Ultragauge/Scan Gauge owners report

I am trying to find info regarding what is the optimum driving condition for the 3.4 V6 engine with Automatic/ Mnaual transmission, 4x4, Pre-runner only. Owners of the above gadget/s, please share some info through this thread=

Gadget:Ultragauge / Scangauge / Kiwi / etc.
Speed: (e.g - 60 mph)
RPM: (e.g 2200)
Best real time MPG: (e.g 21 mpg)
Truck year: 95.5-2004 (???)
Truck trim: regular cab, extended cab, crew cab
Transmission: Standard / Automatic
Drivetrain: 4x4 / Pre-runner
Current Odometer reading: ???

This should give some ideas for the non gadget owners how to handle their truck to get better mileage.

Thanks.

 

idk really what your asking but

ultragauge
2000
extended cab
auto
4x4

i like it the thing i have really learned about the gas mileage or at least what i think works for me is i accelerate up to the speed limit. not slow but not fast, i would say be deliberate, but i still try not to get past 3k RPM then when you get up to speed you know you even out and stay there to maintain it. but now once i get to where i need to be i still back off it like about a quarter to half inch and thats when the mileage soars

 

Its impossible to get enough data points to come to any sort of conclusion with the amount of data you're collecting.

It has more to do with how you push the gas pedal than what speed and rpms you're going.

Even the most slightest pressure can change your gas mileage from 20 mpg to 16 mpg. No amount of data points can help someone change their driving unless they can actually see and feel the differences when they do different things.

Minor hills will also greatly effect your gas mileage, as well as how you deal with them. If you feel like you must maintain a certain speed, hills will eat gas mileage, while not changing your gas pedal position will cause you to slow down, but will also conserve on gas. This is where cruise control causes lower mpg than someone thats paying attention.

As far as the higher speed traveling, with my setup, 70 mpg on flat roads seems to be about the max before gas mileage goes down the drain. 75 drops the mpg considerably. (yes, our highways allow for 75 mph travel outside of the main cities). So much difference, its an avg of 20mpg to 13mpg just from 70 to 75, for my truck weight with my tire size and a passenger. (requires much more aggressive throttle and doesn't allow me to let off the gas at all to maintain speed, even on flat surfaces)

So anyway, its not so much what speed and rpm you drive, but how you accelerate, maintain speed, and decelerate, up to about 70 mph. As Toyota put it, drive like you have a full glass of water on your dash. Soft accelerations, constant light throttle pressure to maintain speed, and soft breaking.

(btw, your requirements of being a 4x4 and a Prerunner aren't possible, as a Prerunner is a 2wd with some 4x4 suspension).

 

i appreciate your post. What i am trying to know is the "sweet spot" in terms of RPM, MPH, to get the best MPG based on the gadgets. Obviously, i have no ultragauge/scangauge but can surely adjust my driving habits based on reports.

 

Gadget: Ultragauge
Speed: 55
RPM: im not sure
Best real time MPG: about 18
Truck year: 2001
Truck trim: extended cab
Transmission: Standard
Drivetrain: 4x4
Current Odometer reading: 166k

My avg mpg is 17. That is not going any faster than 80 and rpms lower than 3000. I also have 285/75 m/t's

 

Thats what I'm trying to say. There isn't a magical sweet spot. Its how you drive, not a sweet spot to accelerate to and hold.

If I had to commit to anything, keep it at or below 2k rpm. The further below 2k, the better.

I'm telling you to put a glass of water on your dash and then I guarantee you'll get about as good mpg as you'll see. Even just a 3/4 full glass in your cup holder will work. That will give you the best for starting and stopping speeds, as well as maintaining speeds.

 

Gadget:Ultragauge
Speed: 63 mph
RPM: 2100
Best real time MPG: 24.55
Truck year: 08
Truck trim: extended cab
Transmission: Standard
Drivetrain: Pre-runner
Current Odometer reading: 43xxx

 

This is what i am talking about. Wish to see more!

 

I know how to answer simple question like this without argueing or whatever. You ask to have people post answers to the questions and I dont see whats so hard. Everyones driving habits will alter but having people post these things just gives others ideas of what other are getting.

Its very simple to increase fuel economy. Do not be in any hurry to get places, leave that 5-10 minutes earlier and go 5-10 mph slower on the freeway USE CRUISE CONTROL. On short trips you arent really gaining anything going quick as you would on trip that go on for hours. Do not jack rabbit start and try to let off the throttle and coast to red lights. Its a red light and I dont understand why people feel they need to be first to it.

