Bad gas mielage?

[Tango71]

Well after about a week of driving our new 4Runner I am getting pretty crappy mileage and want to make sure the rest of us are getting just as crappy mileage as I am or else I'll start thinking this is not normal. Problem is I am so used to our 2010 VW Golf TDI that can get 1200km's a tank on the highway.

So far I'm getting 400-450 km's a tank. The RPM while traveling 100kph(60mph) is 2500. Does this seem right? It would be nice to get at least 600 kilometers a tank on the highway.

I just finished changing all the oils including transmission/Tcase and Diffs. We'll see if this helps at all.

 

[michael833]

kilometers/miles per tank doesn't really mean anything. you have to break it down to kmpg/mpg.

the RPM seems a bit high... my truck runs a bit under 2000 RPM at 60mph, but i have 3.9 gears and bigger tires than what came stock. maybe someone else can help you with that one.

 

[Baja Runner]

There's a zillion threads on MPG but most people seem to get anywhere from 15-20 miles per gallon with mixed driving.

A few things to consider that aren't hard and may help your cause:

Run Seafoam through PCV valve
Clean Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF)
Clean Throttle Body
Replace Air Filter and Fuel Filter
Change Spark Plugs and Wires

If your really desperate, you can put in a a new upstream O2 sensor.

 

[A.Wilson013]

I am also at just under 2000 rpm at 60mph... What's your idle speed?

 

[CDN RUNNER]

That sounds about right. I get 450kms to a fill on 92octane. They are thirsty machines. 5w30 oil check the tire pressures and air filter. That about it.

 

[Tango71]

I am also at just under 2000 rpm at 60mph... What's your idle speed?

Is your truck a 5spd though? The automatic transmission yields a lower RPM at highway speed does it not? My truck is a 5spd but still, my old 5spd runner was never that high on the highway. Max I think was 2200 RPM.

Idle is about 700 I'd say. I will clean the throttle body, MAF and check the PCV valve tomorrow. Dont know if I can get seafoam anywhere locally in time for my trip out west though. I'd love to though.

I do plan to get a taller tires, going from the factory 31 to a 33 so we'll see if that helps.

 

[kingwilliam]

I think you got the usual mileage.

I own a '99 and got 500 kms on my last tank, but it was on "E" at 450. I've got a manual tranny and drive like a little old lady, rarely shifting past 2000 rpm while being careful not to lug it.

During winter, it's more like 400 kms max... even less than that if we get a lot of snow and I use 4wd a lot.

I looked up the fed fuel consumption rating, and if memory serves, it's 10 litres per 100kms for highway use, and 15 for city.

If you drove for a whole tank at 80-90 km/h, you might get 600. I've found faster speeds will make you suck up a lot more gas, which is true in any vehicle... but especially true in vehicles like the 4Runner, which have terrible aerodynamics

I think mine revs around 2300 at an indicated 100 km/h

With fuel prices hovering around $1.30 a litre and set to go up, you spend a lot on gas.... thankfully repairs are minimal on these cars!

 

[rebelbowtie]

Why can't you guys just convert kilometers per gallon? Or miles per gallon, I get 15mpg city and 17-19 highway depending on my speed. But I have a 4th gen v8 and 275/70 tires so I'd expect yours to be slightly better

 

[Tango71]

I think you got the usual mileage.

I own a '99 and got 500 kms on my last tank, but it was on "E" at 450. I've got a manual tranny and drive like a little old lady, rarely shifting past 2000 rpm while being careful not to lug it.

During winter, it's more like 400 kms max... even less than that if we get a lot of snow and I use 4wd a lot.

I looked up the fed fuel consumption rating, and if memory serves, it's 10 litres per 100kms for highway use, and 15 for city.

If you drove for a whole tank at 80-90 km/h, you might get 600. I've found faster speeds will make you suck up a lot more gas, which is true in any vehicle... but especially true in vehicles like the 4Runner, which have terrible aerodynamics

I think mine revs around 2300 at an indicated 100 km/h

With fuel prices hovering around $1.30 a litre and set to go up, you spend a lot on gas.... thankfully repairs are minimal on these cars!

Thank you. Now I'm not so worried. Plans are to get taller tires anyway so if indicated KPH is 90 @2000RPM I know I'm actually moving a bit faster. good enough for where I live.

I guess I shouldn't complain as I chose to get a 4runner. Gonna seafoam the fuel @ half tank and seafoam the oil as well. Probably put a bit in the vac hoses to get the gunk off the valves.

 

[Tango71]

Why can't you guys just convert kilometers per gallon? Or miles per gallon, I get 15mpg city and 17-19 highway depending on my speed. But I have a 4th gen v8 and 275/70 tires so I'd expect yours to be slightly better

Here in Canada it is much easier for us to go by liters as we buy gasoline by the liter. Its easier to fill up to full, drive 100km's and then fill up again and do the math to see how many liters we used up.

 

[iowajosh]

Here in Canada it is much easier for us to go by liters as we buy gasoline by the liter. Its easier to fill up to full, drive 100km's and then fill up again and do the math to see how many liters we used up.

Uhm, yeah. Its just that no one wants to do math to have a conversation with you.

