On your idle, the idle screw is on the throttle body. There is a flat head screw facing the front of the engine. The more you turn the screw in, the lower our engine idle will go. Your idle should be around 600-750 RPM. Again, check your timing and also TDC

Fish Hunter, you are the man. Let me fill you in on some of these details.

Timing is one way I am leaning as well. I just didn't think it would start this well if the timing were off. Even at cold temps without the block heater it always starts around the 3rd crank. I'm guessing by TDC you mean top dead center. I assume there are markings on the pulleys to do this right? Or is it important to check that the engine is actually at TDC when that bottom pulley is lined up with the markings?

I have heard this, just having trouble getting ahold of a compression gauge with my work schedule. Hoping to get some of this done this weekend!

The reason I'm wary of the exhaust is that it was changed by one of the two previous owners, so not sure if it was done to OEM standards.

I haven't experienced any of the tell-tale head gasket signs I've seen around, but I'm not completely counting it out. Underneath the oil cap is completely clean and bone dry. The coolant level is stable and a bright green. The exhaust smells odd but more like fuel than the sweetness of coolant, also the smoke goes down once it warms up to normal winter levels. The temperature gauge goes up to the middle after 5-10 minutes and doesn't budge after that.

I need to look at the exhaust they put in there. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't even have a cat. Would the lack of back pressure from not having a cat affect fuel economy?

Yeah all the lights come on, the Rear ABS light goes off after a moment or two.

Is there a fast idle control on this vehicle? Is it never idling lower than 1000 potentially because it's below freezing out? It seems to start at around 1500 rpm and settle down to 1000 rpm once it has warmed up. But I've also read that people find their trucks idle at 1000 for the winter even after they've warmed up but go down to 750 or 800 once summer hits.

Appreciate all the help. Gonna get some wrenches turning soon so that I can start ruling things out.

Paul

Have you checked your Air Idle Control Valve (or Idle Air Control Valve)?

Sometimes they get plugged up and you have to clean it with something like gum out.

Top Dead Center.
Take off the Dist Cap and when the rotor is firing on the #1 cylinder, check the pulley to the timing marks....SB TDC

Aaahh my 91 5spd 3.0 (loaded with all my work tools, roughly 400lbs) got 16-18city. Sitting on 31x10.5x15 with the stock steel rims. Never could get better than 20highway though.

I have a 95 4Runner V-6 4WD with a 5-speed and 31x10.5's and regularly get ~300 miles per tank, which I equate to about 20 mpg. Doesn't seem to vary whether I'm driving city, highway, etc. I'm sure that isn't exact since I normally just divide the # of miles on my tripometer by the # of gallons I put back in the tank. I don't drive too aggressively, but not like a grandma either. Not sure if this is helpful or not, but just thought I'd add another reference.

Well, I have a 1990 4Runner with the 3.0 V6. 17-gallon tank. 5-speed. If I fill up, I can drive from here to the beach...210 miles...and still have a tad over 1/4 tank left. That's running 33x12.50-15 Dick Cepeks.

I don't really check the mileage any more, but that's about the same as I was getting when the truck was brand new. I'm not complaining.

Bought my 94 4runner V6 automatic with factory 31x10.5 Good Year Wranglers brand new in January 95. Drove it for normal city use and business related road trips, so had the chance to monitor mileage (divide odometer miles by gallons to fill) in real world use. On the highway, I was getting 19 to nearly 20, 16 to 17 around town. However, that was when I ran premium. When I ran regular gas, mileage dropped about 2 mpg or 10%. The factory sticker posted 16 mpg highway and noted that EPA reported mileage was as high as 19 and as low as 13 on the highway. Octane appears to make a 10% difference. For its generation, the 4runner compared very well to other SUVs.

im lucky if I get 8mpg! I know my engine is running rich (still not sure how to fix that) and im rolling with 33x12.5 tires which previously stated by others, kills your gas mileage. I still cant help but think there is no way im only getting an average of 6-7mpg.