MPG on your 3rd Gen?

[clarkie470]

Hey everyone I'm a newbie and just joined up and got a 2000 Limited 3.4. I just emptied the first tank and it took me approx 250 miles with the needle pretty much at empty (this is driving approx 55-60mph to work all highway). But when I went to fill er up again it read with only 14.8 gallons put in when the tank is 18.5 gallons. Are gen 3 fuel gauges off or am I just re****ed? Any ways at increasing fuel mileage on the 4runners? Thanks for the help all!!!

Used to have a pathy and it would get me around 340miles per tank and it was the same size tank I believe!

 

[PitbullRescuer]

Gas gauges are notoriously bad in these. However, may gas light came on today, 244 miles, filled it up and it took 15.6 gallons. OUCH! Mileage in these isn't great, if you're averaging 18+ you're on of the lucky ones. General tune up: plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, PCV and O2 sensor will keep you running as efficient as you can though.

 

[tbst]

I get about 17.5 highway and city mix.

 

[spoiler900]

I always fill up and go to empty, clock my mileage, and calculate my MPGS every time i fill up. Coming from a 99 limited 4X4, i usually get between 16-21

 

[BrianSD_42]

everytime someone starts another one of these threads a 4Runner dies.

 

[maxspeed96ct]

Lol good one brian.


The max you will fit is 15gal even though the tank is a little bigger then that due to the fill neck design . But yes if your averaging 17-18 mpg your doing ok.

I know there's a few guys that claim 25 and bazaar numbers like that, but that's only on cross country all highway non-stop road trips . Or guys drive 50mph on the highway without any stop and go in their route.

Enjoy your new 4runner, the reliably makes up for the fuel mileage.

 

[potomacduck]

I keep fuel records for every fillup (I know I'm a geek).

In the summer I average about 18.5 sometime as high as 19 or 20 (highway only).

In the winter I average about 16.5 to 17 mpg because of government mandated winter blend fuels.

Isn't it great? The govt is saving the world from our vehicles by making them burn more gasoline...........

.

 

[Kung]

It really depends on conditions. (A LOT of conditions.)

When I towed a 12 foot trailer with a mattress and 2 bikes on it (as in pedal bikes, not motorcycles) behind a fully loaded 4Runner, across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, I was getting between 19 and 21 MPG. Even in West Virginia, stuffed chock full of hills, I STILL got around 15 or 16.

I'd say average, from what I've seen, is around 17MPG. I go solely by how many miles I have gone on my odometer, divided by the # of gallons I put in to fill it up.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I keep fuel records for every fillup (I know I'm a geek).

I see your geekery and raise you one: Not only do I keep a notebook with all my fuel-ups, I keep track of it online at Fuelly | Share and Compare Your MPG.

everytime someone starts another one of these threads a 4Runner dies.

No kidding. How long has it been since we've had a "My MPG sucks" thread. 5 minutes? Ten? :redbrick:

 

[awdjunkies]

Lol good one brian.


The max you will fit is 15gal even though the tank is a little bigger then that due to the fill neck design . But yes if your averaging 17-18 mpg your doing ok.

I know there's a few guys that claim 25 and bazaar numbers like that, but that's only on cross country all highway non-stop road trips . Or guys drive 50mph on the highway without any stop and go in their route.

Enjoy your new 4runner, the reliably makes up for the fuel mileage.

Better words of wisdom have not seen my eyes......................... At least not today.... :thanks:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Lol good one brian.


The max you will fit is 15gal even though the tank is a little bigger then that due to the fill neck design . But yes if your averaging 17-18 mpg your doing ok.

I put 17.7 gallons in my 4runner last Sunday. :

 

[9lb taco]

I put 17.7 gallons in my 4runner last Sunday. :

I was sweating bullets on alligator alley (no gas stations for 40+ stretches), it was my first long trip in the 4r, first time on that road. I'll never make that mistake again, but I did make it to a gas station.

Filled up with 18.098 gallons at 336 miles. The light was on for a while..

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Ok,for the umpteenth time the 4Runner fuel tank is 18 gallons or so but there is a little over a gallon of unuseable fuel due to the fact that the fuel pump doesn't sit on the very bottom of the tank and most people fillup their 3rd gens with between 15-16 gallons of fuel.


