Fuel Mileage

The Non-Ethanol is definitely a big factor. My best mpg before using it was 24+. And it's not easily available here in the outskirts of Metro Atlanta, where I live.

 

That's a good way to burn up a fuel pump, which uses the fuel as a lubricant.

 

I put 9 gallons in then 1 in a can for the mower when I fill up so I don't get the ethanol in the truck I get around 17 mpg in town but cross country trips I can push 20-22 mpg until I hit the 75+ MPH speed limit states.

 

Yeah for best mpg, speed kills. Mine is best around 62/63.

 

There is a sump in the tank which keeps the pump submerged so you can run it down to a low level safely.

 

Sure, the fuel is used for cooling/lubricant. I think the low fuel will burn up a fuel pump is a myth though. Just how many gallons of gas is needed to cool the fuel pump? A gallon of gas isn't enough? If a gallon of liquid isn't enough to cool a fuel pump then there seems to be a lot of friction going on. Why don't fuel pumps, mounted outside the tank have the same problem?

Do they sell more fuel pumps in Arizona and South Texas than say Montana and Wyoming? The ambient temperature must affect cooling properties.

I've heard to keep between 1/4 to half a tank. Really? 5 to 10 gallons? When I fill up, after the light is on, I find I usually have 2 - 3 gallons left.

I file this with the idea your fuel pump is going to suck up a bunch of crap from low fuel in the tank.

 

yeah ive heard that too, idk if it matters but i changed the fuel pump on my 2000 blazer like every 18 months, but so did everyone i knew who had one. ive never had a problem with any other vehicle im sure that it matters but not enough to worry about. Like the savings by driving with lights on vs off in day burning more fuel but its like 0.001 mpg

 

I bought an ( older) truck for fuel economy.......

 

I took a little 160+ mile round trip and then drove to work and back once (24 miles of stop and go, school buses, red lights) and then filled up and did the math.

 

You should google it, "does running your fuel low harm your fuel pump" It's a known condition and the primary reason for premature fuel pump failure. Just because you "don't" think it will burn up a pump doesn't mean it won't adversely affect pump life. The pumps never burn up, the lack of lubrication and cooling causes the commutator brushes in the pump's motor to wear prematurely, eventually they don't have the needed tension/pressure to make reliable contact and at that point the pump is done. Nothing is smoked or burnt up but the pump stopped working ~60K mi sooner then the next guy's. The adverse effects rarely surface until years down the road.

The pump sucking up crap was something left over from the days of mechanical pumps and carburetors. They just had a pickup tube inside the tank with little or no filtration in the tank so almost anything suspended in the fuel near the pickup tube was vacuumed up and sent down the line towards the carburetor hopefully to be caught by the inline filter. It was enough of an issue that back in those days a clogged fuel filter wasn't very unusual. Today it's almost unheard of since the pumps are now covered by a sock that strains out all that crap before it gets inside the pump or leaves the tank.

It helps to understand the system(s) before making any assumptions. Both of the things you fofo'd are real but one of them doesn't affect our trucks.

 

No, I bought the truck I wanted and found ways to improve on it without making it any less of the great truck that it is. Call me crazy all you want. I'm happy with my truck and that's all that matters.

 

My 2007 4Runner V6 4WD SR5 (no sunroof) with 143K miles gets 14-16 MPG on my slow speed 22 mile total work commute. Not many hills around here. Vehicle runs great. . . I've scraped 22 MPG on 65 MPH freeway speeds in cruise control . . .dang, I must be a terrible driver. . . . . Or the useless 4WD systems adds a crap ton of weight! OP is doing great on MPG! Good for you sir!

I have never used non ethanol in the 4Runner, I just go with Costco fuel 87. I might try some non ethanol and see if it makes any difference. . .