How to get 15mpg using a ScanGauge

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LandCruiserPhil

LandCruiserPhil

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This is related to my Pull any hill at 65 thread.

Same 80 but without a trailer in tow.

For vehicle info see above LINK

Test zone was from Cortez, Co to Flagstaff, AZ ~261 miles

ScanGauge is required :doh:

Method:

Set CC at 66mph

Display the LOD* reading on your ScanGauge

When the reading of LOD goes above 50 hit the OD button

While OD is off if speed drops to 64mph drop it down to 2nd gear

Once you top the hill turn the OD back on and shift into D

The Toyota computer will shift from D to OD when conditions are right

I only dropped below 64 mph when the posted speed limit dropped going through towns. Once posted speed resumed 65mpg I hit resume on CC.

Results 17.360 gals on 261.5 miles traveled = 15.06 mpg

On the trip up to Colorado (5 days prior) I did not use the ScanGauge method or CC and drove at 75-80 much of the time. Results 18.7 gals on 261 miles = 13.9

I did weigh the 80 after I fueled up in Cortez for the return trip - 5980 lbs.

I run regular unleaded fuel (86 octane from CO)

Dash spedo, ScanGauge, and GPS all show same speed





* LOD - LOD Engine Loading This is a percentage of the maximum power available currently being generated. In some vehicles it is the maximum available at the present RPM.
cortez2flag.webp
 
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how big are your tires and how much weight were you running around with? I dont have a scan gauge but by my math (miles driven + tire size correction / gallons used) i typically get around 15-17 miles per gallon if im only doing highway driving. in the winter my millage is definitely lower than the summer though by a mile per gallon or two, that being said i am driving a stock truck with 305 70 16's
 
well, that sounds exactly like the kind of experiment I would do and report I would post. So I can confidently state:

You are nuts, man! :D































but neat stuff, of course... :)
 
e9999 said:
well, that sounds exactly like the kind of experiment I would do and report I would post. So I can confidently state:

You are nuts, man! :D
but neat stuff, of course... :)
Click to expand...

Im running solo I need something to keep me awake for 10 hours of driving.

I didnt post the videos this time:flipoff2:
 
Schwein said:
how big are your tires and how much weight were you running around with? I dont have a scan gauge but by my math (miles driven + tire size correction / gallons used) i typically get around 15-17 miles per gallon if im only doing highway driving. in the winter my millage is definitely lower than the summer though by a mile per gallon or two, that being said i am driving a stock truck with 305 70 16's
Click to expand...

Some claim more and some less just my results.

From the post - I did weigh the 80 after I fueled up in Cortez for the return trip - 5980 lbs.

All the 80 info is in the link

Test vehicle pictured
Snorkel pic.webp
 
I wasn't even aware of the LOD gauge. That seems like a great one to keep an eye on. How did you arrive at 50% as the threshold for hitting the OD button?
 
How does turning off OD and shifting into 2nd affect CC? I've never tried it so I don't know.

Does the speedo/scangauge have to match the GPS? How much will it skew the results if the speedo is not corrected for larger tires?
 
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jcope said:
I wasn't even aware of the LOD gauge. That seems like a great one to keep an eye on. How did you arrive at 50% as the threshold for hitting the OD button?
Click to expand...

No real science just noticing the reading at cruise on the flat road and where I notice CC applying throttle and where the reading was. The motor seems run with less labor under 50. Basically I WAG'd it (wild ass guess)
 
sdnative said:
How does turning off OD and shifting into 2nd affect CC? I've never tried it so I don't know.

Does the speedo/scangauge have to match the GPS? How much will it skew the results if the speedo is not corrected for larger tires?
Click to expand...

CC is not affected no matter what gear you are in. CC goal is to keep you at the marked speed.

The speedos speed sensor is different then the computers speed sensor so my guess is it would not make any difference. My comment on everything matching was to support my mileage results.
 
Man, my stock-height 80, on stock tires, gets 13.5 tops on the scan guage at about 65. With just me in it. I'll give it a shot, cause 15 would be great on the freeway. Around town it's 10-11 at best. Cool experiment!
 
Tenni126 said:
Man, my stock-height 80, on stock tires, gets 13.5 tops on the scan guage at about 65. With just me in it. I'll give it a shot, cause 15 would be great on the freeway. Around town it's 10-11 at best. Cool experiment!
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Tenni126,

Not sure if it is your SC (or ?), but with stock size tires you really should be doing better than 13.5 at 65 mph. With stock tires I was getting around 14.7 (per scangauge) at 70 mph, and then after I did a bit of cleaning of my TB, that went up to about 16.0 on the same route (3 days week) at the same speed. Cheers, J
 
LandCruiserPhil,

Thanks. I am going to try this next time I am in the mountains. I have never considered a real use for the LOD scangauge setting. Cool experiment. I am stocked you are able to get 15 mpg in your rig with those tires and weight on that route; gives me hope I can build a rig similar to yours and still be able to stomach the longer road trip mpg (and $). Nice rig.

Cheers, J
 
not even sure what LOD is, but I'll look for it next time on the highway.

my method for good MPG is speed at or above 65 (I am running 285 size tires with no correction, so reading ~5% low on the speedo) and as close to 2100 RPM or lower as possible. Usually can get 15-16 MPG that way. I take it out of OD when needed on the hills, and try to coast down hill as much as possible, though I usually don't use the cruise control. Speeds below 60 MPH it just seems to lack enough momentum to not drag its ass, and I'm always on the gas pedal.
 
I feel like it oughta be better as well, but I've checked all the usual stuff and don't have any codes. I replaced the O2 sensors out of principle when I bought it (~5000 miles ago) along with plugs, wires, and filters. As of today's fill up, after mostly highway for a tank, I was just under 15 mpg, which is the best I've seen but I was also hawking the scanguage pretty close just to see what I could squeeze out. My EMS exhaust is enroute, so that should help a bit as well. Could be the old cats are clogging up the works a bit as well.
 
LandCruiserPhil said:
FWIW - My experience with ScanGauge for mpg accuracy has been:meh:... Dont believe it
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Maybe for the instantaneous MPG. But I've noticed its estimate of fuel burn is off by 1/2 gallon, roughly, on each fillup. So it's possible to tell from that, exactly how bad its average must be. .5 gallons in 25 is 2%. Assuming you've told it a correct adjustment to speed for tire size. At least I think it should account for that in its distance calculations...
 
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