Around town I get better mileage if I stay in fourth gear at speeds around 50mph. The one thing I really like about the ultra gauge is the engine load application. I never realized how hard my engine was working before and now more than every due to my 255/85/16.

long post but whatever lol

 

Just follow some of these steps and you'll be quite a bit better off than trying to find a magic number to drive at: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510 Yes, there's graphs and science involved in those conclusions, but just skip down to techniques if you're really not interested.

Really though, for the cost of a tank of gas, you could get yourself a gauge and see for yourself.

 

keep it under 2,000rpm

 

i agree with the keep it under 2k BUT its interesting to see with my setup and seeing the readings on my ultragauge, for me specifically i get better mileage above 2k. Closer to 2.5k for cruising.

also seeing the instantaneous mpg when accelerating, if i keep the rpms at or above 2k after my shift, my engine load is lower and mpg shows to not go as low either.

these are just observations so take them how you wish but dont argue with me about them because for me thats what i am seeing and everyones situation is different. Thanks

 

1st gens under 2k is like 40mph

 

Gadget:Ultragauge
Speed: 0-120 mph
RPM: 0-7000rpm
Best real time MPG: 88mpg
Truck year: 10
Truck trim: double cab
Transmission: auto
Drivetrain: 4x4
Current Odometer reading: 18500

hope this helps

 

You've hit to what it really comes down to. Engine load (and if the engine is in open or closed loop). How hard the engine needs to work will determine fuel usage, which isn't necessarily a direct correlation to RPMs.

Granted you're a 2nd gen so have a little more advanced ecu and many updated components, there's still all sorts of stuff that reduces the amount of fuel used based on the amount of load on the engine for the first gens as well.

 

Gadget: Droid w/ Torque app
Speed: 70 mph
RPM: 750
Best real time MPG: 191 mpg
Truck year: 2004
Truck trim: extended cab
Transmission: Standard (in neutral)
Drivetrain: 2wd base
Current Odometer reading: 79,xxx

Yes, it's kind of cheating, but it is the best way to increase mileage significantly. I run in neutral as much as I can. I've also been testing the theory about coasting in neutral vs. coasting in gear. In the situation I've listed, if I shift into say 4th gear, it'll drop to about 90 mpg. I'm assuming my droid is reading the same thing the scanguage is reading through the obd plug.

 

The funny thing is that my state actually has a no coasting law, so if you ever drive through here, dont do it. Not sure how they can catch you, but still... http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE41/htm/41_06a170900.htm

On a side note, you can actually get no fuel usage if you engine brake (just leave it in gear and let off the gas entirely while at highway speeds.) You'll see your mpg jump up to infinite. Once you figure out engine braking a bit, you can use it more often, although dont get carried away cause then you might cause excessive wear on clutch/trans if you're downshifting, etc to keep the engine brake going.

 

So thats interesting that you mentioned leaving it in gear and just coast. With my ultra gauge it tells me when i do this that the truck goes to open loop, not running closed. Do you not get better mileage from closed loop? So theoretically speaking you will"increase" mpg coasting in nuetral rather than in gear. I dont know the validity of this so again this is just an observation.

 

Open and Closed loop has more to do with if your air fuel sensor (front o2 sensor) is being used to determine needed air/fuel ratios.

There are a few aspects when open mode is activated. The bad times, like when at full throttle and while warming up, and the good times, like when no fuel is needed. For an Auto Trans, that is usually when the torque converter is locked up and no throttle. For a manual trans, I'm pretty sure it has to do with a minimum rpm range, no throttle, and in gear, but not positive. I do know that a friends manual trans Mazda can go into open loop pretty much any time he wants, while for my auto only wants to in overdrive (although I can get very high mpg numbers on slowing down, just not infinite).

So, for the good open loop, it is very good for mpg, as its pretty much infinite since no/very little fuel is used, using the wheels and transmission to maintain RPM's. Basically, engine braking. The more you can drive in open loop (after warmup), the better.

 

Thats interesting. For some reason i was under the impression that open loop was dumping fuel like crazy regardless of what was going on. It seems the truck shows higher mpg when coasting in nuetral as opposed to in gear. On my drive to school tomorrow ill need to take a better more attentive loosky