fuel consumption

01thunder

01thunder

New member
the truck is really getting bad gas usage. i used to go at least a week before fill ups, now i'm down to 4 days! my driving habits haven't changed, truck is well maintained and up to date, etc. i don't know what is going on! there is a constant smell of fuel while the truck is running. no leaks anywhere, but fuel cap when removed is wet under it. fuel cap is new OEM. there aren't any CEL's but i am thinking maybe the vapor canister is bad. i need to solve this problem asap.
 
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It's winter, most parts of the country get poor grades of gasoline for the winter months. It is very common to see fuel economy go down.
 
I get around 12-13 mpg, bigger tires and lots of gear... Leave my rig sitting at idle a lot for the temps and family.
I'm lucky to see 200 before I need a fill, it's going to cost a lot to try and get better mpg, I even thought of a motor swap, but it would be around 5 years before it would become cost effective to do anything drastic. For now a new o2 sensor, plugs, filter, cleaned throttle body & maf, lighter weight oil, ect will be the only thing to try, I wouldn't reccomend over inflating the tires but that helps too. I might just add another fuel cell to increase range, will do nothing for mpg.
 
01thunder said:
the truck is really getting bad gas usage. i used to go at least a week before fill ups, now i'm down to 4 days! my driving habits haven't changed, truck is well maintained and up to date, etc. i don't know what is going on! there is a constant smell of fuel while the truck is running. no leaks anywhere, but fuel cap when removed is wet under it. fuel cap is new OEM. there aren't any CEL's but i am thinking maybe the vapor canister is bad. i need to solve this problem asap.
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I think winter gas is the problem. Did the bad fuel mileage occur suddenly?
 
Robb235 said:
I think winter gas is the problem. Did the bad fuel mileage occur suddenly?
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this week. throughout the spring and summer i was going at least a week before fills. i filled up monday and this morning i had to fill again. 4 days? WTF!?:mad2:
 
01thunder said:
this week. throughout the spring and summer i was going at least a week before fills. i filled up monday and this morning i had to fill again. 4 days? WTF!?:mad2:
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I wouldn't worry about one tank of gas... It's happened to me where I get a tank and for whatever reason, it seems like I burn through it quicker than normal. Could be a bad batch of gas, or maybe your area just switched over to winter gas.
 
Robb235 said:
I wouldn't worry about one tank of gas... It's happened to me where I get a tank and for whatever reason, it seems like I burn through it quicker than normal. Could be a bad batch of gas, or maybe your area just switched over to winter gas.
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i do worry as that's 50+ a tank full a week well less now and i'm unemployed. money runs off quick! but the gas in the US just sucks! so much for high standards. i lived in PR for a while and i had a 4x4 trooper that i drove everyday/everywhere. i would fill for 60 or so and that lasted a week and a half minimum. the fuel down there doesn't have the shit the fuel here does. it smells more pure too.
 
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The 4Runner is not an economy car. It does okay on gas, for what it is. But a wagon body on a truck chassis, is not the formula to use if great fuel economy is your goal.

In your sig you list a lift too. A lift hurts the already poor aerodynamics further, reducing your MPG even more.

As already mentioned, colder ambient temps. and winter-blend gas also hurt MPG.
 
01thunder said:
i do worry as that's 50+ a tank full a week well less now and i'm unemployed. money runs off quick! but the gas in the US just sucks! so much for high standards. i lived in PR for a while and i had a 4x4 trooper that i drove everyday/everywhere. i would fill for 60 or so and that lasted a week and a half minimum. the fuel down there doesn't have the shit the fuel here does. it smells more pure too.
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Like I said... one tank isn't indicative of a problem. Even if you do get fewer miles out of several tanks, it's likely because of the switch to winter blend.
 
02SE said:
The 4Runner is not an economy car. It does okay on gas, for what it is. But a wagon body on a truck chassis, is not the formula to use if great fuel economy is your goal.

In your sig you list a lift too. A lift hurts the already poor aerodynamics further, reducing your MPG even more.

As already mentioned, colder ambient temps. and winter-blend gas also hurt MPG.
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well stated
 
My 4runner is currently used once a week about 2 miles round trip. Every trip I see the gauge is coming down! My guess is 10 MPG in the city. I did replace O2 sensor (pre-cat), spark plugs, wires and filters denso or TOYOTA and no improvement in the gas mileage. Wheels aligned, 29 PSI all around. No matter what, it is a gas guzzler.

I use my 4 cylinder Toyota Sprinter (aka Geo prizm) everyday! 26 MPG in the city and 36-40 highway. Bought the car for $500 in 07 with 177 K miles. I have only replaced CV's and radiator since then.

May be use your 4runner for leisure trips and buy a cheap corolla or something for everyday running. Or else go for a 4 cylinder 4runner.
 
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Man, IDk how guy guys can those kinds of numbers. My truck is stock all the maintenance done on it, and I never get above 240 mile out of a tank.
 
19963.4lsr5 said:
In my area winter fuel runs Nov 15th to march 15th
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Sorry, but it has nothing to do with your area but instead with when the EPA requires the refineries to switch their process due to pollution. They start switching back in early September and required to be switched by Sept 15. I am sure when your area starts receiving winter grade has more to do with when the summer grade has been consumed rather than a set time frame. You have most likely been pumping winter grade in your tank for at least a month depending on how busy the gas station you pump at is.

HowStuffWorks "Summer-grade versus Winter-grade Fuel"
 
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