MPG Mods

i could only find the 2009 afe pro dry. im thinkin that they havent made the 2010's yet...any thoughts?

 

Hi all, i am new, today i get 24.18 MPG, I follow all tips in this thread and get it, is easy, just trip under 2000 RPM yes. Thanks all in this forum to post usefull info.

BR

TacomaGua

 

Is winter gas really that bad on mileage?

My 2010 has a tick over 2k on the clock. I started getting low 20's wheb I first got the truck back in september, but have benn averaging around 18 with mixed driving. I don't hot rod, but sometimes I might hold a gear a bit longer than needed, like doing 35-40 in third for example.

 

Mine drops about 3 when they switch to winter blend. I just did the deck plate mod and filled the tires to 35 psi and my mileage is about what it was at its best this summer.

 

@Wrencher86,
Good work buddy. I build motors in my spare time and work on cars about 25 to 35 hours a week and have been somewhat surprised in what people are saying here. You are correct on the filter. This is for emmissions as well as fuel savings. All newer cars seem to be using something that does this. EVAP valve etc. Same end result. As far as efficiency for these trucks there are quite a few things we can do.

*Clean air filter.(I have read that efficiency is highest with the oem filters.

Efficiency = Filtration vs Flow. Being that most of
us drive in some sort of dirty areas with our trucks
I recommend and use the oem filter because it has
a high enough flow, it filters very well, and is cheap
You can check this by using a shop vac with dust
seeing how much and small the particles are picked
out of the air. What goes into the engine will stick
to the pistons, cylinders, plugs, etc etc.) Google
search air filter efficiencies.

*Clean fluids. ( Clean fluids means all fluids. MTF (manual trans fluid), or
ATF (auto trans fluid). Engine oil (correct
viscosity). Even though Toyota recommends 5000
mile changes you can change it early and see some
increases in MPGS. Think slippery. This not only
saves gas it also prolongs the motor which can be
huge if you plan on keeping the truck forever as I
do. This is a long term investment. When you take
apart a motor you can really tell who took care of it
and who didnt. Keep it slippery.

*Tune Ups. (This includes spark plugs, wires, filters etc. these wear and
tear items have less and less performance as time
goes by. Worn plugs do not fire as well, worn wires
dont carry the spark as efficiently. Filters such as
transmission really effect MPGs and are not thought
of as often but a smooth running tranny = more
MPGs)

*Tires. (Perhaps the most overlooked but most important MPG
factor is tire choice and tire pressure. A harder tire
is less rolling resistance. Under inflated tires cause
more rolling resistance and less MPGs so keep
those tires full. Tire choice has a big part as well.
Big nobby offroad tires = less MPGs. remember
resistance. Possible solution ( I will use this)
Buy summer tires. A set of wheels and tires for
summer will not only help with traction on the road
during the summer months but will have less rolling
resistance and typically weight as well. Street tires
will be an asset and will help your other tires last.

*Driving Style ( No comment needed)

Thank you for listening and for any motor questions Ill be here.

 

BTW 2009 filter is the same as 2010

 

The link at the beginning has the AFE Pro Dry S filter for $60, you can get it at the website below for like $51, so it's already saved me 3 gallons of gas!

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/s...ot-0L/A153110114.html?tlc=Engine+&+Drivetrain

That's for the 2007, 4 liter, but I think you might find better prices for others too.

 

I have an '06 4.0L V6 6-sp MT Access 4x4. The very first mod I did was to replace the stock intake w/ the aFe CAI. The intake air path is much more linear then stock. I also like the idea of the washable dry filter...no oil onto the MAF sensor over time. I have replaced all the fluids (trans, f diff, r diff, transfer case, steering, engine oil) w/ synthetic. I also put Moly grease in the u-joints. The matching SnugTop cap on the back weighs in at 150 pounds. With the new Mich XLT's I consistently get just under 18 MPG in summer.

I'll join in on the 09/10 thought: I believe that just like many of the '05 to '10 components being interchangeable, the '09 and '10 filter are the same part number.

 

The one change I made that had the single biggest effect was keeping it at or below 2000 RPM. That practice alone netted me 3 MPG increase on a daily 48 mile commute of about 50% city/50% interstate. And it is the one mod that not only does not cost anything, but provides immediate payback! That being said, adjusting from 75mph to 60 mph takes some work!

 

what i really hate about keeping it below 2k, is all the damn shaking and vibrations out of the truck at that low of rpm's

 

THIS!

After stripping out the secondary air filter, I'm sitting at about 2300 rpm @ 70. I *used* to drive 80-90. My goal is 65-70 consistently (obviously I'll jump over that to pass, but come back down once I get around 'em).

I figure if I can keep up the way I've been doing it, I'll be re-trained to the lower speed by early summer. The mental part is the toughest, by far.

