2.7L Gas Mileage Tracked for One Year Results

Hi all,

I have been using this website for tips for a long time now but this is my first contribution. Although not a scientific experiment by any means, I did observe a few things:

-if you want to increase MPG, lay off the gas and drive highway
-a tonneau cover does help at highway speeds, but only 1 MPG or less
-even though the results posted dont show it, synthetic oil also slightly helps mileage (I still have the vehicle)
-for those of you who get gas on military bases, AAFES gas tends to yield slightly less mpg

Hope the data helps some! I am absolutely attached to my Tacoma--people try to buy it from me all the time.


2001 Toyota Tacoma Extracab 2.7L 4wd Manual Transmission + tri-fold tonneau bed cover + 265/75 R16 BFG A/T KO tires

* trailer is 450 lb single axle Carry-On landscaping type 2K lb capacity

Fillup Date MPG Description
12-Apr-11 16.8 most city 1/5 hwy + occasional 4wd use
25-Apr-11 17.6 most city 1/4 hwy
9-May-11 17.7 most city 1/3 hwy + both O2 sensors replaced
25-May-11 18.8 most city 1/4 hwy + A/C use + occasional trailer use
5-Jun-11 18.4 most city 1/3 hwy + A/C use + rear catalytic convertor replaced + bedcover down

5-Jul-11 18.4 AAFES gas most city + A/C use + front catalytic convertor replaced

5-Aug-11 18.2 AAFES gas most city some hwy + A/C use
5-Aug-11 16 AAFES gas most hwy + A/C use + pull trailer
7-Aug-11 16.9 BP gas most hwy + A/C use + pull trailer--avg speed 55 mph
7-Aug-11 18.3 BP gas most hwy + A/C use + pull trailer--Interstate speeds
22-Aug-11 16.8 Gulf gas most city
9-Sep-11 17.1 AAFES gas most city 1/3 hwy
7-Oct-11 16.6 AAFES gas most city
9-Oct-11 21 AAFES gas most hwy + bedcover open--avg speed 70 mph
10-Oct-11 21.7 Citgo gas most hwy + bedcover closed--avg speed 70 mph
16-Oct-11 19.9 Liberty gas most city 1/3 hwy + bedcover closed
16-Nov-11 15.3 AAFES gas most city--added HEET water remover and STABIL
6-Dec-11 16.8 AAFES gas most city
28-Dec-11 14.9 AAFES gas most city--warmups in AM
13-Jan-12 14.7 AAFES gas most city--warmups in AM
14-Jan-12 19.8 AAFES gas most hwy + bedcover closed
16-Jan-12 18.5 BP gas most hwy + bedcover closed--some 4wd and mtns drove across 2 ft deep river

17-Jan-12 20.5 Valero gas 2/3 hwy some city + bedcover closed
18-Feb-12 14.8 AAFES gas most city + warmups in AM--switch to synthetic 5W-30 oil and filter change Mobil 1 Extended Performance

7-Mar-12 16.5 AAFES gas mid-grade most city 1/4 hwy--warmups in AM
25-Mar-12 17.8 AAFES gas most city 1/5 hwy
24-Apr-12 14.8 Gulf Gas almost all city
9-May-12 17.2 AAFES gas most city 1/4 hwy

Low: 14.7
High: 21.7
AVG: 18.2

 

I am just curious is it normal for a new engine to get bad mpgs? I have like 1300 miles and every tak is getting better but I started at like 13 mpg on the first tank, btw welcome and where in jersey u from?

 

Well it is winter I have bigger and heavier tires and rims and an auto my last truck got 20-23 mpg per tank but it was stick, I'm getting 16 mpg now it's going up but it could be the winter blen gas and warmup times also killing it.

 

good job OP

 

Thanks for the compliments on the record-keeping all. I'm currently located at McGuire AFB and soon to move to Milwaukee, WI.

