My boyfriend drives a manual Ford Ranger. He would like something for Christmas that will help improve its MPG. I'd like to spend around $100 but will pay more if it's really worth it! What are my options?
2007-11-27 15:57:03 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I would buy him a small, portable air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and a good tire pressure gauge.
Properly inflated tires will save more gas for the investment than anything else. Follow that with a good tune up.
2007-11-27 16:35:06 · answer #1 · answered by largecar8 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Use tour money to get him lessons on slowing down, using a longer following distance and anticipating traffic lights by slowing down ahead of time and trying to catch them green. Frequent start/stops and fast starts/rapid stops waste more gas than anything. Changing driving habits is the easiest way to increase MPG. A lot of the young people on here rant about the old fuddy duddies driving slow but the old fuddy duddies get much better gas mileage than the hurry, hurry, hurry style driver.
2007-11-27 16:15:14 · answer #2 · answered by mustanger 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
To improve fuel enconomy, one either has to increase the efficiency of the engine (by reducing power lost to heat, etc) or reduce the amount of work the engine has to do per unit of fuel (lighten the vehicle). I know of no product that will do this. Stay away from higher octane fuel and octane boosters. They will NOT increase gas mileage, despite some people claiming the opposite.
Edited to say I agree with Mustanger.
2007-11-27 16:20:30 · answer #3 · answered by windsor356 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gears.
That might cost you more than 100 dollars. (Used, it might not...depends what's included) And it will alter the performance of the truck. (It'll have less power at the low end)
If there were a 100 dollar part that improved fuel economy, everyone would have it.
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Axles.html
http://motors.search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&catref=C6&from=R10&mppfqy=7.5+gears&mppfqy=7.5+gears&mppfqy=7.5+gears+4.10&satitle=7.5+gears+ford&sacat=6000%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sabfmts=1&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1&fsoo=1
You'll need to know exactly what axle and what gear ratio he has to know what to get or if it would even be an improvement.
The only other thing I can think of would be some sort of computer that shows fuel economy. That would give him real-time feedback, allowing him to effectively adjust his habits to save gas.
Ah, like this:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8426/
That is also well over 100 dollars.
2007-11-27 16:08:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
take a 4X4 block of wood and mount it under the gas pedal. if you limit the people travel, flooring it wont mean as much. aside from that. just the routine maintenance. should help, air filter and tune up.
2007-11-27 16:16:40 · answer #5 · answered by mdk68gto, ase certified m tech 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Best is a tune up with good parts.A K+N air filter can't hurt either.
2007-11-27 16:04:36 · answer #6 · answered by thejetdude 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a little bigger tires will reduce rpms on the highway that helps they has throttle body spacers that give you better gas milage. the only bad thing is you can't keep your foot out of it because it improves power
i put the website below they cost around 100 dollars. don't get a tornado they don't work
2007-11-27 16:13:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