Martinjmpr.you say you filled up with 17.7 gallons. How many clicks past "full" are you going since if you are squeezing every bit into the tank as possible then you are most likely overfilling it and will eventually kill your evaporative purge system.
I never fill past one or two clicks and never fill gas up into the filler neck since there will be no room for the fuel to expand a little when it gets warm and thus causing high pressures in your fuel system forcing fuel to saturate your charcoal canister.

I've driven on "E" for what seemed like a while and even with me pushing it I only filled up with a little over 16 gallons but my average fillup usually is 15-15.5 gallons.

 

[9lb taco]

^ I have always only filled up with a max of low 16gal, most often is 15gal.
I wait 5 seconds after one click and stop at the 2nd click. In my experience this is generally how much fuel the tank takes when the light has been on for ~10 miles

The 18.098gal was a fluke and my fault for letting it get so low. But I used the same fill up process as always. I'm not saying anyone should try to run their tank dry to do the same thing. I was convinced for about 20miles that I would be walking, but lucky for me it just kept going. I wasn't proud of it (still not) and the last thing I cared about was trying to pretend I could put more gas in my truck than anyone else could or what it's designed for.

:nerd:

 

[econhonda]

I used to get 19 mpg, but since moving I have been getting closer to 17mpg on average. After replacing plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, cleaning MAF I haven't seen an increase. I figured out that the station I used to fill up at didn't have ethanol, but all of the stations around me now do. I've read that usually that alone will account for a 2mpg decrease, so that's my theory.

 

[potomacduck]

I used to get 19 mpg, but since moving I have been getting closer to 17mpg on average. After replacing plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, cleaning MAF I haven't seen an increase. I figured out that the station I used to fill up at didn't have ethanol, but all of the stations around me now do. I've read that usually that alone will account for a 2mpg decrease, so that's my theory.

That's pretty close to correct. The enviro-whacko in their insistance for us to burn "cleaner" fuel have forced us to burn 10% more fuel to conform to their vision of a better world.

.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Martinjmpr.you say you filled up with 17.7 gallons. How many clicks past "full" are you going

Two clicks every time. I'm using an ultra-gauge that gives me a pretty accurate distance-to-empty so I keep running it long after the low fuel light comes on.

since if you are squeezing every bit into the tank as possible then you are most likely overfilling it and will eventually kill your evaporative purge system.

Okay, I gotta call BS here. I have seen this statement many, many, many times on this forum, just as I have the warnings about the "pink milkshake" on the auto tranny and LBJ failures.

The difference is that we have had actual reports of people getting the "pink milkshake" and lunching their transmissions or experiencing LBJ failures on the road.

OTOH, has anyone here ever reported damaging the fuel filter or charcoal caniser or whatever? Again and again I see people warning that it might happen, but I have yet to see anyone actually report that it did happen.

I can understand being careful and not damaging your system, but it seems to me that with all the 3rd gen 4runners out there on this forum and on others I frequent, if this was a real problem (as opposed to a 'potential' problem) I think we would hear about it from people who have the problem, not people warning that it might happen.

 

[jham]

Summer blend I get 20mpg hwy and about 18 city.

Winter blend gasoline gives me a max of 19mpg, city is around 17.

These numbers are coming from a well-calibrated Scan Gauge (calibrated every fill up) and mileage numbers from full to re-fuel.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I've been on car forums for over 13 years and I've seen more than a few soaked charcoal canisters (not just 4Runners) and there have been several reported here but most people are clueless what caused their failure til some of us inform them of this. Many folks fill til they can't fill it anymore and the end result is it's bad for a reciruclating fuel system to be constantly subject to high tank pressures caused by overfilling.

It happens,it isn't a myth but it's not as common as the pink milkshake or LBJ failure but it happens so it's good to educate people on this since I've seen people fork over a couple three hundred bucks to replace the canister.

 

[clarkie470]

Hey all Ok thanks a lot guys, didn't mean to beat a dead horse just trying to get actual numbers as I was seeing people claiming "24mpg" and all and was wondering what was the deal with my 4runner. Meh just a few extra bucks at the tank but at least I'm still cruising around in 4runner! Beats the wifes golf anyday (puke)! Thanks all for contributing!