Yes, city driving and warmups in the AM kill the mileage significantly. Something you all might notice from my post is that I had both cats replaced. This is because they were clogged with carbon powder. At the time, I had 145K miles on it (I originally bought it 5 years ago with 100K miles on it) and decided to do an experiment driving cross country with those STP fuel additives. What I found was that none have any significant effect on MPG's (most decrease it), but the Octane orange bottle ups it maybe 1-2 MPG's. However, it costs the same as another gallon of gas so no joy. Just before I started to track my mpg, I also bought a can of

$25 BG 44K Fuel System Cleaner Power Enhancer 11oz.

BG 44K and ran it through the engine. No noticeable effects except the check engine light came on throwing an O2 sensor code. After replacing both O2 sensors, I had the cats replaced by someone I know. He told me there was something I should see after he replaced them:

He proceeded to grab one of the old cats and knock it against a piece of wood. Carbon powder poured out. Both cats were plugged from the carbon those fuel additives displaced. Just some food for thought if you have an older vehicle.

I also just found some cake batter in the oil filler cap too--this is the first time I've seen it. I've got 155K miles on the truck now. I've never changed the PCV valve so hopefully that may help if I can just find it!

 

^^ cake batter doesn't sound good. It's not coolant is it?

 

Hometown?
I was born in Milwaukee & raised in Wauwatosa.
My '11 4x4 2.7 AC with a 3" lift gets a consistent 20 MPGs hwy on winter gas & 24 MPGs hwy on summer gas with stock tires.
When I put on the 255/85/16 BFG KM2s my MPGs vary from -2 (hilly) to +2 MPGs (flat) compared to stock tires.

 

Originally from Orange County, VA. Still got the Tacoma with 165K miles on it now. The highway driving up and down I-94 makes sure I get the engine heated up good and the cake batter is now gone.

Man I love that truck--that thing is a tank. I went sideways down an exit ramp in snow and kissed the guard rail and put another dent in the chrome bumper. It'll buff out. Oh well. Been through some good times in that truck--drove it across the Rapidan river up in the mountains in VA, drove it a couple of miles out on an ice road into Green Bay, survived a camping and deer hunting trip in the Michigan U.P. with it in eight inches of snow, got it stuck in mud in New Jersey (the one and only time), drove it to the summit of Pikes peak in Colorado, and outran a snow storm with it in the panhandle of Oklahoma (totally vaporized a tumbleweed doing 80 MPH too). And hopefully many more good times.

Also just recently got a linex bed liner installed on it--works great so far!

 

jdonal05:

What is your rear axle?

 

I guess I shouldn't complain. I have a 4x2, 5 speed stick, brand new getting 22 MPG mixed. I still ask, why is this so damn low? That is mostly highway driving, very gentle foot on the pedals. It is pretty much dead on what they expect on the EPA sticker but I just don't get it. I could milk my kids 2010 F-150 V8 to this MPG.

I love the smaller size but I really thought I'd be getting 25 MPG empty the way I drive it. I was getting nearly the same in a 2003 Mach 1 Mustang with 4.56 gears fer cryin out loud.

 

I have been keeping track of my mileage for about 2.5 years.

17,144.01 liters
123251 km's

Overall average of 16.9 mpg

Any questions?

 

Here:

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/xaks/tacoma-2

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/xaks/tacoma

My two entries. 2 or 3 tanks of gas a week going back to the fall of 2009. With only a pair of three-month 'vacations' for unemployment, I've had a job 50 miles away and gone 70-75MPH on the turnpike for 85% of my driving miles in that time.

Fairly consistent.

23.8 and 24.1 MPG average over about 100,000 miles.

 

Here's the excel file I use.

Frank

 

I feel my life is unorganized after viewing this excel file

jdonal - great info. i have a 2003 with the same specs and get about the same milage. i was curious about the BF A/T KO since they are damn near 10 lbs heavier than other A/T tires out there

 

I thought I was the only one obsessed with tracking MPGs.

Here's mine: 2013 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 2.7L M/T

• Access Tonneau Cover installed around August of 2015.
• Bone stock (other than cover)
• Factory original tires
• Only one type of gasoline used: Shell V-Power

Google Sheets

Edit: Removed attached file and linked spreadsheet