. Happens to everybody at first. It's also likely that 55mph happens when you don't have a choice, i.e. the road is congested and moving slower than normal. That means using the brakes which kill fuel economy.

As for turning over 3,000RPMs to improve fuel economy, PLEASE don't do that. Engine wear aside, something would have to be terribly wrong with the engine for it to be running more efficiently at those speeds than in the 1500-2000RPM range. It takes a lot of energy just to keep the rotating assembly spinning and you don't want that.

What it boils down to IMO is making your driving technique more fluid so that you can take advantage of lower speeds and lower RPMs. (Getting a ScanGauge for the Ranger would help immensely.) The techniques that really work tend to go directly against what you hear all over the internet, e.g. that cars are "designed" to do better at 75mph+ than 55mph or that the torque peak of an engine has anything at all to do with efficiency. Ignore that stuff completely 'cause it's bogus. Nobody here that I know of has been successful with those strategies in any vehicle. If you are willing to work at it I think you may be surprised at how well that truck can do.

Thanks for all the replies! I considered getting a scan gauge, but I'm worried it won't work on my ranger because it says "1998 Most Ford Explorer - no MPH, MPG, Miles driven" in the details and specs. Kinda feels like a $200 gamble to me when all I really need to know is 4th or 5th gear, lol.

Anyway, many of my observations on mileage came from my trips from GA to OH and back (600 miles) on I-75. I usually do all my driving at night so traffic is not a problem. I never race to stop and I follow well behind other drivers and try to carry my momentum as far as it will take me. I drive with the gas pedal and not the brake.

So, am I to understand that any engine with any cam will always be most efficient at the very lowest rpm???

Hi Just Randy:

___It depends if you are accelerating or in steady state. Without an SG-II or SuperMid, it would be tough to give you some rate and ranges for any number of scenarios to maximize your FE. 70 + however will kill the poor thing :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I guess the only thing I can do is fill the tank and try it both ways and see which gives me more miles. I'll post the results when they come in.

ScanGauge works on my 98 Ranger just fine, but I had another vehicle to use it on if it didn't. What might not work is the distance related items like speed, miles traveled, impg, avg mpg. But you would still get tach, gph, volts, tps, and a few others. You can do quite a bit with just tps and gph which would monitor your throttle position and fuel consumption rate respectively.

With the 98 (4.0L AT) I usually am fairly gentle on acceleration, and try to 'assist' it upshifting to the next gear at the right speed by slight lift of throttle to cause an upshift. Highway runs are usually 53-59 mph. With the 96 (2.3L 5M) I upshift at about 1800-2000 rpm, which gives me the next gear at about 1200-1400 rpm. Once I'm at my desired speed, even if its as low as 30 mph, I pull 5th gear if I'm going steady state. If I'm going to go highway, I pull 5th at about 45-47 mph and continue mild acceleration until 55-57 mph. Throttle position during accleration makes a surprising difference on full consumption: very tiny movements of your foot make some pretty darn huge differences.

Good luck with your Ranger, we all hope to see you posting some good numbers soon!

Yes, with Rangers it is hard to tell what will work. For instance, there are some Rangers with Dana 35 front axles with Dana 28 guts... And the only way to tell is to look inside. Luckily I have the right innards, but if not I would have been pretty angry after ordering a diff locker for it.

One thing I could do is order a low duration camshaft for it. Then I will know for sure I get the best mpg at the lowest rpm. Should only cost $200, but it will also cost me a lot of power when passing someone on these winding roads.

but it will also cost me a lot of power when passing someone on these winding roads.

Weeellll.....that depends on what kind of passing you are doing. If we're talking a semi climbing a hill at 20mph then you can probably get by just fine. After all, the 2.3L exists. If you're talking about passing someone doing the limit or slightly under so that you can go faster, then I say skip the cam and quit doing that. ;) That's another one of those little things you can do that make a big difference overall.

