My wife’s Escape seems to be using more gas than normal. We keep up with monthly maintenance, but a friend said this fuel additive could help improve the mpg. Has anyone here tried it?
What year is your Escape, and what engine does it have?
True said:
What year is your Escape, and what engine does it have?
2022 ST Line. It’s a 1.5L EcoBoost 3-cylinder turbo. She drives 35 miles each way on the highway to work.
True said:
What year is your Escape, and what engine does it have?
2022 ST Line. It’s a 1.5L EcoBoost 3-cylinder turbo. She drives 35 miles each way on the highway to work.
Not really necessary for that kind of driving. Fuel additives are more for cars that don’t get driven long enough to heat up properly.
@Peyton
But this only applies to Direct Injection (DI), right? MPFI engines don’t really get dirty.
Ash said:
@Peyton
But this only applies to Direct Injection (DI), right? MPFI engines don’t really get dirty.
Actually, both types can get carbon buildup, but DI systems are worse because the carbon accumulates in the combustion chamber and can lead to hot spots.
I drive a 2014 1.6 AWD Escape, and I only get around 19-19.5 mpg in the city and 24-25 on the highway. Hope yours isn’t worse than mine!
I’ve used fuel additives, and they did help improve mileage a bit for both my car and motorcycle.
Tyler said:
I’ve used fuel additives, and they did help improve mileage a bit for both my car and motorcycle.
The guy at the store recommended this one or the Lucas Oil fuel treatment. Any thoughts?
@Sam
I’ve had better luck with Red Line. It seemed to have more of the active ingredient.
I used fuel additives back in the day but didn’t notice much difference. You might try cleaning the intake, spraying the MAP sensors (tons of tutorials online), and resetting the engine by disconnecting the battery for about an hour. That helps it relearn your driving style.
You can also look up hypermiling tips—things like using cruise control, coasting up to red lights, and letting off the gas early can make a big difference in fuel economy. You don’t always need to brake to slow down; sometimes just letting the car roll helps.
Fuel additives have always seemed like a temporary fix or even a placebo to me. This is an economy car, not a high-performance vehicle.
@Valen
Thanks, man! I’ll give some of these tips a shot.
Maybe try checking the tire pressure, or even give the air filter a clean if it hasn’t been done in a while. Small things can add up.
Jai said:
Maybe try checking the tire pressure, or even give the air filter a clean if it hasn’t been done in a while. Small things can add up.
My wife said she used to get from Sunday to Thursday on a full tank, but now it barely lasts until Wednesday night. Maybe we’re overthinking it!
Where do you live? Has the weather changed recently? Sometimes colder weather and idling to warm up can affect fuel economy.
Also, in some places, they switch to winter blend gas, which gives worse mpg than summer blend.
@Pax
We’re in west Texas, and temps just dropped from the mid-70s/80s to the 60s/70s.