Gas Milage help!!!!!!

[airdreams1]

I need some Help!!!!!!!!!

89 4Runner specs:
re-man 3.0 V6,
re-man injectors,
new plugs,
new wires,
new cap/rotor,
new air filter,
new fuel filter,
new muffler,
timming set @ 10 BTDC,
31x10.5 15 tires @ 32 psi
stock gearing....
(no real extra load inside, just a small tool bag, & some fishing gear + daughters car seat.)

been driving the runner around this summer still fixing things. finally filled the tank & drove it till empty. (mostly back highway driving & maybe 30 miles in town)............................
Im getting just under 12 mpg!!!!!!!!! WTF what the is wrong??????

If i cant get it to do any better than that, Ill have to sell it!

 

[mikekfr]

Jack each tire up and spin it in neutral, to see if you're getting any brake resistance. That'd be 1 angle, had an alignment recently? at all?. How long has it been since you replaced the trans. filter/fluid? I'm no mechanic but those are some areas i'd look at.....also, air pressure in tires. Let us know what you find out.

 

[airdreams1]

No brake drag......
32 PSI in the tires.....
its a 5 speed maual trans with new valvoline & lucas oil
& its been in 2 wheel drive (removed the auto locking hubs & replaced with manual locking warn hubs set to 2x4)
the alignment was done in back in 2013... (motor blew in summer 2013 & sat till I got it rebuilt. & ive put on about 1400 miles)

 

[BaseRunner]

I know it's gonna sound weird, but try setting your tire pressure at 40-44 Psi. That should give you some mileage upgrade and some acceleration and speed back.

 

[wallytoo]

gas mileage depends on a lot of things, many of which you don't detail in your post. one tank is not enough to determine what your mileage is, either, it needs to be averaged out over many fill-ups (at least 10 to 12).

speed plays a role. you want to go 70 to 75 or faster, you ain't getting 20 mpg with that runner. i drive mine at 60, rpms sit at 2700 to 2800, and i have been getting right about 21.2 mpg over the last 1.5 years. the v-6 doesn't get the mpg that the 22re does, either.

the manual/auto hubs won't make a difference in these. the front cv axle isn't turning in 2wd, and thus there is no drag from the front driveline. mine still has the auto hubs.

any lift (which will rob mileage), or stock height? roof rack?

i carry about 300 lbs of "stuff" in mine all the time, and get decent mpg.

 

[Scalded_Dawg]

the manual/auto hubs won't make a difference in these. the front cv axle isn't turning in 2wd, and thus there is no drag from the front driveline. mine still has the auto hubs.

Edit: Removed incorrect data regarding auto hubs. I missed the 1st gen part of OP. Sorry for the confusion.

:focus:
Back to the MPG questions:
- As mentioned above, driving style. Control of the tall skinny pedal is a HUGE factor.
- The 3VZE is certainly not known for great mileage. All the power of a 4cyl AND the MPGs of a V8 - What more could you want?
- You only have 1400 mies on a rebuilt engine? It could still be "breaking in" and causing some of your low MPGs. Give it some more time and keep tracking MPG as stated above.
- Engine tune - Double check your timing, idle/air and TB settings. Refer to the FSM and start from scratch. Get it all set, give it a couple tanks and then try tweaking it some. You may find it gets better with the timing up around 12-13 BTDC.
- Check my build thread for the 7MGE Volume Air Flow Meter swap -- takes a bit of tuning to get this right. A warning though, this will improve throttle response and overall "gitty-up". So if you have problems (like I do) with skinny pedal control, this will not help... at all; but it sure makes it fun to drive!

Good Luck!

 

[airdreams1]

No roof rack, No lift, & Ive been keeping it under 60 mph. & rpm's under 3k 99% of the time.

Oh I do have smittybilt front & rear bumpers. so they add a bit of weight.

I beg to differ on the hub comments above... with the ADD system you are still spinning the C/Vs, the front diff and the front drive shaft... Finally stopping the rotating mass at the x-fer case (look at the FSM diagrams).
By replacing the basically "all the time" locked hubs of ADD, with manual hubs you greatly reduce rotating mass of the entire front drive system by ending rotation at the hub.
Does this make a huge improvement on MPGs?..... probably not drastic but it can help and every little bit helps. More so however, it reduces drag and wear on the front drive line system.

:focus:
Back to the MPG questions:
- As mentioned above, driving style. Control of the tall skinny pedal is a HUGE factor.
- The 3VZE is certainly not known for great mileage. All the power of a 4cyl AND the MPGs of a V8 - What more could you want?
- You only have 1400 mies on a rebuilt engine? It could still be "breaking in" and causing some of your low MPGs. Give it some more time and keep tracking MPG as stated above.
- Engine tune - Double check your timing, idle/air and TB settings. Refer to the FSM and start from scratch. Get it all set, give it a couple tanks and then try tweaking it some. You may find it gets better with the timing up around 12-13 BTDC.
- Check my build thread for the 7MGE Volume Air Flow Meter swap -- takes a bit of tuning to get this right. A warning though, this will improve throttle response and overall "gitty-up". So if you have problems (like I do) with skinny pedal control, this will not help... at all; but it sure makes it fun to drive!