I'm talking about traveling a 2 lane hwy with a posted speed limit of 55. "Normal people" usually travel between 60 n 65. Every now n then we get the sunday driver or the loggin truck going 55 or less. There are many curves on this road to boot... So when a straight away presents itself and by some miracle there is no on-coming traffic, I downshift and nail it up to however fast I can go til I make it around the slower vehicle. Obviously, the faster I can accelerate, the better off I will be. Therefore, a cam that is spent after 3 or 4k rpms will only hinder that operation. My Ranger now will pull stronger and stronger until 6000 rpms, at which point I am affraid to push it.

I'm not trying to be obsessive about saving gas and I don't really care about beating the epa... But I don't want to needlessly waste gas either. There is hardly a point in racing up to a redlight, so I throw it in neutral and coast from a far off hoping to catch the green. If I'm in the mood I might rev 2nd gear out to 6k just to feel the power and then coast to save gas. Other times I might skip 2nd n go right into 3rd. Keeping in mind the whole reason for this post is to decide whether I should drive in 4th gear or 5th gear (steady state) on that 2 lane road up to mom's house (about 45 minute drive).... Otherwise I could just buy an old corolla or tercel for $500 and drive like a complete moron and still be saving gallons over what I'm doing now, lol.

Don't misunderstand me, I don't want to seem like I don't respect and admire you guys for what you're doing very well. Hypermiling just isn't a competitive sport I'm into right now... Maybe someday......... But right now I have too many other conflicting obessions.

Simple answer -> use 5th

So when a straight away presents itself and by some miracle there is no on-coming traffic, I downshift and nail it up to however fast I can go til I make it around the slower vehicle.

Dude...no. Just no.

I guess the only thing I can do is fill the tank and try it both ways and see which gives me more miles. I'll post the results when they come in.

If you want quicker results, record miles to the Full pip, refuel and try the other way. To exclude variation, alternate methods a couple of times (A-B-A-B).

Make sure you fill consistently, preferably with the same station if not the same pump. I usually fill 'til it shuts off, then give it a couple of clicks.

If you want quicker results, record miles to the Full pip, refuel and try the other way. To exclude variation, alternate methods a couple of times (A-B-A-B).

Make sure you fill consistently, preferably with the same station if not the same pump. I usually fill 'til it shuts off, then give it a couple of clicks.


That's an idea I might try. I was thinking a full tank's worth of data would filter out some variations in weather and whatever. Then again, if the data is that close that weather would skew the results then this whole post is an exercise in wasting time. Thanks Bruce!

Dude...no. Just no.


Why not?

Wayne,

If you tickle my pickle for every nickel I toss out the window I will be happy to oblige you. A dime if you blow my mind... Maybe I'll even chuck 2 bits if you're really good!

I assume you ride a bicycle and never burn any fossil fuel??? Who says none of us really cares about an addiction to oil??? Maybe instead of driving my Ranger I should fire up my 1979 460 ford pickup and drive 30 miles out of my way just to piss you off?!? Your insinuating anyone in my family would care if I should commit murder / suicide says a lot.

Oh, so now I'm not allowed to push down the gas pedal in my truck because Wayne will start choking... So, where do we draw the line? Are we not allowed to do any recreational driving at all??? No motorcycle rides through the country just to relax, no more atv riding, no more NASCAR or Indy??? Don't attack me because at least I am making an effort to save what little fuel I can in my rather wasteful Ranger while still getting a bit of enjoyment from it. If you would like, I can assume anyone driving a hybrid shares your same thumb-sucking mentality and have it piss me off when I see one and decide I might throw a couple Jacksons out the window by means of my richly tuned 4-barrel carb when I go flying by blowing black smoke all over the pretty new Insight owner. Or would you rather just be nice?

I tell you what, right now you have a chance to change one person's mind about some things if you be nice and talk facts. But dragging my family and my personal well being into it and by over-dramatizing the obvious is not a way to make me embrace your ideas. You and the members of this forum will forever form my idea of hypermilers everywhere. Your call if its a good one or not.

You want to talk about wasting gas, talk to the DOT's who set up the traffic lights to break up the flow of traffic causing all those SUV's to come to a stop from a nice steady state 55mph. The DOT is the biggest supporter of terrorists I can think of,,, not me spending a nickel to pass someone that is less in a hurry that I. Tell them to shove an exhaust pipe in their house... Why not?

