2006 Freestar SEL 4.2L Gas Mileage Question
 

I bought this minivan from a Ford Dealer @ 94,000 miles. It now has 101,000 miles.

Since day 1 the MPG has been dropping. On the test drive the electronic dash read 20 MPG (riiiiiiight). On my last fill up I got 12.9 MPG. This thing should be getting around 15-16 MPG at the very least, right?

I had Ford tune it up 2 months ago, they said they changed the fuel filter (aren't there more than 1 fuel filters?)

Love this van though, for the money its beautiful. Kids and wife love it. Just worried if we start getting under 12 MPG, something is very wrong- if it isn't already.

My guess is that it is cold where you live and you do a lot of short distance driving. 20mpg would be achievable when you do long distances.
During a cold start the engine needs extra fuel because it condenses on the cold walls. Once it has warmed up it uses less fuel. If yo do a lot of cold starts this adds up.

There is only 1 fuel filter and typically it has no affect on fuel consumption. After all if it is clogged there will be less fuel pressure, not more.
But there is an air filter also. If it is dirty replace it.
At this mileage you should make sure the spark plugs, wires and coil packs are in tip top shape.
Be very gentle with your right foot. You can roll along with traffic keeping the rpms below 3000.
Sometimes the brakes may not completely release and cause drag. That will also increase fuel consumption. Do you have any brake issues? A mechanic can inspect it for free but they tend to push for a brake job quite eagerly.

Thanks for the response.

We live in Northern California, and it IS cold in the morning these days- around freezing. The wife takes the kids to school in it. So, that's a short drive. I think you nailed it for the most part- we also live on top of a quarter mile hill. I guess I just never imagined the MPG would be this poor.

Plugs and wires are new, as is the air filter- not sure about coil packs (is that what used to be the cap/rotor?)

"not sure about coil packs (is that what used to be the cap/rotor?)"

In simple terms, yes. The coil pack replaces the single coil with a pack of 6 coils. That eliminates the need for a distributor.
http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...AY5YaONT_w.jpg
with 100 K on it it certainly has lost some of its performance. Maybe you get another 20K out of it. I would replace it now.

I am sure the fuel consumption will improve in the summer time, maybe into the upper teens. I would not expect much better because of the weight of the vehicle and that hill.

Is your wife idling the vehicle to warm up the cabin? There goes your fuel. It is best to get moving slowly right after starting the engine.

You guys are great. Thanks!

When I had Ford change the plugs, the coil pack isn't something that is changed with it, I assume?

Is this expensive?

4.2L Gas Mileage
 

I live in Michigan (i.e.=COLD) this time of year. My fuel economy display will get down to 12-13 MPG if I am running short trips around town. If I get on the highway and drive 20-30 miles (in 25-30 degree weather) I have seen 16-17 MPG average. I have seen 19 MPG if the ambient temp gets near 40-45 degrees. One other thing you might want to check is the operating temp of your engine. You will need a scan tool to do this however. Normal temps I have seen with my engine are 195-220 degrees (even in the Michigan winter). If your engine is running cooler than 190 consistently, you may have a bad thermostat.
As long as your engine is not running rough, the coil pack should be OK.

about $75 to $125 for the part and 30 minutes of labor for a slow poke like me.

It is not a routine replacement but in my Windstar the coilpack went bad at about 140 000 miles: misfire. Upon inspection I noticed corrosion on one of the towers. It was the tower where I noticed a badly seated wire a year earlier.
The OBDII allows for a significant count of misfires before the CEL comes on. Replacing the pack early is not a bad idea.

96Gt and Bluewind, thanks guys.

I may do the coil pack if I can reach it easily.


Another thing: do you guys ever get a rattling from the front end on choppy road?
It sounds like dinner plates clanging together. I thought it was the break hardware, but I guess it isn't. I can't seem to figure it out. I was even thinking it was the cap covering the wheel lugs, but they are totally snug.

Front Rattle
 

The rattle noise you mentioned sounds like Brake Pad rattle. You can diagnose this by lightly stepping on the Brake Pedal when the noise occurs. If it goes away the "anti-rattle" clips on the Brake Pads are missing or damaged. Otherwise it could be your Struts. Check for small stones in the Spring Seat area. If stones are not present it could be the Strut itself or the Upper Strut Mount. Also check the Stabilizer Bar Links and Mounts.

The coil pack sits on the back of the engine. You may have to remove the wiper arms, the plastic cowl and the wiper mounting tray to make it easier to access.

BULLITT gave you a comprehensive list of possible sources of the noise. In my Windstar the sway bar links went first. You can use a tire iron or pry bar and pry up on the sway bar. watch if there is play in the ball joints of the sway bar link. Or:

Bluewind....thanks for the vid!

96BULLITTGT....thanks for the list. This vehicle was a trade in- service said the did the breaks and put 2 new tires on it before it went back out on the lot.

I've brought the vehicle to the Ford Dealer shop (for unrelated issues) and asked them to look at it. Both times they said they couldn't find anything loose when they put it up to look. The 2nd time, they said they drove it, but couldn't get the rattle to happen (its driving me nuts).

After I rotated the tires, it seemed to stop for a few days, then started up again when the wife hit a rough spot. I don't get it.

I know how you feel!

Tracking down a noise can be difficult.
Rotational noise: does it grow with the vehicle speed or with the engine RPMs? It would either be related to the hubs/brakes/wheels or the engine.
Suspension noise: occurs when hitting bumps: sway bar bushings, sway bar endlinks, struts, lower ball joints
Steering noise: inner tie rod ends, outer tie rod ends, ball joints, strut bearings.

This grouping may help you closing in on it. Jack up the car and put it on jack stands for your safety. Use a rubber mallet or wooden block and tap on everything under the vehicle you can get to. You hope to create a noise that is similar to the one you hear while you drive. This method is based on the theory that everything has its own frequency.

Good luck!

I replaced the coil pack on mine at 80k miles after it started acting up. It took me a few hours to remove all the wiper arms, cowl shield, plug wires, pack, etc and replace it all without screwing it up. When it fails it won't strand you, it just will start running rough, so I would agree with Bullitt on this one. Don't bother replacing it unless it starts acting up. On others advice, while I had it apart I made a plastic shield and siliconed over where the ECM is also to prevent moisture from getting in there.
As for the MPG, we have averaged from 12mpg to 25mpg, with overall around 18mpg. Check out Fuelly.com for user based MPG info on all vehicles.

I have 134,000 miles on my 04' and get basically the same as "mercury4ever gets. The MPG is going to depend on cargo, temperature, MPH, carting a big wind brick on the roof, tire size, who's driving and everything else in-between. I set the cruise 5 over the speed limit, the wife sets it for 5 over the speed limit and then steps on the gas:).