2006 PreRunnner V6 2WD 10mpg

So I recently bought this used truck from a dealer and noticed on my first couple fill ups that I am putting about 150 miles on for every 3/4 of a tank used up.

I understand that my commute to work is only 5-7 minutes away, but that is only maybe 10 miles a day(5 days a week). It is winter and Minnesota, so I was clearly expecting somewhere around 14mpg.

2006 PreRunner TRD Sport V6 2WD
163,000 miles
AIRIAD - Cold Air Dam Cold Air Intake System
Extremely rare that I use it over 2k revs

Should I expect anything more for this truck? Should I just start with a complete routine maintenance on this?

Any ideas or thoughts helps.

Thanks

 

What are you getting on a long trip?

I know right now I'm driving about 10 miles a day and my truck is getting less mileage. I haven't checked it only driving short drives, but I imagine its below 15mpg.

 

Got same truck. Consistently get 20 in summer and 18 in winter. Maybe needs a good tune up and once over by a Toyota dealership?

 

^^^Ditto here. Same truck and I am getting about 18 in winter and 20 in summer too. 10 seems very low.

 

I'd guess maintenance issues.

But I wonder if the cold-air intake could be a problem? Also, might the prior owner have tried other 'performance enhancements?'

 

Warming up, not really. Maybe at most was 5 minutes due to below 0, but normally i start it and sit for a minute and go. It was not a Toyota dealer. My thought was to run it to one to get a look over from Toyato certified mechanic. As for prior performance, I haven't seen nor was told of any.

 

I'm sure temperatures as extreme as that have an effect, but there's no way you should be getting that kind of mileage with that truck. When I worked 5 miles from home, I averaged 13mpg... In my 4x4 truck, lifted 6 inches with 35" tires...

 

You wouldn't be the first buyer not told everything about a used vehicle. Your mechanic should be able to tell what's causing the poor mileage. Good luck.

And welcome to TW!

 

The first thing I would check are the spark plugs. Dealers never seem to change them when they should. Could be worn down to a nub.
Could also be the air/fuel sensors. The sensors before the CATs are not O2 sensors. They are more accurate but when they get old it can make engine run rich.

 

Do every maintenance item you can think of. Change the engine oil, transmission oil, and rear differential fluid. Preferably all full synthetic. Change your spark plugs, I bet they're out of gap too. While driving cold is not efficient, the gas consumed during idling to warm negates positive MPG effects. I would get a block heater ESPECIALLY if you're in the cold and driving 10 miles. That engine must never reach operating temperature.

Ditch the air intake, your engine doesn't need more cold air and even if it was summer, CAIs don't do anything for Tacomas because they are made pretty well from the factory.

 

How exactly are you figuring the miles per gallon? The method you state above is not the way to do it, it sounds like you are ball parking it.

The below is the commonly accepted method.

1.) Fill the tank with gasoline.
2.) Write down the mileage or reset the trip meter to zero.
3.) Drive until the tank gets down to about 1/8 of a tank remaining.
4.) Fill the tank in the same manner as above.
5.) Subtract the mileage on the reading above from the present odometer reading to obtain miles driven or read the trip meter.
6.) Divide the miles driven by the gallons used this will give you MPG.

 

Update:
I brought this into the local Toyota dealer. All they determined was that the CIA filter needed cleaning, a fuel line flush should be done, and my Serp belt was bad. I replaced the plugs prior to going. They said my throttle was clean and the MAF sensor was clean also.

Doing the math on how much MPG is not an issue, as the Dealer also did look into the size of tank, and how much I have put on from full to quarter tank. This was figured 3 times over. We determined an average of 11MPG.

Seeing that it has been another few more fill ups, I wanted to update I am still getting about the 11MPG.

So any ideas on the what else to look into? Remember this has 163,500 miles on it so maybe I am looking at more than general maintenance?

Thanks

 

Isn't the 06 susceptible to head gasket problems at that mileage? Perhaps a loss of compression?

 

Did you use the actual Gallons as read from the pump and Miles read from the odometer or trip meter as suggested above? If you are not, your mileage is always going to suck because you are doing it wrong.

You cannot go by " how many miles were put on from Full to Quarter of the tank ".

Do this:

1.) Fill the tank with gasoline.
2.) Write down the mileage or reset the trip meter to zero.
3.) Drive until the tank gets down to about 1/8 of a tank remaining.
4.) Fill the tank in the same manner as above.
5.) Subtract the mileage on the reading above from the present odometer reading to obtain miles driven or read the trip meter.
6.) Divide the miles driven by the gallons used this will give you MPG.

 

Considering your driving habits (local, stop & go) 10 or 11 is about right. I have an '06 with 162+K and I get 20+ but when I have to drive local (stop & go) my MPG plummets.

You can minimize it IF there's an alternate way to and from work that eliminates lights/stopping. And don't warm it up for too long either.