MPG Question

[Foreigner]

I took a short trip over the holidays in my '90 4Runner, 3.0 with 5 speed. I averaged 70 mph, all highway. This was my first to check my gas mileage on a long trip without a trailer.

I averaged 13 mpg!

Where should I start to remedy this? Tune-up? Seafoam?

Also, my muffler is pretty much non-existent. . .full of holes, no tail-pipe. . .no time or money to fix unless there's a possibility that it is part of the problem. ??

Help the clueless guy!

 

[toyminator]

13 - 15 is about all their good for, especially if you have oversized tires. My 99 only gets 17mpg. a tune up and air filter change is about all you can do.

 

[Foreigner]

I'm riding 31"ers.

What should I include in the tune-up?

I did change the air filter the day before this trip.

 

[toyminator]

plugs, wires, cap & roter, maybe pcv

 

[EVILSPOTTER]

My 94 3.0 auto 4runner gets 14mpg or so, on 31's. All the fuel economy of a 454 with the performance of a 4cylinder, what more could you ask for? Your tune up will probably require a new O2 sensor as well. Your exhaust problems probably arent part of the MPG issue if they are well downstream of the O2 sensor. Any trouble codes?

 

[KLF]

My '92 (and ex-wifes '94) consistently got 18-20 MPG, and they still do at 200,000+ miles. 5 speed, stock 31" tires.

Best deal on an exhaust if you plan to keep it for awhile is to have Toyota install an OEM cat-back system. 100% guaranteed for life, including labor. But it has to be installed at a dealership. Easy install, 1 hour labor max.

 

[Foreigner]

Best deal on an exhaust if you plan to keep it for awhile is to have Toyota install an OEM cat-back system. 100% guaranteed for life, including labor. But it has to be installed at a dealership. Easy install, 1 hour labor max.

Got any idea on total $$ on that? ~$200? I was figuring on doing it myself (I have more time than money), but with warranty it'd probably be worth it.

 

[Foreigner]

All the fuel economy of a 454 with the performance of a 4cylinder, what more could you ask for?

No kidding. . .I average 12-14mpg in my 'burb, with a V8 350 and 36x12.5"s.

And no, no codes.

 

[Foreigner]

Got any idea on total $$ on that? ~$200?

Holy snap, I may be a bit off on that estimate. . . $800 more reasonable? I'm not planning on having this thing that long.

Look, I'm spamming my own thread. . . .

 

[toyminator]

I had a lifetime warranty catback (munus converter)installed on my 89 ten years and 100,xxx miles ago and its still trouble free. The converter is probably the expensive part of all of it. I think I paid about $200 - granted it was 10 years ago.

Its well worth the $$$ if you keep keep the truck.

 

[WristPin]

fuel filter too. at least its easier to change than the 22R

 

[inkpot]

fuel filter too. at least its easier to change than the 22R

Howdy! Ya got that right. Anyone ever make a conversion kit to move the filter from below the intake manifold to over on the fender? John

 

[WristPin]

Howdy! Ya got that right. Anyone ever make a conversion kit to move the filter from below the intake manifold to over on the fender? John

you dont need nuthin but a zip tie. both hoses are long enuff to reach the fender.

 

[Foreigner]

Thanks for the input, guys.

So in summary, I'm basically looking at simply updating the distributor, spark wires, etc and the fuel filter to get the most mpg for the money?

After some digging on the web it looks like I could spend $100-1000 on a muffler, depending on how crazy I get and whether or not I do the work myself. Honestly, I'll probably have this vehicle for two more years at the most, so I guess the warranty, etc isn't that big of a deal to me. I'm tempted to go to Napa, shell out $100 and put on a cheap glasspack. Gnashing of teeth and maledictions may now commence. . .

 

[tntoyota]

No kidding. . .I average 12-14mpg in my 'burb, with a V8 350 and 36x12.5"s.

And no, no codes.

I have a feeling your math/ speedo is off....


(JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE)
lets say if it is off 3/10ths per mile at 400 miles thats 120 miles....(right?)


.400 (odo miles)
-120
.280 (real miles)


or is it

.400 (true miles)
+120
.520 (odo reading)



this is just for illustration

 

[Foreigner]

I have a feeling your math is off....

It's hard to get the math wrong.

I took a 1300 mile trip in it (the Suburban) six months ago, fully loaded (barely enough room for the wife and kid) and got 10 mpg. That's calculated with actual gallons and miles on the map (speedometer not converted with tires) at each stop. The worst mileage I got that trip was 8 mpg between Souix Falls and Gillette, bucking a head wind the whole way.

Over the summer, I was consistently getting 12-14 mpg unloaded, except for my carpentry tools.

 

[tntoyota]

(speedometer not converted with tires)

Speedometer = odometer

..

 

[Foreigner]

I have a feeling your math/ speedo is off....

Thanks for clarifying about the speedo . Duly noted and handled in my last post, as it is definitely off. I never did the math on how much it was off, but 75 mph on the road read 60 mph on the dial.

 

[bkg]

V6 4Runner w/ a 5-speed should be able to pull high teens. Clean the intake, fix the exhaust, full tune up, alignment, properly inflated tires, clean cat, etc. Ex-wife's did about the same as KLF w/ 4.88's and 33's.

 

[WristPin]

glasspacks are loud. but thats exactly the way i like it.
napa sells Thrush, Meineke sells cherry bomb, Shucks sells purple hornies. all cost about 35 bucks retail

i like the the the cherry bomb sound best. i worked for meineke. and a typical exhaust job; glass pack and tail pipe cost 250-300 bucks.

buying exhaust is a rip off. a 8' stick of pipe at meineke costs the shop 35 bucks. but thats what you gotta do, so they charge a alot.