11th Nov 2007, 23:19

I have a 2001 Ford Ranger with a 3.0 V6. It's extended cab with the edge package. I don't get the best gas mileage (12-14 in town and a little better on the highway). Now when I bought the truck I was getting it with the smaller engine thinking it would be good on gas for the in town driving that I do. I don't go crazy on the gas, but it seems to not get up to speed the way I would like it to.

Recently I went shopping and when I came out to leave I started the truck and it would turn over, but wouldn't stay running (it would die within 10 seconds). Not knowing what it was I checked all the fluid levels and ended up adding a little oil and disconnecting the battery cables... after reconnecting I started it and it died again... tried it one more time before I was about to call a tow truck and it started and stayed running. But shortly after then it has shifted very rough from 1st to 2nd. The check engine light has come on and I found that my mass air flow sensor was bad! Now I can find one for a 3.0 flex fule at any place for a reasonable price... but for the unleaded 3.0 Ford wants to charge 200 and I can't get it any where else!

If anyone can tell me a little more about what I might be able to do it would be great. I'm a college student and funds are very small!

I hope others have better luck with their rangers... but personally I won't be buying another one.

28th Dec 2007, 21:09

I made a very bad mistake and traded my 2000 Ranger 2WD, Extended Cab with 3.0L Flex Fuel, manual 5 speed in for a new 2008 Ranger.

Biggest problem is fuel mileage with the 2008. My 2000 with 3.0L always gave me 21 MPG around town, winter or summer for 86,000 miles. Highway was about 22 to 23 MPG and my new 2008 Ranger with 3.0L, 5 speed automatic gives me 17 MPG around town.

I only have about 1,000 miles on it, but I hear this is the best I can expect.

Just what happened from 2000 to 2008 to drop 4 MPG. I have been driving for over 35 years and my habits have not changed.

31st Jan 2008, 19:19

I have 2001 Ford Ranger Extended Cab 4.0L, and I am getting about 8.5 to 12 miles a gallon. Just about two weeks ago I was getting 22 miles a gallon and it just hit like that. I called the guy I use to work with at an auto shop and they told me to change the mass air flow meter, and the air filter and the PCV valve, and clean the throttle plates. I came to realize that none of that helped, even though most of them were bad.

I called someone else I know, and he told me to try and get a locking gas cap, and to stop using octane booster; the octane booster will gum everything up like your injectors, and your cats and O2 sensors, so stop using it.

The locking gas cap actually worked. I'm still not getting 22 out of it any more, so I think I still have to clean out the octane booster, but I found out that some one was stealing my gas. Hope this helps ya'll out.

10th Feb 2008, 15:26

I own a 96 Ford Ranger Super-cab with the long bed. I have been looking to purchase a newer year and in doing so I have done quite a bit of research. This is what I found:

ALL Rangers have an emissions control device which funnels portions of the post-combustion exhaust BACK into the intake. This is an EPA mandated device (but not illegal to remove after purchase!) and removing it can increase your mileage by 4-6 miles. Contact a mechanic or a hot rod shop to see about getting it removed.

Larger tires cause less gas mileage. It's a fact, and unavoidable.

Rangers have a intake muffler on them. It is meant to quiet the sound of the intake, it is oblong and oval in shape and is situated between the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor and the throttle body. Replacing it with a straight piece of PVC piping of similar diameter can increase horsepower and oddly enough gas mileage at the sacrifice of a slightly louder intake.

Ford Catalytic Converters and exhaust are notorious for leaking causing inefficient airflow and bad mileage. Check these for leaks and replace accordingly. My suggestion would be to go aftermarket or if it's legal in your state, a cat-less system.

The 90 mph limit is a pain in the rear, but it is put in place to keep people who don't know how to properly drive a truck from killing themselves. (The mechanics of driving are different because of the weight bias when empty especially at high speeds.) If you absolutely have to go faster, then purchasing a Predator or similar tuning device cannot only erase the governor (It is electronic not analog, the computer controls the speed based on a programmed number in the default settings) but it can optimize your system for performance/gas mileage balance. It plugs into the OBD port and functions as a diagnostic tool as well.

That's my two cents. No vehicle is perfect, but in my opinion the Ranger has many excellent qualities that makes a small investment into customization well worth the trouble.

15th Feb 2008, 10:54

I bought a 01 with 70,000 miles and loved it. Just not enough space in the cab. It had a manual transmission with 2.3 4 cyl. engine which got me got 29 mpg going back and forth to school and 35mpg on highway in summer. It was great except for 2wd with open differential. I got stuck everywhere as I live in country. It slid all over road in snowy conditions. I also had a problem of it hesitating when it started, but $30 for NAPA fuel filter and there were no more problems. It was easy to tune-up, but anything else was a pain to do. The thermostat wentout and are no aftermarket ones for it so it cost $90 for a Ford one. It was hard to install so I spent another $90 for labor. I wish I still had it, but after getting rear ended at 65 mph the back crumpled, the cab got ruined and the headrest part of the seat broke. It was very quick off line and topped well over 110 mph. I did install a tonneau cover to help gas mileage. If I could get a 2.3 with 4x4 and super cab I would be in love.