Good Luck!

yes the manual hubs help exactly like you said.

I do have the 7mge VAMF (just need to get the other parts to put it on.

 

[91'4bee]

I beg to differ on the hub comments above... with the ADD system you are still spinning the C/Vs, the front diff and the front drive shaft... Finally stopping the rotating mass at the x-fer case (look at the FSM diagrams).
By replacing the basically "all the time" locked hubs of ADD, with manual hubs you greatly reduce rotating mass of the entire front drive system by ending rotation at the hub.
Does this make a huge improvement on MPGs?..... probably not drastic but it can help and every little bit helps. More so however, it reduces drag and wear on the front drive line system.

I am not trying to start a interweb war (or hijack the thread) but the ADD hubs dont spin the front drive shaft in 2wd. If the truck is in 2wd and you go underneath you can spin the front drive shaft freely. Now I would agree with you though that the CV axles are turning when the wheel turns because when you jack up one side and spin the wheel the CV turns too but not the front drive shaft. So really swapping hubs is just a matter of preference and, if you dont use 4wd a lot, consider doing just to save wear and tear on front axle. (I am considering it because of some binding/grinding issues)

OP, That Gas mileage is poor but not as bad as I have seen. I had at one point 9 mpg. But I think, as said before, pump those tires up to 40psi. Its what I do. Gotta get as much mpg as possible :whoo: And as scalded_dawg said our V6 never had good mpg but a good tune will help in power and efficiency.

How is the acceleration? Idle? Maybe a vacuum leak somewhere?

Hope this helps

 

[wallytoo]

I beg to differ on the hub comments above... with the ADD system you are still spinning the C/Vs, the front diff and the front drive shaft... Finally stopping the rotating mass at the x-fer case (look at the FSM diagrams).
By replacing the basically "all the time" locked hubs of ADD, with manual hubs you greatly reduce rotating mass of the entire front drive system by ending rotation at the hub.
Does this make a huge improvement on MPGs?..... probably not drastic but it can help and every little bit helps. More so however, it reduces drag and wear on the front drive line system.

:focus:
Back to the MPG questions:
- As mentioned above, driving style. Control of the tall skinny pedal is a HUGE factor.
- The 3VZE is certainly not known for great mileage. All the power of a 4cyl AND the MPGs of a V8 - What more could you want?
- You only have 1400 mies on a rebuilt engine? It could still be "breaking in" and causing some of your low MPGs. Give it some more time and keep tracking MPG as stated above.
- Engine tune - Double check your timing, idle/air and TB settings. Refer to the FSM and start from scratch. Get it all set, give it a couple tanks and then try tweaking it some. You may find it gets better with the timing up around 12-13 BTDC.
- Check my build thread for the 7MGE Volume Air Flow Meter swap -- takes a bit of tuning to get this right. A warning though, this will improve throttle response and overall "gitty-up". So if you have problems (like I do) with skinny pedal control, this will not help... at all; but it sure makes it fun to drive!

Good Luck!

beg to differ all you want. the autohubs on the 1st gens are not ADD, and the driveline does not rotate unless the transfer case has been placed in 4wd hi or lo. the ADD applies to later 4runners. the CV stub shafts do not rotate in 2wd, either (for the 1st gen). you might want to review the FSM drawings as far as the 1st gen goes, which did not have ADD system, the automatic hub is not an ADD system.

wally

 

[airdreams1]

shouldn't be any vacuum leaks as it has all new silicone vacuum hoses.... idles/runs fine.....



as for the auto hubs, changing to manual made a difference in my 89 SR5 PU..... So I assumed it would work the same on the 89 4Runner as well.

 

[Scalded_Dawg]

(for the 1st gen). you might want to review the FSM drawings as far as the 1st gen goes, which did not have ADD system, the automatic hub is not an ADD system.

wally

My bad. I missed the part about this being a 1st gen.

Forget the entire first part of my post.

 

[airdreams1]

My 89 extended cab SR5 3.0 4x4 PU got 20+ on the free way @ 70 to 75 ish mph..... (@ 55 mph you get your best mpg) it had 31x10.50 15 tires, double tube roll bar w/ KC lights, tube steps, brush guard.

I figure this thing should get fairly close....

 

[91'4bee]

If it makes you feel any better I just filled up; it was the first tank of "regular" gas because of no ignition tune, and because of the cold weather and snow (lengthly warm up periods and car never getting to optimum temp cause of short driving periods) I got a whopping 11.5 MPG from 16 MPG on the last tank!

But heck I am still the DK in the snow!! (which probably doesn't help... )

 

[carlitosway368]

Does this help?

Gas Mileage of 1989 Vehicles by Toyota

 

[fourwd1]

In my area gasoline suppliers switch to a cold weather formula gasoline, which doesn't get as good mpg as the warm weather blend. May be the same where you are.