Hi guys new to forums need advice to increase mpg.

Goes to show how any vehicle can lose mpg's when the engine hasn't reached it's normal operating temperature rendering it fuel and performance inefficient. :

Another good reason to keep the factory temp thermostat and not replace with a cooler one. The cooler one causes the engine to run richer and have more power and less MPG!
 
Mr. Leary - well said.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone but I don't believe anyone in this community is averaging better than 22 MPG over a full tank. Sorry but it just isn't so.

There are many reasons for thinking you are getting 24 MPG average and I don't want to say it is impossible but it is very very unlikely. A lot of people don't understand how to calculate gas mileage, which is pretty common and not a big misstep.

I regularly get 18 MPG combined city and highway. I have V6 3.4 1997 4x4 Limited. I have 3" lift with 275x70xR16 tires. I do not have a roof rack.
I am quite happy with the mileage and don't expect better than 20 MPG in any situation.


In fact the US government has updated MPG estimates for 3rd generation 4Runners listed at www. Fuel Economy .gov - they list the 4Runner as averaging 15 city / 18 highway.

"Based on 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, 15000 annual miles and the price of fuel used by the vehicle."


Conclusion if you are getting 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 MPG then you are well within the engineering specifications for these vehicles.

Sorry to go on a rant but I just saw another post where someone claimed to drive 450 miles on a single tank of gas with their 3rd gen and I got a little flustered.

I also saw one claiming "but my V8 Tahoe regularly gets 22 MPG" - LOL

:beer:
 
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Best I ever got was 29.2 coming back from Rifle, Colorado (live in Denver) When I traveled for work I tracked every tank for 40k miles and averaged 24-26mpg. that was all highway travel. Now that I work 1.2 miles from home I get maybe 10mpg. I usually only go 180-200 on a tank. Huge difference in the truck never warming up vs long 65mph highway drives.

This is a 4wd limited with stock size tires and only a drop in K&N

Good to know, could explain why my avg is so much worse then others on here . I do 75 percent city driving, and it includes a lot of stop / go with a good amount of small hills
 
I've also come to know how turning the engine off when you still see traces of water coming off the exhaust is not a good thing.....for reasons I can't fully back up!:biggrin2:

Well, it will sludge your engine. That's why you should change the oil more often if you do a lot of short trips.
 
Best I ever got was 29.2 coming back from Rifle, Colorado (live in Denver) When I traveled for work I tracked every tank for 40k miles and averaged 24-26mpg. that was all highway travel. Now that I work 1.2 miles from home I get maybe 10mpg. I usually only go 180-200 on a tank. Huge difference in the truck never warming up vs long 65mph highway drives.

This is a 4wd limited with stock size tires and only a drop in K&N

I agree 100%. There is something to be said for long sections of downhill highway contributing to great MPG...an advantage most don't consider.
 
YEP. When using a ScanGauge I bet if you reset the MPG setting while going downhill you will instantly start reading at 40 MPG until you get on flat ground again.
 
I'm managing about 260 miles per tank so far, but that's with a city highway driving split of 30/70 all and all seems to be fairly standard. I fully believe though I can get close to 500 kilometers to a tank, or 310 miles, out of my stock 3rd gen 4X4 If I drive like an absolut grandma. I'm working on achieving that on this tank actualy. I'm treating 2100 RPM like the redline so we shall see.
 

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