JayRolla
New member
You want that sediment to stay there. Going to full empty is bad because it clogs the filter and sock. You want to run to about 1/8th of tank and fill.
Average Miles per TANK/Average Gallons per TANK
- Thread starter infamousRNR
- Start date
You want that sediment to stay there. Going to full empty is bad because it clogs the filter and sock. You want to run to about 1/8th of tank and fill.
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
There aren't really any "hidden secrets" when it comes to gas mileage for these 4Runners. I had more success bumping up my MPG's on the previous 2nd Gen 4Runners and Pickups than the newer 3rd Gens. I bumped up my 2nd Gen up by about 20%, but that was an OBD-I vehicle so you had more things you could play with without throwing a CEL.
From the factory they are rated 19 MPG's Highway, 16 MPG's city. For those that are stock height and tires, that's about the best you will see. Thats about 342 miles of mostly highway miles if you ran it completely empty. You won't find anyone posting higher numbers than that. I've had a 21 MPG tank once (see my fuelly post on first page) but it was a fluke thing, drive to Nevada going 50ish MPH over the pass since it was snowing. I had 330 miles on less than 16 gallons.
I added a high-flow muffler, deckplate mod, synthetic oil at recommended hot weather weight, all for a net gain of 0 MPGs. If there's a airflow restriction on these 4Runners hindering gas mileage it's in something I can't touch due to CARB regulations. Maybe the downpipe, headers or the cat for those of you who don't have those restrictions.
Gas weight has little effect on the MPG's. It's not as heavy as you might think. Having your wife in the car has a bigger affect on MPG's than how much gas weight is in the tank, which is still negligible.
From the factory they are rated 19 MPG's Highway, 16 MPG's city. For those that are stock height and tires, that's about the best you will see. Thats about 342 miles of mostly highway miles if you ran it completely empty. You won't find anyone posting higher numbers than that. I've had a 21 MPG tank once (see my fuelly post on first page) but it was a fluke thing, drive to Nevada going 50ish MPH over the pass since it was snowing. I had 330 miles on less than 16 gallons.
I added a high-flow muffler, deckplate mod, synthetic oil at recommended hot weather weight, all for a net gain of 0 MPGs. If there's a airflow restriction on these 4Runners hindering gas mileage it's in something I can't touch due to CARB regulations. Maybe the downpipe, headers or the cat for those of you who don't have those restrictions.
Gas weight has little effect on the MPG's. It's not as heavy as you might think. Having your wife in the car has a bigger affect on MPG's than how much gas weight is in the tank, which is still negligible.
jeremyc74
Banned
I think most people would be shocked by how clean the inside of the tanks actually are. I pulled the pump on my RV and there was nothing in there at all, and that's after 30 years, and TONS of fill ups (it only gets about 14MPG) The sock was a little discolored, but completely clear.
Gas stations these days are doing a pretty good job of keeping stuff from getting into our tanks. :focus:
JeepKiller
New member
I know you're not supposed to go completely dry, but why is it that leaving sediment is a good thing? I've heard the same thing about transmission fluid. I've never quite understood why that could possibly help rather than a clean tank like from the factory.
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
Transmissions are a lot different, that "sediment" is actually metal shavings that if kicked up, will re-enter the transmission and cause more damage and more shavings. You can see how that will cause a quick down-hill spiral of your transmission. That's also why there's always a magnet at the bottom to help filter those out. Also why a lot of shops will NOT do transmission flushes, since it does not remove the shavings before stirring up the fluid. A drain and fill does remove them first and is the best way to extend the life of the transmission.
Gas tanks don't have that issue. Unless you've had water in your system or really old dirty gas, there's not going to be much sediment in there. Most sediment will clog the fuel filter if you have a problem, also much easier to see than dropping the gas tank. If you've replaced the filter and didn't see anything awful (mine was just a little black, normal) then don't worry about sediment in the tank.
JeepKiller
New member
Not really worried I've just always done it sort of as a preventative measure. Thanks for the clarification no ones ever said it was metal I've always been told it's just sediment and gunk that's "holding the transmission together"
JayRolla
New member
Its gas. Have you seen anything it dont clean out. That being said I have been inside many tanks and they where all clean. But as general rule of thumb you should not always run empty.
That being said I run my truck empty every week. LOL.
JayRolla
New member
There could be a chance if a vehicle had lots of sediment and you run it dry that it could cause an issue.
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
I know huh? I've used gasoline to remove some pretty nasty adhesives off my skin (don't tell my wife). Works great if you're out camping and get sap on yourself too. That and mayonaise.
Wait a second... if mayo and gas both have similar cleaning properties, can my 4Runner run on mayo as well as gas??? Off to the store to buy a 10 gallon vat of mayo! Wish me luck!
JeepKiller
New member
Probably not but it can run on moonshine. That's just some expensive gas though :lol:
Scramble
New member
Not if you've owned it since new. I've been running it to E & filling up since 1999. I changed the original fuel filter about 9000 miles ago & it was pretty clean.
I was getting around 315 miles on a full tank, 18.5 mpg with 265/70R17's
Now with the lift, armor & 33's I'm getting around 280 miles & 16mpg.
A.Wilson013
New member
I used to get that too! Haha...
I now fill up around 200 miles. Usually only takes 14 gallons or so, but at that point my fuel light has been on for awhile. I get nervous.
I filled up w/ ethanol free 94 octane on Sunday and drove from Squamish, BC to Seattle. In BC the speed limit was 60ish so I got great mileage. Back in the US I was cruising at 70ish mph which really kills my mileage.
Filled up last night at 209.83 miles (corrected from 196.1 miles) and used 13.4 gallons of fuel. My fuel light had just turned on.
I put 16.5 gallons in my tank once when Crater Lake didn't sell premium. I drove from Crater Lake to Chemult, OR (67ish miles) with my fuel light on the whole way. I did have my gas can with me, so I wasn't tooooo worried, but I did get a little uneasy on some of the long, steep grades.
JayRolla
New member
You are right but normally they are always clean.
The sediment builds over time. But again usually the sock is above where it can suck the sediment in anyways. I just dont think its the best idea to run them empty even though I do it all the time. LOL.
I guess I fall pretty close to everyone else. I really don't know where empty is. I typically filly up around 230 miles and always takes about 14.x gallons. Road trip this past weekend yielded me about 20.5 gallons scooting at 55-60mph. On the way home, I took the interstate where the speed limit was about 70mph the whole way. Dropped to 18mpg.
MN4runnerman
Senior Member
If I drive around the speed limit 55-60 then yeah I get pretty good gas mileage on a small lift with 32" AT3's around 19-20mpg but I typically drive 75-80 so I get on average 17-18. When I go to my cabin which is a bit more than 200 miles round trip I usually have a bit less than 1/4 tank.
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RockyCanuck
New member
About the same here with my 1996 Hilux Surf V6 400 Km a tank. Use gas from Petro Canada --no ethanol
oesterj1195
New member
I get around 300 miles per tank, but the weird thing is that I have a 23 gallon tank and even when it's on Empty I can only put about 17-18 gallons in. Don't know why I need a 5 gallon buffer. Maybe two or three would work.
