No gas mileage difference after trying these mods

I have a 2014 Toyota Tacoma 4dr, V6. Trying to improve gas mileage I put in a K&N Air Filter and a box I plugged into the electrical system. Not really noticing a differance. Should I get rid of them and go back to stock?

 

Yes, it's junk that will damage your engine.

 

Thank you very much, coming off tomorrow

 

LCE header is about the only thing I'd add to this engine. Get yourself all synthetic driveline fluids as well.

 

Thank you

 

A box? Wtf is that? Best way to get better mileage is remove all unneeded weight. Run original tire size. Make sure tires psi are set to door jam numbers. Drive like a grandma and stay under 70mph on the highway. Oh and wait for summer so you get summer blend and air is less dense.

 

Thank you

 

Something I recently learned is that there is actually some validity to faster acceleration as it decreases the resistance of the incoming air having to pass through a smaller throttle opening (seriously). All other points are valid. I think my truck has reached 70 mp/h about 10 times in the last 3 years. Speed limits are slower here, which I am fine with.

 

If you read the K&N literature carefully their air filters improve HP by a marginal amount. If you're running 6000 rpm. They might add 2-3 mph to the top end for the guys building their own dirt track race cars. But for the average consumer they do very little.

There is some debate about how well they actually filter the air. For normal driving I don't think they are harmful. But if you drive off road a lot in dusty conditions, they are probably not a good idea. Their biggest advantage is that you can clean and replace the same filter. Long term you should save some money over buying disposable filters.

I bought one over 20 years ago. The truck I had at the time took a $30 air filter. This when most were $5. The K&N was $40ish and that is the only filter I ever bought for the truck. It didn't help or hurt anything. It was still in the truck when I sold it and I never went back to them.

 

Anything that is not a completely stock truck is going to get worse MPG

 

Some good reading re. air friction and throttle plates:
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/automobiles/27valve.html
Air filter report, this is a very good read:
https://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

 

That's why making sure to change oil regularly helps especially with crappy filters.

 

I hit 85mph daily. Lol

 

Slow is the new fast. Driving the speed limit is the ultimate luxury for me for many reasons.

 

100% remove whatever electronic gizmo you put on there, it's snake oil and could damage your truck. K&N filters for a 1GRFE won't give any realized performance difference. Just having a clean, well-maintained air filter in general is best performance.

I've studied my own MPG for about 2 years now logging every tank in my own spreadsheet. For me (and backed up by commentary in other MPG threads), here is the recipe for best fuel economy:

• Keep speeds at or below 70mph. Faster speeds are guaranteed to lose economy.
• Use cruise control whenever possible/reasonable.
• Synthetic fluids in the driveline.
• Tire pressure: do a chalk test and be sure your tires are kept at the correct pressures.
• Choose lighter tires with more road-biased tread patterns.
• Ambient temperatures: Here in Wisconsin we get temps below 32°F about 3-4 months a year. During those times nothing I do makes it better and I lose 3-4 MPGs. Drive less in cold temps if possible.
• Carry less cargo weight.

 

I agree with everything other than chalk test. Also carry less cargo should be on top the list and using correct engine oil weight.

As for chalk test to get a good flat contact you generally run lower psi that lowers fuel economy. You would rather run door jam psi or even max sidewall pressure to get best mileage.

 

keep it well maintained and bone stock (no added weight) and you'll get as good MPG as is possible with a little truck. Tons of snake oil products out there that make a killing convincing people they'll see MPG improvement because the placebo effect is strong. Same with 'performance' parts.

If you're running heavy D or E rated all terrain tires, ditch them for some stock size highway tires and that will definitely make a difference.

 

One other item....ceramic spray coating of the vehicle exterior. I really like the Turtle Wax Hybrid product, since you can also use it on plastics.
https://www.turtlewax.com/products/hybrid-solutions-ceramic-wax-spray-coating-16-fl-oz
I use it on the entire front end of the vehicle, including the headlights, but not on the windshield.

 

You could also run lighter aftermarket wheels to gain a tiny bit more efficiency, but those wheels are probably going to cost you, so... meh.

 

Return back to the stock air box..but remove the 2nd carbon / charcoal filter that is is riveted in with the plastic rivets in the top lid of the factory air box to greatly improve air flow if you don't have to pass a vehicle inspection..