Mods to increase fuel efficiency?

This might sound boring, but are there any mods that will increase fuel efficiency? I’m running the 2.4L

 

Not really. Otherwise the dealer would have done them. Run 35 PSI in tires front and rear.
Stock air intake is best. Not K& N.

 

A good tune up to make sure it's running 100% is about all you can do. Nothing else will really make enough of a different to make it worth the money

 

old spark plugs, old air filter, dirty MAF, dirty throttle body will all cause progressive losses in MPG as they age and get worn/dirty. I would start here. I agree that tire pressure also plays a big role. However, if you want even treadwear then you may have to deal with that aspect. Removing weight will also help MPG. Finally, if you really have a lot of miles on your truck, replacing the fuel/air sensor may net you an MPG gain. A new PCV valve may also be in order, but not sure it has any effect on MPGs. The easiest way to save on MPGs is to use the AC sparingly.

 

Get rid of any unnecessary weight as well, extra tools and stuff you have in the bed can add up

 

Tire pressure

 

Depending on when your upstream o2 sensor was changed last, it might have a positive impact. Mine was the original with only 109k on it, but it was also 23 years old. Saw about 2-3mpg increase all around.

 

The most effective thing you can do for your truck's mpgs is get a daily driver. My truck and my motorcycle combined get 35mpg.

I would caution against a motorcycle though. They're not for everyone and a car is going to be safer.

 

The more you know

 

Someone posted on another thread about trying to keep your RPM’s below 2K. I saw this about 3-4 weeks ago and have been giving it a go. It’s improved my mpgs from about 15.5 to as much as 17.
My biggest problem for my fuel economy is how much stuff lives in my truck and all the armor etc it carries around.

 

Slow down. Get smaller tires.

 

A topper or tonneau cover helps gain around 1mpg, less air resistance as well as improved ride quality at high speeds

 

In my experience the tonneau cover was about neutral on fuel economy. Topper cost me about 1 mpg.

 

studies have shown that an open bed sans tailgate gets the best MPG. albeit by 1-2 mpg "at most" depending on other factors

 

Yea. An aeroshell is the best option but as far as I know they are all custom jobs.

 

This will not always increase mpg, lugging around outside of the power band can sometimes actually hurt economy because the engine is working harder than if it was up into the actual power band.

 

The power band is where the motor makes the most power. Engines make power by burning fuel. If you’re making more power then you’re burning more fuel. Power required from the engine is proportional to the velocity cubed. To all but the most extreme extent, lagging the motor does save fuel. That’s why most automatics shift to top gear quickly and refuse to downshift unless you floor the gas pedal. Toyota’s seem to all have this “feature”.

 

I've read that removing the tailgate can actually decrease fuel economy.

Just googled it- Mythbusters actually tested two of the same truck, side by side. Tailgate up won.

Keeping the speed down is the biggest thing I've found. I drive a '15 TRD OR DCSB, loaded with tools, and a giant Yakima skybox on top. I'm getting about 20 mpg in combined city/hwy driving, just by keeping it below 70 MPH. I imagine a 4 cylinder could do much better.

 

I stand corrected, thought it was "removed" that was better

 

This could also vary from one truck to another, or depending on cruising speed. Just thought it was interesting.

Another thing for the OP to consider is building an aero shell. Not sure if I have the right terminology there. There's probably a thread on here about them. Kinda ugly (IMO), but I've ready about some significant gains in fuel economy. I actually thought about building one for longer road trips.

Sure, I could drive my Scion to Florida and get 30 mpg, but then I wouldn't get to take pictures of my Tacoma on the beach