Umm...heated discussion much?

Here's where I'm coming from: In order to save gas, a driver has to want to save it. There are no magic pills, secret incantations, or incredible devices that will give you a big boost. There are some things you can do with your existing hardware (take Basjoos's heavily aero-modded Civic as an example) but you're talking either big money, huge time input, or both. Stuff like cams and gearing might help but there are no guarantees. So if you come here asking about improved FE you are going to get straight answers about what we know works, every time. And that's improving the way you drive. That's also why you talk about making an aggressive pass just so you can go 10+ over the limit and I throw my hands up in the air. It's all the stuff like that, big and small, that gets you what you want. The answer to "Why not?" is that keeping up the bad habits works directly against what you wish to accomplish. It's as simple as that. No emotion, nothing personal, just fact.

The way this thread is going reminds me of a saying I once heard: If you do what you've always done(driving habits) you'll get what you've always gotten(poor FE).

Hi Randy:

___Sorry for losing my cool. Asking “Why not” lit my fuse!

___If you want higher FE for all the right reasons, listen to what is being posted in this thread. We practice what we preach and the stuff you are pulling off the internet or from your own experience is utter hogwash. Do you understand why your FE is so poor? Hint, it is not your Ranger. Read, understand, practice, read again and practice again. Doing your part is not only simple; it is the right thing to do. Not doing your part means you are part of the problem, not the solution. Now start driving that Ranger for FE. It is worth an easy high 30 mpg tank w/ 50 mpg segments although you are not ready to take it there just yet.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Save your money, Don't buy all these high tech nonsense items, Go out and get a simple vacuum guage and learn how to read it. It will read about 18 to 20 inches at idle. As you drive try to keep it as high and steady as possible. You will see right away when any load is on the engine. As for 4th 0r 5th gear, refer to the guage and it will tell you which gear to use for highest effeciency.

I am sure relieved to see that this thread hasn't degraded to a brothel of name calling and the sort. Thanks Tim for a well written, non-emotional, and very factual post. And Wayne, I can understand some of your frustration with the mainstream mindset that is composed mainly of energy wasting practices. I can't imagine how much fuel could be saved if everybody suddenly stopped racing up to redlights and stop signs. Not to mention the extra wear on brakes, tires and then the savings from not having to manufacture brakes and tires....

What I want everybody to understand is that I'm not trying to squeeze every mpg out of my vehicle, but I am far from being the most wasteful person either. I know a guy that drives around with his AC on and the windows down just because he likes to feel the cold air on his hands. For me,,, I would consider that a waste. I hate the fact that my AC comes on when I turn the heater or defroster on. In my Ranger, there are only 2 positions where the compressor doesn't kick in, bi-level and feet/defroster. But anyway, I feel the extra energy used by me passing someone and then going back to a nice steady 60-65 is more than offset by my not racing up to stop and by my coasting well before I know I need to stop or turn. To be honest, I thought the reply to my "Why not?" question would be because I am risking a head-on collision with some innocent people. I am somewhat puzzled why this never came up.

I could do more to save gas,,, yes, I could. I could drive slower, but why stop there? Once the obsession has me firmly in its grip I should at once purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle. Will that be good enough? Nope, I simply must have a solar powered car and swear off gasoline once n for all. And, of course, by this time I will utterly dispise anyone driving a huge SUV since I am making all these sacrifices for the good of man. Where will it end? Where will the line be drawn? I really hope I don't offend and I'm not trying to poke fun or attack anyone, but once I've labeled the act of passing a car or driving 10+ a sin,,, I'm just a little leap from labeling the act of driving anything other than the most fuel efficient vehicle a sin too. Then what? Some smart fellow somewhere once said, "all things in moderation, including moderation." Right now, all things considered, I am fairly happy with my choices... If I did more, it would only take from something else I enjoy.

Oldschool, your vacuum gauge idea is definitely worth a shot. I have a gauge and plenty of tubing. I'll keep ya posted.