[3speedpony]

I'm lookin at a 2003 Mach 1 to buy. I was wondering if anybody knows what kind of gas mileage they get and how reliable the 24valve 4.6 is.
Specs on the internet say 17 and 25mpg but im not sure how acurate that is.

Reason I'm asking is because I have 2000 F-150 with the 5.4. and it gets 15-17mpg and I love the 5.4 and know it will run forever, but the mach 1 is a sweet car.

[alan4249]

I just bought an 03' Mach 1 about 2 months ago and love it. I have already put about 4k miles on it and have not had a problem. As for gas mileage, you looking at anywhere around 17.5 on the street and 19.5 possibly 20 on the freeway maybe better.

[03machstock]

Mach motor is 32v...05+ is 24v.....motor is very reliable, if you drive conservative, i got 20 one time mix city and highway, but if just back roads, probably about 17 if you keep your foot out of it.

[Mach1Run]

17-18mpg city, 21-22mpg mixed, with current mods.

[rabidscoobie]

Dam I was expecting better milage being listed here.If I keep my foot out of it on the hwy im getting 24-25 and 19-20ish town/hwy mix.But im really stock.I got mine used in April from a ford dealer and the window sticker they had on it was saying something like 26mpg hwy...I really didnt believe it but I am getting close to it only if I use the mid grade gas or better.If I use low grade(87) I getting crappy milage and I know its cuz the car comes tuned for the better gas.My 01 GT didnt do as well on the hwy...only like 19-20 at most with the same kind of driving as the mach,but your gas is gonna suck the first couple months you have a Mach.....its just too dam hard to keep your foot off the gas.....

Also I dont have gears done yet either,plane on some 4.10's but not for awhile.Right now my hwy cruising speed is 70-75.At 70 i run about 2k on the tach.with 4.10's what am i looking at....70 2600rpm's?I hear that with 4.10's the in town milage will increase,this true?

[twogts4us]

You can't use low grade gas in the Mach 1. It's got high(er) compression (10:1) and Ford specified that 91+ is required.

[rabidscoobie]

Originally Posted by twogts4us

You can't use low grade gas in the Mach 1. It's got high(er) compression (10:1) and Ford specified that 91+ is required.

I know your not suppose to use low grade,thats why I said it will get crappy milage,the ford dealer filled it up with low grade the day I got it and the milage was bad,it lacked some power...but at the time it just felt maybe equal to the GT I had,but since Ive been using mid grade and there is a lot more differce in power and better milage.I have run premium but dont notice any differece with it.Mach specs say it comes stock with a 91 tune or at least thats what I read at Mach1 registry,but i have just recently learned that.So I guess now my question is am I hurting anything with using mid grade?

[Crzyhrse]

In city driving you should expect your Mach do get only ok mileage. 15-18mpg or whatever. I just got back from driving my Mach 3,900 miles roundtrip. I averaged 27mpg on the Interstate going a constant 80mph through 4 of the 7 states I drove through at that speed. If I would have run the gas tank dry, that equates to 405 miles for a tank full. To me, that's pretty respectable for a muscle car with only afew aftermarket mods.

[Gearbanger 101]

Originally Posted by rabidscoobie

I know your not suppose to use low grade,thats why I said it will get crappy milage,the ford dealer filled it up with low grade the day I got it and the milage was bad,it lacked some power...but at the time it just felt maybe equal to the GT I had,but since Ive been using mid grade and there is a lot more differce in power and better milage.I have run premium but dont notice any differece with it.Mach specs say it comes stock with a 91 tune or at least thats what I read at Mach1 registry,but i have just recently learned that.So I guess now my question is am I hurting anything with using mid grade?

Don't take this the wrong way, but I think the power and mileage difference you're experiencing is most likely in your head. If memory serves (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), the 4V engines don't use any sort of knock sensor in their ignition system. As such, it won't retard the timing any with lower grade fuel (which is why its so dangerous to run). So unless you're experiencing pre-ignition to the point where you're feeling any sort of detonation that would cause a lack of power, you shouldn't much, if any difference in power, or mileage.

[rabidscoobie]

Originally Posted by Gearbanger 101

Don't take this the wrong way, but I think the power and mileage difference you're experiencing is most likely in your head. If memory serves (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), the 4V engines don't use any sort of knock sensor in their ignition system. As such, it won't retard the timing any with lower grade fuel (which is why its so dangerous to run). So unless you're experiencing pre-ignition to the point where you're feeling any sort of detonation that would cause a lack of power, you shouldn't much, if any difference in power, or mileage.

