Another MPG thread

A

arracado

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I've averaged out the MPG on my last few tanks, and if it's purely in-town driving, I'm just over 14MPG, incorporate some freeway driving and it maybe gets up to around 16MPG. I changed the plugs last week but the old ones weren't in terrible shape or anything. I ran a fuel system treatment through it a few weeks ago. Neither of these made an iota of difference. I know there are other things I can do, like plug wires, Seafoam, but I'm beginning to wonder if it is what it is, and I should just figure 14MPG is about right for this vehicle. Which would be disappointing...I was under the impression these got around 17 city, 20-21 highway.

Add to this the fact that my fuel gauge is off and it's just kinda painful to drive. I'm constantly watching the gas gauge. Last night I filled up after going 209 miles and driving with the light on for a good ways, and it took just under 15 gallons. After I filled it, the gauge was over full...I've driven 12 whole miles and it's already dropped under the full line.:mad:
 
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Change the air filter, clean the MAF sensor and clean the throttle body. Although i did all these things and more, and even before that stuff my 4runner has always been capable of 21mpg, it was the way i drove that stopped me from always getting it. So this could boil down to "it's not what you drive, it's how you drive it"- Jeremy Clarkson

P.S. I do mostly backroads and country routes.
 
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I average 280 miles a tank, which equates to about 18.5-19.0 MPG.

Check your tire pressure and air filter. Easy things to check/maintain that can go a long way. 14MPG is definitely not where you should be stock. 14MPG is where most people are running 33's and huge bumpers. :)
 
durrell said:
I average 280 miles a tank, which equates to about 18.5-19.0 MPG.

Check your tire pressure and air filter. Easy things to check/maintain that can go a long way. 14MPG is definitely not where you should be stock. 14MPG is where most people are running 33's and huge bumpers. :)
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It is either he is flooring it all the time or he has basically everything off of factory spec because i had like 25 psi in each tire a completley clogged air filter and backwards fuel filter, a dirty throttle body and misfiring spark plugs at one point and still pulled off 19mpg's.
 
You should probably try cleaning your throttle body, IAC, and MAF sensor (like John said) if you haven't already. If that doesn't help, you may want to consider this:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...ning-horrible-but-not-any-more-hopefully.html
It helped me a ton, but I will warn you it's not a short read. I had engine problems as well as really bad MPGs (~10 combined) and this did the trick. I get ~16 combined now, but I also have 33.5" tires, 4" of lift, and 4.88 gears so that's pretty good considering. If you're stock you should be getting more mpgs than you are.
 
JohnsD90 said:
It is either he is flooring it all the time or he has basically everything off of factory spec because i had like 25 psi in each tire a completley clogged air filter and backwards fuel filter, a dirty throttle body and misfiring spark plugs at one point and still pulled off 19mpg's.
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Right. I know I had terrible tires all running low pressure and old plugs with a clogged filter and I got 17. But new tires, plugs, and filter got me up to 19.
 
Forgot to mention I did clean the MAF last week as well. This 4Runner is pretty much stock. 155k miles, as I said it runs great. It has 265/70/16 tires on it, I've got them all at 36psi. As for how I drive, I'm pretty gentle with it...
 
The tires are gonna need replacing soon too, so there's that. But I'm going to ask my mechanic about the MotorVac treatment.
 
do what john said. i donno if its summer gasoline without the ethanol or what..but since spring..i've been running 280 miles to the tank..whereas i use to run 230..and that was pushing it..i could probally push 300 if i drove only hwy going only 65. also, i also been pumping only Chevron and BP lately. even threw in a bottle of that chevron fuel injector cleaner thingy that sells for 7 bucks

i know ur not suppose to compare it by miles to the tank..but if your comparing your own rig's previous trips and all..its ok.

tire pressure..balanced tires. windows up on the freeway..spark plugs, wires, clean air filter, clean TB clean MAF. correct tire sizes (265/70/16), fuel filter are all simple examples EVERYONE should do to increase mpg and hopefully have a longer lasting car
 
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Just to avoid confusion, stock tire size is 225/75R15 or 265/70R16. The small loss in mpgs by going to a 265/75R16 tire is well worth it for looks and off road capability IMO. Any bigger though and it will affect mpgs and you'll need a lift anyways.
 
Just got back from Moab this weekend. I averaged 24 mpg there and 21.5 mpg back. I'm all stock with 145K miles. You should definitely be getting better mileage.
 
i too am curious i took a 1100 mile round trip a few weekends ago and i averaged about 21mpg there and back on the highway and doing about 70-80mph the most i got from one tank was 335 miles i believe

i am all stock minus 265/75/16 BFG's

now back home driving to and from work 6 miles each way and some around town i am getting just over 225 a tank i have not calculated MPG but i know its much lower then the highway trip i took.

i guess i will do fuel filter , air filter clean the MAF, and Throttle body

then plugs, and wires

around the town driving is killing the mileage and im driving it hard ( IE mashing the pedal)

anything else i should do ?
 
I can get 21 on the highway but my norm around town is 15-17 which ends up being about 220-250 a tank so a 60-70 mile per tank drop isn't out of the ordinary. My fillups usually end up being between 15-16 gallons.
 
For strictly city driving, 14 - 15.5 is about what I'm getting.

You guys who are getting 16 - 18 in the city: Are you running 5 speeds? I think that makes a huge difference. My '04 Tacoma with the same 3.4 as the 4runner, with a 5 speed, could regularly get 16 - 17 in the city, so I'm laying the blame for my poor mileage squarely on the slushbox.

The other issue is rear end ratios. As I understand it, the trucks with lockers have lower gear ratios (4.3 vs 4.1.) I don't know if that's true, but other things being equal a vehicle with a lower ratio is going to get worse MPGs. Mine has both the auto and the rear locker so I may have a low ratio, too, which could also explain the MPG difference with my Taco (which was not a TRD and did not have the locker.)
 
salvaged said:
i too am curious i took a 1100 mile round trip a few weekends ago and i averaged about 21mpg there and back on the highway and doing about 70-80mph the most i got from one tank was 335 miles i believe

i am all stock minus 265/75/16 BFG's

now back home driving to and from work 6 miles each way and some around town i am getting just over 225 a tank i have not calculated MPG but i know its much lower then the highway trip i took.

i guess i will do fuel filter , air filter clean the MAF, and Throttle body

then plugs, and wires

around the town driving is killing the mileage and im driving it hard ( IE mashing the pedal)

anything else i should do ?
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I am getting about the same as you. I only drive 2 miles to work so my MPG is around 16-17 or so most of the time. Highway I think I get about 21 or so. My next thing to do will be clean the air filter and MAF and TB, hoping to squeeze a bit more of it it then.
 
I don't know how this is possible, but i've been getting 1-2 mpg better by driving with the ECT on! I've often heard people saying this but never believed it. Well after three tank fills im a believer, and it's not going off anytime soon.

Speaking of this anyone know why you could possibly get better mileage with ECT on?
 
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