14mpg? Is this normal?

I have a recently rebuilt 3rz 2.7l ext cab auto 4x4 and i'm getting 14mpg steady. My idle air control is acting up but it only acts up when you first crank it up while it is idling so i don't think thats a factor in my mpg. My ect power is off, tires are good on air everything is like it should be and it runs great. I'm averaging 14mpg over 5 tanks so far and this is getting hard on my wallet. What should my truck be getting? I drive mixed driving too. Thanks in advance!

 

is your truck all stock, any mods.

 

Its all stock. Nothing done to it.

 

no that is not normal, especially for a stock 4 banger. I had a 96 lifted 4 inches with big heavy 33" tires and got over 15mpg with ease...

 

According to Fuelly.com you should be averaging 18-20 depending on the year of your truck

 

It really depends on your driving habits, but your numbers still seem low.

If your trips are short and the engine is very cold when you start, I would say it's probably normal. Cold engines run rich and use much more gas. If the trip is short, she doesn't have enough time to warm up and bring the average up.

Try a trip on the highway at 65 MPH. You should get low to mid 20's.

 

BTW I averaged 14 MPG when I lived 3 miles from work with my V6 4x4 and now I live 16 miles from work and average in the mid-19's. In both cases, she was garaged, so the engine temp rarely got below 60°F.

 

low for a 4 cyl. my 6 cyl is getting about 14.5 mpg since it's cold. cold weather causes more fuel burning because the gas vapor molecules are more tightly packed when going into the cylinder. i started shifting sooner and it brought it up to 15.5-16 mpg. this is with a lift and 33's.

 

My trip is about 8 miles one way. I usually drive about 20 miles daily though no more than 10 miles at one time. So this may be the case.

My driving habits aren't bad for a teenager. Gas is expensive and I have alot invested in this truck so it rarely gets over 2500rpm and thats usually merging onto the hwy. I'm going to keep researching this problem and wait until the temperature comes back up to warm climates because the truck is parked outside and i usually let it warm up for about 10 minutes in the morning. Thanks guys!

 

Stop doing that, no good reason to let it warm up.

 

10 mins is not going to take it down to 14mpg IMO, maybe its no necessary for that length of time but that depends on outside temp. There is a good reason to let any vehicle warm up on very cold days. I work in a Laboratory at a oil plant that sells 18-20 million gallons a year, and we blend all oil on site. We have over a million dollars in lab equipment, and our cold crank measurements will surprise many people. Long story short it helps to let your motor warm up especially when its 20 degrees or lower. In comparison synthetic blend 5w30 has about the same flow at 15 degrees as 80w90 does at 70. Do you run 80-90 in you motor when its 70 degrees, at least for the first 5 minutes of travel?

 

I start and drive at whatever temperature it is, and I see -10F around here, with no problems. Just take it easy for the first mile or so.

Idling for 10 minutes and then driving 8 miles sure can drop it to 14 mpg. That could be idling more than driving.

 

No doubt. You get zero MPG idling!

 

Wow.

 

Here's a little update on my fuel economy. I literally got mad and frustrated with the mpg's i had been getting so i decided screw it i'll drive it hard and see what the 3rz has to show. I had been driving it harder than before. Getting between 2500-3000rpm's and a few times merging onto the hwy getting to 4000rpm's. I figured my mileage up and averaged 16.0mpg! Not believing it I drove it a whole tank of fuel exactly the same way and averaged 16.7mpg's again.

 

Still Idling for 10 minutes?

 

Maybe if you floor it every time you'll get 20.

Seriously though, like previously stated, there are a lot of variables. Get an Ultragauge, calibrate it, and you will be amazed as to what you learn about how conditions and driving habits impact MPG's.

 

I drive w/ my right foot to the floor a great deal of the time, and get 18-20mpg. Stock truck, no lift. I got 22 or so when I first bought it, but lost around 2mpg when I went to the BFG All-terrains (heavier tire).

 

I drive like a kid, (am) and I get 18 with my 4 banger with 265/75's.

 

i live in wa state and get average of 16. this is with deck plate. afe filter, slightly oversized at's. the reason i mention Washington is because while researching this problem on my 07 ridgeline i found out wa state uses more ethanol in thier gas then other states which effects the mpgs.