I have that same effect (whup-whup-whup) in mine and I have no moonroof. It only does it at certain speeds and with the windows open a certain way. If I open or close a window some it goes away. It actually hurts my ears when it does it. I think, like was said, it is caused by a pressure buildup in the vehicle - a rear hatch window that opened would eliminate that and increase FE too.

 

Driving the normal 55-65 MPH with the moon roof open I have no problem. It is only when I start to come to a stop that it distorts the music and rattles my brain around a bit. I will try cracking the window some today when I leave work.

Chad

 

Yeah, up at speed (55-65mph) it goes away for me as well. Its just in the 30-45mph range that it happens. The worst is at about 42. Interesting phenomenon. I had a vw jetta with a sunroof. It had a contraption on it that looked like a comb facing up that would pop up into the opening and prevented that whup-whup-whup noise.

 

Unlike any other car I've ever owned, the gas gauge in my FEH seems to go down FASTER at the beginning (close to full), and actually slow down as it gets closer to empty! Usually, it's been the opposite. Has anyone else noticed this? Maybe I'm just so used to gauges that seem to scoot through the last 1/4 tank in about 5 minutes that a more linear one SEEMS to be going slower; this time I'm going to try to record the actual mileage at 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 to confirm my perceptions.

As for the whup-whup-whup, I get that too, when one of the kids has a back window down, but not the other. So we have a rule: both windows down, or none. The same thing happens in my '02 Escape 6 cyl. (neither has a moonroof, much to my chagrin).

p.s. - I just finished my first tank over 32 mpg - 32.7 according to the calculation, though the gauge showed 33.4 when I filled up! I even had a highway trip in there. Boy, that was a good feeling. Now I have to see if I can keep it up... it seems no A/C, keeping my hubby out of the driver's seat, and trying to coast (e.g., to a stop sign or light, when I can see it coming), make the most difference, but I'm still experimenting.

 

It has something to do with shape of the gas tank. Everyone I've talk to that has the FEH and some other Ford small trucks says the same thing. The gage drops fast the first half of the tank. As I said in the thead below, the most gas you can get in at 3/4 of a tank is 2.5 gallons. If the gage was right for a 15 gallon tank, it would take around 3.75 gallons.

Now Chad went 150 miles with 3/4 still on his gage. If his gage is right on the 2006 FEH, he did'nt get 60 MPG, he got 40 MPG using 3.75 gallons in 150 miles.

At a half tank, I can put in about 5.9 gallons. Thats why I said if I'm at around 235 miles on my trip O, I'm still hypermilling at 40 MPG. I also factor a 1/2 gallon max that can be the most off between the gage and the topping off of the tank at last fill up.

Anyone else have different numbers or the same?

 

You're not the only one, it is a bit odd, especially after the Explorer was the complete opositte, with most of the milage in the first quarter tank. I was averaging about 240-280 miles a tank on my old '95 Explorer, with 120 or so miles in the first quarter tank.

It's also a bit odd to look at the miles to empty on the message center miles readout, the trip odometer, and the needle on the gas tank. I actually hit miles to empty and trip odometer being equal well past half a tank.


LOL, I got a big spike after getting my oil changed (as I said in a thread I've started), since then, I've been consitantly getting 32+ mpgs, even with minimal use of the air conditioner. 32.4, 32.7, and my current tank is reading 32.5; my display and calcuating it out are actually usually very close to each other.

I've found that following the two C's are good as well, coasting and cruising. Coast as much as you can, and get up to speed and cruise at that speed, with as little change as possible.