Poor mileage acceptable to Toyota - Car Forums

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Poor mileage acceptable to Toyota - READ ONLY

69 messages, Last post on Jun 24, 2003 at 5:04 AM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Tacoma, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Truck

#40 of 69 mazda by sc0rpi0

Mar 20, 2003 (11:08 am)

Auto tranny inheritedly transfers less torque to the wheels. Not much less, but less nevertheless. This is fine for a V6, but with I4, when power is scarce to begin with, it may not be a good thing. Testdrive one and see if it feels good to you. If it feels a little anemic, try a 4x4 Regcab with manual and I4.

I haven't driven an auto I4, so I can't speak from my own experience, just relaying what I've heard.

#41 of 69 by mazdaprofour

Mar 20, 2003 (3:27 pm)

Do these vhicles have tranny problems

#42 of 69 No by sc0rpi0

Mar 21, 2003 (8:07 am)

There is nothing wrong with transmission or engine. All automatic transmissions are less efficient when compared to manual.
The I4 you'll get is bulletproof, has been in Toyota for at least 10 years. Just suggesting that you mate it to a manual tranny.

Again...testdrive the prerunner you want and see how it feels to you. Maybe you'll like it the way it is.

#43 of 69 As a quick update on gas milage. by sc0rpi0

Mar 21, 2003 (9:37 am)

Just filled up at the pump this morning....285 miles, light came on, put in 15.8 gallons.
That's 18mpg for a V6 4x4 5spd Xtracab with a lift.
Half of it was highway speeds of 80-85mph, other half was all city.

#44 of 69 Gas milage by frager

Mar 23, 2003 (11:31 am)

My '02 4x4 Tacoma D cab, 8500mi gets 16.5 mpg, 89 octane. I drive mostly hills at slow speeds it handles very well.I did a 500mi hiway trip and got 19.5 mpg, IM happy with that.

#45 of 69 by mrnimmo

Mar 24, 2003 (8:05 pm)

>There is nothing wrong with transmission or engine. All automatic transmissions are less efficient when compared to manual.

All automatics with torque convertors (that is almost all automatics except the super exotics) lose about 30% of the engine power in the torque convertor at least until the torque convertor locks up at around 40-60mph.

Result: lower mpg and poorer acceleration in exchange for the "convenince" of only having to move your right leg rather than both legs. It's a poor tradeoff IMO.

#46 of 69 Couple Comments by jmummery

Mar 25, 2003 (6:50 pm)

Break in:
It takes any engine more than 10K mi to wear into it's sweet spot. If you drive a new engine too easy, you will never get it because the rings will not seat properly and blowby will always haunt you. Cylinders are manufactured with a very fine crosshatch that is designed to fill with oil and kind of polish. If the cylinder pressure doesn't get high enough(this pushes the rings out into the cylinder wall) during the break in period for this to happen in the way that it is supposed to you will never get the fuel economy that you could have gotten and the engine will for lack of better wording not be as good for it's entire life. No new magic technology replaces this.
I'm not saying that you should hammer your new truck but you should run it up to the 3500-4200 mark every 50th shift in 2nd or 3rd to ensure that the rings are seating properly. Is it using ANY oil during it's normal change interval?
Remember that you are dealing with a very good Japanese I4 that is designed to rev a little, if you drive it like something American designed, it will not only perform poorly in all aspects but it will not last as long as it should.
Good luck

#47 of 69 Break in by dougd7

Mar 26, 2003 (6:39 am)

I recently ran across a proper breakin procedure that applies to all engines not just foreign or domestics. The author mainly talks about motorcycle engines but the basic philosophy applies to all engines.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

According to the author the first 20 miles is the most crucial during the break in period. That's when 80% of the breakin occurs. The remaining 20% occurs over the next 500-1000 miles.

#48 of 69 by kbtoys

Mar 26, 2003 (2:32 pm)

You know this might sound werid and I can't really explain it but my gas milage sucks in the winter but is great when it gets warm out. Things that make you go hmmmmmm

#49 of 69 Doesn't sound wierd by jmummery

Mar 26, 2003 (6:35 pm)

Any car truck or whatever will use more gas when it's colder. This is especially true on anything with and oxygen sensor. Your engine whether advanced carbureted or fuel injected(oxygen sensor) is always trying to maintain a air to fuel ratio. When it is warm and the air is less dense the oxygen sensor will tell the computer to give the engine a certain amount of fuel. When it is cold and the air is more dense(more packed with oxygen) the oxygen sensor tells the computer to give the engine more gas to keep the ratio of air to fuel at the optimum.
Have you ever noticed that your car has more power when it's cold outside?
The Suzuki Vitara I am driving now varies from 24mpg(averaged for a whole tank)at neg 40C and 30mpg at 0C
I know a couple people that have blown engines in snowmobiles because they jetted for -30 and drove at -40. The extra oxygen leaned out this simple carburator setup to the point of engine failure in a range of 10 degrees C.

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