Gas Mileage sucks! Help?

Hi ya'll. I have a question, I have a 2001 Tacoma V6 that has an intake kit, TRD headers and dual exhaust after the Cats (the pipes are 3/4 inch wider too). I also have a 4 inch lift and bigger tires (not much bigger than stock tires). I remember before I did these mods, I was getting about 22 mpg/hwy. Now, I am lucky if I get 18. I usually have to fuel once a week, and that's from driving 8 miles total a day (to and from work). Anyway, with my motorcycle, I put an intake kit and aftermarket (less restrictive) exhaust and I had to put a Power commander (fuel management device). Do I have to do the same with my truck? Any help will be appreciated! Thanks!

 

It's the lift and tires that are hurting you.
The intake and pipes on the bike actually made a significant difference.
On the Tacoma, you replaced a non-restrictive CAI with a non-restrictive CAI, and in the exhaust, the cat is the most restrictive point, so the other parts did not make a big difference.
On the bike, the new exhaust likely eliminated your cats... plus motorcycles tend to be tuned pretty lean from the factory (I've seen Harleys pushing 17:1 stock).

Another thing is your 8-miles a day is not helping you at all. Your engine is never warming up, and from the distance, I suspect it is all around town stoplight to stoplight driving.

My 2.7 5-lug only gets 15 under those conditions.
I can pull 26 on the highway at 65mph.

 

Another thing to remember is if you go with larger tires your speedometer will read slower than it did with stock tires and your odometer will show less miles than you've actually drove. I could be wrong but I don't think the computer compensates for tire size.

 

How the hell do you even get 18? Haha mixed driving on 1/2 tank for me yesterday I got a shade over 15..

 

Yea 18 is good for what you have lol

 

Hell, I'm getting 16mpg with a 3" lift, 33s, budbuilt skids/bellypan, a bumper and a toolbox full of crap and I'm happy I'd probably crap my pants if my truck ever broke 18mpg again.

 

Not to rub it in or anything. (I am completely stock though)

 

Gonna play that game?

 

Yup haha. But your a 5 lug. 2.7. I'm a 3.4 4wd

 

Bigger exhaust doesn't help either. It reduces low end torque which is good for fuel economy.

 

Thanks for the insight, and sorry about starting a fuel economy war in this post. I don't know, I have been contemplating getting a TRD exhaust (which is single sided exhaust), mine is double after the cat. One of these days (when I win the lottery, I will put a TRD supercharger on it. Will that be better for gas mileage or not? Thanks again ya'll!

 

Bunch more power, but it won't help on gas.
Mileage will be comparable to what you're getting now if you keep your foot out of it. Much worse if you actually enjoy the SC.

 

18 out of a 3.4 with bigger tires and lift? I want to know how your getting that haha. I'm getting about 16 with 31s at stock height. The best I've gotten was when I first got the truck and it had no weight in it. Got about 17.5. Now with a bunch of lights, subs, toolbox full of stuff, cb whip, and aggressive tires I get about 16-17. I just did the deck plate mod so I'm gonna see if that helps at all

 

I've read a few posts saying the deck plate mod actually reduces your MPG by 1-2. Basically once you start screwing around with the intake and exhaust system, you're hurting your fuel economy. That's why I never did the deck plate and am running an OE replacement muffler (ran FM 40 and no muffler for a while.. gradually hated both). I have to squeeze every last drop of gas that I can out of my setup. I researched the crap out of different intake setups and none really provide you with any gains, especially for the money, and they all hurt your fuel economy. Even the free deck plate mod. But if you want your truck to be loud well, you have to make some compromises.

 

wow I only get 14. I'm on 33 tires and regeared

 

Get a Prius and stop bitching.

 

Jeez I have a 4cyl and I get 15.5 mpg and your bitching about 18mpg! But yea I'd say the things that are affecting it are the lift, tires, and possibly the exhaust. I've heard that making your exhaust bigger takes away some low end torque or something(might just be 4cyl's I dunno) because it needs more back pressure. Not sure If it affects gas mileage also..

 

People need to realize that from the factory Toyota stated the estimated EPA fuel economy at 17mpg city and 19mpg highway for the V6 Tacoma.

Consider yourself lucky if you're still getting that kind of mileage with a lifted truck with bigger tires.

 

I researched the deck plate mod and they said that it will increase your economy a little, while CAIs showed no gains, and even some losses. It's been dyno proven to increase the power of the 3.4 by 9hp. Chris4x4 did the dyno tests

 

These posts are my favorite!