I didnt get any detonation or anything like that,but in the low rpm range it has less power,I can definatly feel it,doesnt miss or anything,but im not running the low grade now,ive been using mid...is this bad,if so then Ill just use the better.Heres an example:with the mid grade i can hit it in 2nd at around 50mph and it will just about go sideways,but with low grade it will just chirp the tires under the same conditions.I dont think thats all in my head,mileage could be all inthe head I guess,its only been run in it once and thats cuz ford filled it up for me when I got it and left the gas ticket in the car and that was for low grade.

So do only need to run premium or would mid grade be ok,if its not what kinda damage could it cause?

[Gearbanger 101]

Mid-grade might be alright for your average driver, but I wouldn't want to press my luck with anything lower. It may still be alright for a cool morning or your average spring/fall afternoon, but driving it hard on a high humidity, 80+ degree day, coming out of stop and go traffic hard onto the expressway could spell disaster. That being said, I'm sure Ford expects many drivers to cheap out on the fuel and thus it's probably still tuned fairly conservatively to run the lower grade fuels. The only way you're going to be able to tell for certain is to get it to a dyno.

[rabidscoobie]

Thx for the info,as I said before I just learned that ford says to use premium on the machs so since I got it in april I have only used mid grade other than Ford filling the first tank with regular.

Now here in my area of Texas during the summer it stays in the 90's and is humid.There isnt much traffic in the summer,not much stop and go other catching a redlight,i dont hammer it often...maybe hittin the hwy.So when you speak of things being a disaster,what exactly could these consequences be?Cause I have no clue.I guess using premium wouldnt be all that bad on the pocket since I only use like 2 tanks a month.But my wife uses around $100 a week back and forth to work,Ill be glad when she finishes school for the better job.

I dont wanna sound like im disagreeing,I just wanna understand this fully.

[Gearbanger 101]

By disaster I mean for you to keep in mind that although your Mach has a forged crank shaft, it's still got cracked cap powdered rods and very fragile hypereutectic pistons that aren't very detonation friendly. A little pre-ignition on a naturally aspirated engine (no power adder) usually isn't a lot to worry about, but if you hear it pining hard under load, back of the throttle fast, or you might find yourself walking home. Like I said, my guess is that Ford anticipates the event that owners will use lower grade fuel against their recommendation to save a buck and as such the air/fuel ratio and engine timing is probably set fairly conservatively....but it never hurts to take it to a dyno for verification.

[larrendeuce]

Mach 1's have knock sensors, they are located in the intake valley on the block. What fuel to use is printed on the speedometer face.


www.explicitauto.com

[rabidscoobie]

You know thats kinda funny that you point that out,Ive never noticed that on the cluster,now I kinda feel like an idiot...Guess I dont pay attention to that small writing since all cars that I can remember say unleaded fuel only.

BTW where did you get those rings?I really like them.

[Crzyhrse]

It's an aftermarket gauge cluster panel. They've been around for years, but I've only seen maybe 2 or 3 pics of people that actually have them. Not sure where you get them though.

[larrendeuce]

Its not mine, just wanted a clear picture of the gauges.

[Gearbanger 101]

I think UPR makes them, but I'm not 100% sure?

[rabidscoobie]

Ill have to check into them,Im really liking the stock gauge overlay,but wouldnt mind dressing it up a bit.

[larrendeuce]

www.explicitauto.com

[rabidscoobie]

Originally Posted by larrendeuce

www.explicitauto.com

Thx for the link.Anyone know if they are just the rings or is there more to it?I think Im gonna get those.

[fox-gt]

Mine is my daily driver. I drive about 75 miles a day. It averages 17 to 19 mph, but I drive like a jackass.

[hotrodnut]

I see you only have this one post and it was back in May, so did you ever get the Mach1?

This may be too late but I have had my Mach since new, just turned 18k on it and I have filled it up everytime I have put gas in it and have checked every thank for the MPG.

I even made up a spread sheet that I enter each fill up on and it calculates the MPG and overall agerage.

My overall average is 19.5, a best of 28+ and worst of 15+. I have never had it on a trip that I got to run the Interstates for a full tank either.

I am pleased with this though concidering my '07 6er's overall average was only 20+ in the 25k miles that I owned it. It did get several trips too and only bettered the Mach's best a couple times.