Bad gas mileage

I can claim the same...not quite as drastic but during the summer i get an average of 22.6-23 mpg. Soon as the cold late fall weather arrives it'll start dropping to a low of 20 mpg in the dead of winter. Thats driving the same roads at roughly the same speeds, or slower with the same tires.

 

It's been about a month. I don't feel like anything is different other than the snow tires and this is the third winter for them. It's never happened before. I will however take your advice and wait a bit to see if it rights itself. Thank you.

I haven't been doing that yet. I live in NW PA so I will be doing that but I haven't done it yet this year. Thank you for your help.

 

Have you actually done the math figuring your mpg.? I've done it for my truck a few times now. So far the dash led screen is pretty close to compare with.

 

You quoted a member with a 1GR FE.

 

Pretty sure your 3 mile trip to work is the issue. Your ECU is dumping fuel in the cylinders the whole time and your engine does not get to operating temps. Basically it’s running rich the whole drive to work.

 

I’ve noticed the same thing with my truck the last month since temps have dropped. Figured it was just the weather change

 

What the heck is a 1GR FE?

 

4.0L engine used in Toyota light trucks and SUVs. Tacoma’s, 4runners, FJs, Prados…

 

I still don't understand your comment. The guy said he had a 6cyl SR5 tacoma, which is the same engine in my TRD Sport, which is why I commented and shared the results of MPG in my truck. But oh well, thanks for explaining somewhat what 1GR... means...

 

The member you quoted has a 2007 Tacoma with the 4.0, which is about 20-25% less efficient.

His truck description is right under his member name.

 

Oops. I stand corrected! I did quote a guy with a lowly 2nd generation. Wonder why he commented in this group anyway then? I do still say the gas mileage of the original poster of this thread, seems really low to me, especially compared to mine! Thanks Junkhead for straightening me out on this one.

 

OP.....despite the banter and chest beating.......back biting......nonsense.....

A few things to consider.

Tire pressure will have big swings as the temperature moves, especially dramatic this time of year. Suggest to monitor tire pressures on a weekly basis until the season stabilizes.
Fuel will be changing from Summer blend to Winter blend, this is somewhat dependent on regions.
Have you added any cargo or mods? Weight requires fuel to move.

Lastly, how long are you idling to "warm up" your truck. Typically, this is the greatest impact on fuel usage.

Your short commute is not long enough for the engine to fully heat up enough to drive off moisture. Suggest to take a longer commute to work or shorten the oil change interval in the winter.

 

All good!

Yeah, Marshall likes to comment in 3rd gen section quite a bit, and some comments are pretty interesting to say the least, haha.

 

You also have a short work commute?

 

Yeah just 4 miles one way and noticed a dip of about 3mpg recently

 

That’s pretty bad for the engine as well. The moisture does not evaporate from inside of your engine, because the engine does not reach operating temps. Also your oil gets diluted with gas like crazy.

Ride a bike maybe?

 

My son-in-law put a lift on his 17 Taco and I'm guessing at least a 33" tire (maybe 35")......but the result was a reduction in fuel economy from 23 to 18......his experience is that his truck hardy ever shifts into overdrive since the rolling resistance/weight of the tires changed.....just relaying his experience.

 

Oh wow didn’t realize that! I probably will in the other seasons but winter is difficult to ride a bike lol

 

I don’t think I ever averaged more than 18 mpg tank average in my 3rd gen. Usually the running tank average was 16.7. Sure on a trip to work or something I might be able to squeak out 20-21 mpg if I pussyfooted it but the tank average is what I always went on.