 

When I first bought my Tacoma (2006 4-door 4x4 with 21,000 miles on it) I had the thing guaged at about 16.5 mpg. Spent $50 on a K&N high flow air filter and bumped it up to about 17.5. Then one day I made the "mistake" of running low on gas in an out of the way area and could only find a Kwik-Sac for gas. I normally use Shell because it is one of the highest quality gases out there. Filled up at this Kwik-Sac and danged if I didn't immediately get 21 mpg out of that tank. Amazed, I went back and found out it was ethanol free gas and that MOST if not ALL Kwik-Sacs carry ethanol free gas. I now run a good fuel system cleaner through at each oil change to reduce buildup from using Kwik-Sac's lower grade gas, but saving big $$$ at the pump getting about an extra 100 miles to a tank.

 

I've found that this is only a problem was when shifting from 1st to 2nd - because there's such a big gap in gear ratios between those two gears. If you shift at 2000 RPM's on the 1-2 shift, the RPM's will be too low in 2nd and it'll lug the engine (vibrate). I usually shift somewhere between 2500 and 3000 RPMs or so on that shift. All of the other shifts work just fine shifting at 2000 RPMs though.

Do that, make sure your tires are properly inflated, and drive like there's an egg between your foot and the gas pedal that you don't want to break - and you're GUARANTEED to pick up a few MPGs.

 

Hey, I had the same problem, but this vibration was lowered quite a bit after I installed the AFE pro dry. I am now able to keep the 2.7 in a higher gear tha I used to while driving the same speed.

(I believe the filter opened up some low end power that allows me to drive at lower RPMS without being "underpowered")

 

ya i think im gonna try out a 1 piece ds and see how that works out

 

It's really bad to drive and vehicle at much low RPM's that it shakes and sputters. You're engine bearings don't enough enough oil.

 

i feel like i have to post bc i feel so bad for the guys who can't get over 18mpgs in the v6! that is ridiculous and if my taco was like that, she woulda been long gone by now!

i was 23 when i first got this truck. i used to make long road trips all the time, like 400+ in a weekend. and when i had the stock bridgestone duelers(set at 32 psi, got 50k mi outta them), i can only recall 2 times when i got less than 20 mpgs on the highway. these two times, i was driving when the temps were less than 38 deg. other than that, no matter how fast i drove, which was usually 75-80mph, i would get between 20 - 22.5 mpgs per tank. this was all calculated by hand, miles driven/gallons filled up with at next fillup. it used to be normal for me to see about 350 - 370 mi on the tank before my gas light came on. i have tracked all fillups since i bought it new and have all my receipts. my highest mileage was 24mpgs which i got by goin the speed limit(65mph in CA) and not passing anyone. in the city, my mpgs are between 17-19, depending on how fast i drive.

im starting to think that driving style has a lot to do with it, but maybe some ppl like me are just getting lucky with the truck they got. When I drive, whether im hauling a** at 85mph or taking it easy at 70 mph, I ALWAYS keep my speed constant. I can't stand when i get behind that person who keeps speeding up and slowing down!! if you drive like that, then i guarantee THAT is why you are getting poor mileage. i always pass those ppl and then continue on my way at my constant speed.

anyway, i replaced my tires with the bridgestone revos 265/70/17 about 3 months ago and have been experimenting a lot with ideal tire pressure on the highway. i have found that 39 psi works the best bc the wandering is non-existent on these horrible highways we have in SoCal and i get better mpgs. i forgot to add for the difference in tire size from stock(which was 265/65/17) when calculating my mpgs and after making the adjustment, i found that my mpgs only dropped by about 1. on my last tank, it was 70% city/30%hwy and i got 19.25 mpgs. and i dont drive slow either! i am not afraid to get off the line first and like to use the power of the v6. i think the difference for me is that once i get to a speed, i keep it there. i am not constantly accelerating and deccelerating all of the time!

other than that, keep your tires aired up and use good gas! i only use 89 octane at shell, chevron or 76. oh, and i have been using mobil 1 synthetic since the first oil change. SERIOUSLY, i hope all you guys who are getting terrible mileage figure out what the cause is, cuz i would not be able to afford getting 16mpgs outta this truck!

 

If you're talking "lugging" the engine at or below idle speed (800 RPM's or less), I might agree, but shifting at around 2K - which puts the revs down around 1-1.2K after the shift is not a problem - especially if you're light on the throttle and not trying to accelerate real quickly. No shakes/sputters... very easy on the entire drivetrain - and nets some great MPG's.

 

One thing also to keep in mind concerning loads is no matter what your springs and or bags are rated for there is also the axles, differential and other suspension parts to keep in mind. I have the upgraded 4 leaf springs on my 2006 Tacoma with the Firestone airbags that are rated for 5000 lbs. There is no way I would be able to carry that amount of weight, 5000 lbs, and feel comfortable. It is my feeling that a 1/2 ton is a 1/2 ton and so on and so on. All I relie on my air bags to really do is help with vehicle sag and keep it level when carrying a heavy load or towing. Just my humble opinion.

 

Just another thought for better MPG's..

I just recently bought a Snug Top Toneau lid for my 06 tacoma and ive noticed a signigicant difference in gas mileage. I used to get 320-350 city driving, now with the lid im pusing about 380 per tank with is about 19mpg for city. The lid was 1100 so its going to take a while for it to pay its self off btw..