Tacoma Fuel Economy

[GEARAHOLIC]

I'm lucky to get 15 MPG... maybe like 275 miles out of a tank...I have the stage 2, 6" pro comp lift with 33x12.5 tires. I take it real easy and it still gulps gas. At least its not $80 fill ups like last summer

[007Tacoma]

I use RoadTrip for the iPhone for the past 5 tanks. I have averaged about 17.3 MPG over the past 1,300 miles. Mostly towing a 400lb trailer with furniture on it and moving a cab and bed full of stuff in town.

Right now I have a CEL for my Mass Air Flow sensor. I am sure that is royally screwing with my fuel economy as well as my fuel mapping. I can't find my multimeter right now, but once I do I will get it tested. That's a $200 part that I don't want to replace.

[NAAC3TACO]

I got my best mileage to date with this morning's fill up. 21.6 mpg.

[flatlander]

I had weird result today. Filled up and calc'd mileage at 17.7. I have been averaging 19.4. Engine sounds and feels fine. I did an oil change mid-tank and did the oil change reset. Don't think I was driving unusually aggressive this tank. Probably just an anomaly.

Ideas?

[NAAC3TACO]

Originally Posted by flatlander

I had weird result today. Filled up and calc'd mileage at 17.7. I have been averaging 19.4. Engine sounds and feels fine. I did an oil change mid-tank and did the oil change reset. Don't think I was driving unusually aggressive this tank. Probably just an anomaly.

Ideas?

It happens. That's why to get true average fuel economy, you must check it regularly. Maybe, you got some weak gas or something. Just keep an eye on it.

[Veccster]

Averaged over 10 tanks of 93 octane, my stock 2009 DC Sport w/ tow package and 4.0L auto has received 18.11 mpg.
I have a heavy foot too!

I track it on a spreadsheet but can't attach it to a post. Any ideas and I'll share my results. I may start using Fuelly.com.

[NAAC3TACO]

I just started using fuelly.com. It's pretty cool how it tracks your fuel economy.

[drew02a]

Originally Posted by Veccster

Averaged over 10 tanks of 93 octane, my stock 2009 DC Sport w/ tow package and 3.4L auto has received 18.11 mpg.
I have a heavy foot too!

I track it on a spreadsheet but can't attach it to a post. Any ideas and I'll share my results. I may start using Fuelly.com.

3.4L engine in your 2009 truck? Interesting

[Veccster]

Originally Posted by drew02a

3.4L engine in your 2009 truck? Interesting

I felt it would be much better than the 3.0L V5. The extra .6L just wasn't worth the additional cost for me.

3.4 FTW

[JasonY]

Originally Posted by flatlander

I had weird result today. Filled up and calc'd mileage at 17.7. I have been averaging 19.4. Engine sounds and feels fine. I did an oil change mid-tank and did the oil change reset. Don't think I was driving unusually aggressive this tank. Probably just an anomaly.

Ideas?

I'm wondering if maybe it has something to do with how different gas pumps behave. When do you consider your tank to be "full"? When the pump shuts off the first time? The second? Or do you fill the tank all the way until gas is coming out of the top?

If the tank shuts off early then GasCubby (or Fuelly, etc) would think that you hadn't burned as much gas as you had. Similarly, if the pump isn't as sensitive and ends up putting an extra gallon in before it cuts off, then that would affect your mileage calculations on the negative side.

I always wait for the first click on the gas pump and then round up to the nearest dollar or so. I figure averaged over time that'll give me a pretty good result. The best way is to refill the tank to the exact same level each time, but barring some kind of way to know a consistent "full" level, all of our calculations will be, at best, an estimate.

How do you all do it?

[NAAC3TACO]

If you are checking gas mileage, you should go to the same station every time and try to use the same pump. Let the pump shut off on it's own and don't add anymore fuel. That way you are filling the tank to the same level everytime.

[MassTaco]

Originally Posted by JasonY

I'm wondering if maybe it has something to do with how different gas pumps behave. When do you consider your tank to be "full"? When the pump shuts off the first time? The second? Or do you fill the tank all the way until gas is coming out of the top?

If the tank shuts off early then GasCubby (or Fuelly, etc) would think that you hadn't burned as much gas as you had. Similarly, if the pump isn't as sensitive and ends up putting an extra gallon in before it cuts off, then that would affect your mileage calculations on the negative side.

I always wait for the first click on the gas pump and then round up to the nearest dollar or so. I figure averaged over time that'll give me a pretty good result. The best way is to refill the tank to the exact same level each time, but barring some kind of way to know a consistent "full" level, all of our calculations will be, at best, an estimate.

How do you all do it?

This will definately have an effect on your calculated fuel economy. If you were to just take one tank at random as a data point you would likely not end up with an accurate number. However, when using a fuel tracking site, you end up averaging tank after tank, and that variation comes out in the averages.

[Veccster]

I use the same pump at the same gas station and stop at the first click.

I was out of town last weekend and tried to refill past the first click and gas began POURING down the side of my truck. Yeah...I made a mess


Always stop at the first click. Deviations in gas pumps will correct themselves on the next fill up. I assume that is what caused the drastic change in MPG for Flatlander.

Here are my last 9 tanks:
17.37
16.62
17.67
16.11
18.86
17.58
20.55
18.51
19.76
(ranges from 16.11 - 20.55)

[King Powers]

I'm on my 3rd week of 60(one-way) mile commute and I'm getting high 19's.

I'm averaging 80 MPH too, so I'm pretty happy with that.

[Pyro-Rob]

Originally Posted by King Powers

I'm on my 3rd week of 60(one-way) mile commute and I'm getting high 19's.

I'm averaging 80 MPH too, so I'm pretty happy with that.

Wow, that sounds like how I drive, but I don't get 19 mpg. My last batch of fills are:

17.2
18.1
16.4
17.4
16.8
15.4
17.4
17.1
17.6
18.3
17.6
16.9

My driving style doesn't differ much from tank to tank although those 17's following the 15 were from when I was on vacation driving through the flatlands of eastern WY and southern SD. I see you're in FL so that might have something to do with it, there's a lot of air down at that altitude, not much at over 5,000 feet.

I wonder what winter time will do to my mileage

--->Rob

[Veccster]

^ your average is 17.11.

For a manual-shift, that seems low.

[Old Soul]

I average between 20 - 21 mpg. v6 auto. have been using premium gas since around 3k on the vehicle, almost 9 k on it now, synthetic put in at 5k, run the tires around 36 to 39 psi. still stock everything, looks like lifts and bigger tires suck it up.

a recent road trip to PA from NC resulted in the best mpg so far, 24 on the way up and 23.5 on the way back. 300 pounds in the bed plus a passenger. nice

I have put 70 pound nerf bars on and a 40 pound bed mat in the back, plus I just put my 180 pound tool box back on the truck so the mpg will go down a little with the box on there.

considering getting the artic bull bar from avid off road also, 60 or 70 pounds, so mpg will go down more from that...

edit.. I also try and keep it below 2k rpm during stop and go driving and when taking off from a complete start. 0 to 60 in 1 minute, lol

[Pyro-Rob]

Originally Posted by Veccster

^ your average is 17.11.

For a manual-shift, that seems low.

Yep, that's what I have thought. I chalked it up to the higher speeds.

--->Rob

[CalFred]

My 2003 2.4 XCab 2wd gets an average of 22.4 mpg with a range of about 20 to 28 mpg. Usually about 25-27 on the freeway.

[dorifuto]

It's weird how the tacoma's aways seem to get better gas mileage after a tow.