 

[kingwilliam]

Why can't you guys just convert kilometers per gallon? Or miles per gallon, I get 15mpg city and 17-19 highway depending on my speed. But I have a 4th gen v8 and 275/70 tires so I'd expect yours to be slightly better

Dunno... some federal bureaucrat/scientist decided decades ago that "litres per 100 km" was a good idea. It's pretty eff'd up, if you ask me, but that's what we're used to seeing.

To make matters more complicated, we also use the British/imperial (or non-imperial, I can never remember) size for our gallons, which is 4.3 litres rather than the more common 3.8 litres.

 

[rebelbowtie]

Here in Canada it is much easier for us to go by liters as we buy gasoline by the liter. Its easier to fill up to full, drive 100km's and then fill up again and do the math to see how many liters we used up.

So I see you say 10 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers of driving. What does that come out too for the entire tank?

 

[rebelbowtie]

Dunno... some federal bureaucrat/scientist decided decades ago that "litres per 100 km" was a good idea. It's pretty eff'd up, if you ask me, but that's what we're used to seeing.

To make matters more complicated, we also use the British/imperial (or non-imperial, I can never remember) size for our gallons, which is 4.3 litres rather than the more common 3.8 litres.

I believe imperial gallon is te larger of the two.

 

[kingwilliam]

So I see you say 10 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers of driving. What does that come out too for the entire tank?

The best I've ever got is 12 litres per 100 kms. The government highway rating is 10 L/100km.

On a 60ish-litre fillup (15.8 gallons), that's 500ish kms (about 310 miles), or just shy of 20 miles per gallon. That's about the best these 4Runners can do.

Not bad for my mostly city driving. But I have to drive super slow to achieve those numbers.

Winter (cold weather, snow, 4wd) sees me using about 15 litres per 100 kms, even when I drive gently.

I've considered buying something more fuel efficient, but I'd still need a biggish vehicle to fit my drums, so maybe I'd use 2/3 the gas that my 4Runner uses. For me, that means I'd save about $1000 a year in gas. That's pretty good, but not good enough... It wouldn't really be worth it to sell my 4Runner ($6K?), spend another $3-$4K to buy something half-decent, only to save $1000 a year. I'd have to drive 3-4 years just to break even, and one good repair bill from a less-reliable car would wipe out those savings. Fuel economy alone isn't reason enough to sell the 4Runner... and I'd miss it anyway!

 

[rebelbowtie]

The best I've ever got is 12 litres per 100 kms. The government highway rating is 10 L/100km.

On a 60ish-litre fillup (15.8 gallons), that's 500ish kms (about 310 miles), or just shy of 20 miles per gallon. That's about the best these 4Runners can do.

Not bad for my mostly city driving. But I have to drive super slow to achieve those numbers.

Winter (cold weather, snow, 4wd) sees me using about 15 litres per 100 kms, even when I drive gently.

I've considered buying something more fuel efficient, but I'd still need a biggish vehicle to fit my drums, so maybe I'd use 2/3 the gas that my 4Runner uses. For me, that means I'd save about $1000 a year in gas. That's pretty good, but not good enough... It wouldn't really be worth it to sell my 4Runner ($6K?), spend another $3-$4K to buy something half-decent, only to save $1000 a year. I'd have to drive 3-4 years just to break even, and one good repair bill from a less-reliable car would wipe out those savings. Fuel economy alone isn't reason enough to sell the 4Runner... and I'd miss it anyway!

Thanks for the conversion, 20mpg is very respectable IMO, I don't think you will be able to find a vehicle large enough in your price range that gets enough fuel economy to off set purchasing a new vehicle. That's my opinion though

 

[kingwilliam]

Thanks for the conversion, 20mpg is very respectable IMO, I don't think you will be able to find a vehicle large enough in your price range that gets enough fuel economy to off set purchasing a new vehicle. That's my opinion though

Yup, totally agree... will keep the 4Runner until I "need" something different or it dies... and with only 125,000 kms (78,500 miles) on it, it'll keep going for another 10 years! I've had it for almost 3 years and it's been so reliable.

 

[Nunyabiz]

These are very reliable engines however at best the gas mileage is absolutely horrible for a 6 cylinder with less than 200hp and a fairly light SUV if compared to newer engines/SUVs today.

I mean really a freaking older Humvee with a 6.2L 400HP V8 that weighs about a TON more what our 4Runners do (6,600lbs) get only 1-2mpg less than I do.
and a H3 Hummer gets 14mpg city and 18hwy and weighs 6000lbs with 60 more HP than our 3.4L.

I get basically 12.8mpg average doing 95% city with a 10% ethanol gas.
I might get 19mpg hwy.

For a V6 3.4L today that would be atrocious gas mileage.

New 4Runners with a 4.0L get 17city 22hwy with 270hp.

Great trucks, great 4X4 ability, very reliable, looks great, just sucks on gas mileage no matter what you do unless you change the engine to a turbo diesel.
We should all be running around in fully electric 4Runners today burning zero gas and pulling up to work, grocery store, mall, virtually everywhere and plugging into a free charge station that runs on solar.
But sadly Oil Companies own Washington so until the very last drop of oil is drained or until people wise up that isn't going to happen in our life times.

 

[Drcoffee]

Nunyabiz,

What kind of spark plugs are you running?

 

[iowajosh]

The 3.4 is awesome compared to the 3.0. Actually, it was one heck of a step forward.

Of course new cars get better mpg.