Improving Gas Mileage

Well there goes that idea out the window

 

If you think about it, less air = less fuel, and the air isn’t as dense to drive through

though oddly my sister’s car got much worse mpg in cheyenne than pensacola

 

After a fillup, baby it as much as you possibly can for a few miles (10-20), to get started with a nice big tank average.
Then from a start, accelerate fairly hard (watch the MPG drop fast), then a mile or two later gradually coast back to a stop and watch the MPGs come back up. Where is your MPG?

On the next fillup, set it up the same. With the same # of miles into the tank, accelerate equally hard, but then after a mile or two brake quickly to a stop. Where is your MPG? I expect most of your MPG loss will be on the hard braking test.

Think about it like this: when accerating hard, the engine is a little less efficient, but your only "waste" is that efficiency difference. When braking, you're wasting 100% of your kenetic energy. There is more wasted engery from braking.

But most people who accerate hard also brake a lot, so it doesn't matter for them. Once I got the hang of it, I could have some fun driving my IS350 without killing the MPG.

How much that applies to a Tacoma I don't know because I'm on my third tank of gas.

 

That is really interesting. Conserve your momentum!!!!

 

Hes got that hard tonneau cover, i should ve been more clear. Also, i removed my chin strap and got e rated bfgs stock size. He has got 265/70/17 C load bfgs.

I always seem to get a bit better than him, which is kind of strange. I do drive smart tho, i read the road ahead and dont slam on brakes and gas constantly. Always try to take advantage of DFCO, its easier with MT.

 

I’ll use that with my kids tonight. Sure, they’re learning long division earlier than I did in school, but I’ll tell them to stop trying to improve and ditch the “growth mindset” thing STAT.

That “parachute idea” isn’t born out by wind tunnel testing. See this:
https://youtu.be/2FpiJVvFnjI

 

FCA has some good ideas there. Need a +/-3" lift system. Raise you 3 inches from standard or 3" below standard. Would really help on the highway.

 

Yeah, it is cool, I’d be a bit leery about the airbag/lift system going out over the long term or when abused off-road.

Anyone want to build an active grille shutter with me? I’m trying to find an array built for another car that fits without much pain behind our grille. Could be epic. Might save 1/3rd an mpg. Beer could be consumed during R&D. Anything’s possible.

 

Excellent post.

 

That's great! However, I don't own a Ram nor do I ever will. Very happy with my Tacoma and what I have done to save MPG. Is going to snow this afternoon and decided to load my spare tire in the bed with some other stuff. Here is a trip summary this am.

 

Yep. My old boss had a 2011 JGC that was based on a lot of M-B parts. The airbag pump went and the thing was riding around on the bumpstops like a lot of the Land Rovers that you see. The pump was not rebuildable and was about $3k. The system was high pressure nitrogen filled. And, the pump was buried in the front clip that required most of the front end to be torn apart to be R&R'ed.

Full nope for me on active, consumer grade systems like that.

 

I'm averaging only 15.4 mpg, but almost all of my miles are the 15 minute, stop and go city traffic commute to work. Almost never on the highway. Maybe I have a lead foot?

 

Oh so that explains why most self-righteous smug hybrid drivers jump ahead of people then slow down barely doing the speed limit.

 

thats totally insane. Did u do the Prius conversion?

 

Keep your stock tires, do not put a lift and do not drive faster than 65mph. My truck is the 6MT and turns about 2200rpm at 65mph. I got this on Monday. Set your cruise and obey the speed limit and don’t use your brakes on downhills, downshift and let the truck coast, it’s really not that hard imo. This was an empty truck but with a full tank of gas and the I-5 gets congested and a little hilly near Santa Clarita. 1st leg started in Lancaster and was 55mph in 5th gear on CA-138 then it was south on 1-5, then took 405 and finally the 118-W until I reached Simi Valley at 65mph in 6th when possible.

 

With the AT / MT difference, the thing is that, like hybrids, the programming is set to ace the EPA MPG testing as well as possible. The city and highway test cycles are a pretty far cry from what the typical person actually does. In real life, the actual MPGs are pretty darn close with the MT potentially edging out the AT.

So while the EPA estimates may favor ATs these days, I would still bet that those estimates are more accurate in the real world for MTs than ATs. That has been my experience with the MT and AT vehicles that we have owned.

I would certainly bet that my MT sees 6th gear a whole lot more often than most Taco ATs, given what is posted here on TW?

 

Then they take forever to get going from a stop and prevent you from getting through the light as they coast through a yellow.

 

OVTune will help also. I have a stock TRD Pro and get about 19.5-20pmg using there performance selected tune. Had their base tune on the truck for a toad trip and got 22-23mpg. Also have a drop in KnN air filter with the Fab Tek air box mod so that help a little.

 

6th is making more power in the 6MT. 2200rpm in the 6MT vs 1600rpm in the AT is amazing.