Better Mileage?

[elksnout]

With the fact that gas prices are rising again I was thinking what if anything a guy could do to get a little more mpg's. Something affordable and makes sense even to do...long term. Chips, throttle body spacers, exhaust, etc. I drive a bone stock 98 Tacoma 4x4 with the 3.4 and automatic and 31's. I get around 18 in town and 21 plus on the highway keeping the tac under 2000 rpm. I see ads that claim this and that and I've always thought it was a bunch of bull. Anybody have any history of being successful? Or just suck it up and quit pissing and moaning?   

[whacker1]

1/2 mile to gallon for switching to an electronic fan.  Usually cost prohibitive on older rigs at $600 and upwards.

Check out the Toyota forums for ideas on what people consistently talk about for improvements.  Not sure what options exhist for Toyota's outside the electronic fan.

[FC]

Or just suck it up and quit pissing and moaning?   

I have the same truck, same size tires with a 5sp and same mileage with an AFE air filter and flo-pro muffler (both came with the truck when I bought it). So far the only benefit that I can see is that I can clean the air filter indefinitely without replacing it and the truck is fairly loud...if you consider that a benefit. It does have a relatively cool tone though.

[Dan-o]

Smaller hiway tires would help.

[follow maggie]

Throttle body spacer only works if the fuel and air are mixed in the throttle body.  All fuel injected engines I'm familiar with inject the fuel directly into the cylinder.

[Fowlweather25]

Hydrogen fuel cell

[coachcw]

sounds like your doing well with 10% ethonal . keep those tires near max air and live with it.

[Alchase]

This may sound funny, the best fuel saver I found for my 02 Dodge Ram with a 4.7 was installing duel exhaust that is low RMP toned. Now I like the sound of the motor at low RMP and especially with a little backpressure. Before with the stock exhaust I had to get up in the 3k RPM range to sound like a truck should, so I was always putting my foot in it. Now I enjoy the low tonal sound and do not "need" to put my foot down to get good sound, though it does sound even better above 4k, lol.

Honestly with most mods you will never make back the cost of the mod in the fuel saving.
Unless you are like one of my neighbors that adds up the grossly overstated horse power increases each after market mod claims to add.
25 HP air cleaner, check
platinum spark plugs, check
75 HP + 8 MPG chip, check
50 HP exhaust, check
25 HP ignition system, check
15 HP Am-soil, check
10 HP increase running supream gas, check

Wow a 200 HP increase 

 

[Dhoey07]

This may sound funny, the best fuel saver I found for my 02 Dodge Ram with a 4.7 was installing duel exhaust that is low RMP toned. Now I like the sound of the motor at low RMP and especially with a little backpressure. Before with the stock exhaust I had to get up in the 3k RPM range to sound like a truck should, so I was always putting my foot in it. Now I enjoy the low tonal sound and do not "need" to put my foot down to get good sound, though it does sound even better above 4k, lol.

Honestly with most mods you will never make back the cost of the mod in the fuel saving.
Unless you are like one of my neighbors that adds up the grossly overstated horse power increases each after market mod claims to add.
25 HP air cleaner, check
platinum spark plugs, check
75 HP + 8 MPG chip, check
50 HP exhaust, check
25 HP ignition system, check
15 HP Am-soil, check
10 HP increase running supream gas, check

Wow a 200 HP increase 

 

Might be true on a diesel, just swap the supreme gas for a additive.  You have to remember that the hp they state is at the crank, not at the wheels. 

[elksnout]

Thanks for the idea of a better mpg car. But if you factor in purchase price, insurance and opearating costs, I can't even imagine it would be a cost savings unless I sold the Tacoma. I'll just keep on driving it until the wheels fall off, then stick 'em back on. Gonna empty the old wallet this summer though. Ouch!

[jackelope]

I've found that by the time you spend a few to several hundred bucks it takes to  improve your mpg's, it'll take too long to earn it back in mpg's. I have cold air intake, a quality custom made dual exhaust on my truck and I'm a maintenance addict and I still only see 13.6 around town on a good day and thats a 1/2 ton Chevy truck with the 5.3L in it.

[deleted BGS]

i would love 17, 5.4 v-8 with 33 toyo mt supercrew 11.5

[wraithen]

Kia rio. Double the gas mileage for under 100 bucks a month.

[swanny]

I've found that by the time you spend a few to several hundred bucks it takes to  improve your mpg's, it'll take too long to earn it back in mpg's. I have cold air intake, a quality custom made dual exhaust on my truck and I'm a maintenance addict and I still only see 13.6 around town on a good day and thats a 1/2 ton Chevy truck with the 5.3L in it.

Without those mods I see about 14mpg avg city/hwy in my 1/2 ton Chevy with the 5.3L. I have to imagine if I went back to an AT tire my MPG's might go up a little again.

[Special T]

Your crusing rpm and the width of your tire 2 of the biggest impacts you can have for milage.  I run 33x9.5x15 on my S-10 Not very common size, but fit on stock rims. most guys with 4x4 get big fat tires that suck the milage right out of your rig. Sometimes a slightly larger od tire will keep your RPMs lower at 65-70mph. most stock rigs run optimum at 60mph or so. Increased air pressure reduces resistance but also traction, it also wears out the center of your tire first. Not as big a deal if you run an all season or AT, but it you run a mud tire it will eat it up quick! 

[KimberRich]

With the fact that gas prices are rising again I was thinking what if anything a guy could do to get a little more mpg's. Something affordable and makes sense even to do...long term. Chips, throttle body spacers, exhaust, etc. I drive a bone stock 98 Tacoma 4x4 with the 3.4 and automatic and 31's. I get around 18 in town and 21 plus on the highway keeping the tac under 2000 rpm. I see ads that claim this and that and I've always thought it was a bunch of bull. Anybody have any history of being successful? Or just suck it up and quit pissing and moaning?   

I think if you're getting 18/21 with 31's on that truck you should be super happy.  I had a '97 and an '01 Tacoma with the 3.4 and they both got 16/19 running stock size 265/70 tires.  Toyota's are amazing trucks for sure but they are not known for their fuel economy. 

[whacker1]

Your crusing rpm and the width of your tire 2 of the biggest impacts you can have for milage.  I run 33x9.5x15 on my S-10 Not very common size, but fit on stock rims. most guys with 4x4 get big fat tires that suck the milage right out of your rig. Sometimes a slightly larger od tire will keep your RPMs lower at 65-70mph. most stock rigs run optimum at 60mph or so. Increased air pressure reduces resistance but also traction, it also wears out the center of your tire first. Not as big a deal if you run an all season or AT, but it you run a mud tire it will eat it up quick! 

narrower tires are normally less expensive as well.  Sometimes Significantly. 

[Special T]

Rubber prices are up 40%from this time last year!  There is no such thing as a cheap tire!