$500 - $1000 to spend on better MPG on my 3.4L. Ideas?

Real MPG tests say no for mpg, I didn't say Chris didn't find more hp.

 

Thanks for setting me straight. I'm gonna save my money. Might try an ultraguage. Gonna try to change my driving habits. Maybe try synthetic oil. Also when my tires wear out I'm gonna find a lighter tire with a lower rolling resistance.

 

toss everything you dont need in the truck. save on weight helps a bit. carbon fiber body pieces helps but expensive..or fiberglass but it aint gonna do much good in rough driving or when it get damage.

 

Move closer to work. Drive less. Plan your trips better.

I got a transfer to an office half the distance to my house. Went from a 32 mile commute to 16. That alone made a huge difference. Like giving myself a raise with the cost of fuel and maintenance.

 

Deckplate: Neglible gain/loss
Synthetic: Neglible, but you will save a little money by switching oil change intervals to 10k+ (I do that, but still change filter every 5)
Air filter: Not much but people on here like the AFE pro dry as well as K&N
Better gas: Not much either, although I see 1-2 mpg better than normal highway when I use premium on long trips
Dealer cleaning engine parts: HUGE waste of money, stay away from the stealership

Other stuff:
Synthetic or partial synthetic in drivetrain: not much, but will reduce wear on parts and save you money in the long run
Spark plugs: pull/check frequently (~6 months) and replace if worn. Makes big difference
Right foot: Use skinny pedal lightly
Remove extra stuff not needed from truck
Coast longer into stop signs/lights

A lot of that is pretty self explanatory.

 

(*

 

Yup.

The only money that you can spend that will effectively improve MPG beyond normal maintenance that you should be doing anyways would be putting that $1000 into the down payment on a 2.7 RC 5spd.

And even at that, the extra 8mpg is never going to pay for the new car.

 

Since when does the 2.7 get 8 mpg better than the 3.4?

The vast majority of info I've seen on here suggests the difference is more like 1-3mpg

 

I've got an automatic, 2008, RC base, and I consistently get 24mpg mixed.
I've done as well as 26 mixed, but that's rare, 25 has been pretty common.

Worst tanks ever were 22, and that was running 80mph climbing across New Mexico and Texas into Austin.

I keep reading that the V6 is getting anywhere from 14 to 18, so that's a difference of 4-10mpg.

 

shrockworks bumper

 

My '99 auto 2.7 Pre has gotten an average of 20 mpg, about 70/30 hwy/city with over inflated tires, bedcover, and driving like there is an egg under the gas pedal. My dad's new crew cab, 5600 lb, 14 second, 11k-lb-tow-capacity-turbo F150 gets the same.

 

Hmm. Maybe the 2nd gens are different. As far as 1st gens go (this is the 1st gen forum). The 2.7's only seem to get 1-3mpg better than 3.4's at most. It's hard to compare as driving conditions are different, but may 2.7 owners even report to getting significantly worse mileage than the average 3.4 owner. Which is logical as the massive size, weight, and drag of a 4x4 tacoma has a much larger affect on mileage than .7 liters of displacement does.

 

1. Sell said truck for $10,000
2. Save extra $1,000
3. Buy used Prius for $11,000
4. Enjoy drive less
5. Get 50mpg

 

If you could wedge the same 170 ci motor I had in my 61 frontenac(falcon) into your tacoma you should get 30 easy, just don't expect to go too fast and the conversion might cost more than a grand even if you could find one of those motors. Without serious changes to the motor itself all you can really do is what has already been suggested here, just one of the joys of owning a Tacoma, gotta have something to complain about and there isn't much else besides the gas mileage.

 

Hey everyone if forgetting this and its free! Watch Driving Miss Daisy, and she gives free driving lessons with fuel savings tips. just drive 20 mph and you really will get great mpg

HEY DOES ANYONE MAKE SOME SPOILERS AND WINGS WE CAN PUT ON THE TAILGATE?

Here is a funny story: in 1986 after my grandmother retired, my grandfather figured since they loved to travel, now was the time to do it before they got tooo old. so they went out one morning to the GMC dealer and bought right out one of those big ugly suburbans to two a new highlow, remember the gaudy ones with stripes and the fiberglass spoilers and the big fender-flares...
(it made my eyes hurt) so they are going over the suv and my grandfather ask the salesman "whats that big thing hanging down almost to the ground up front"?
the salesmans said, "sir, that is what is called a "windbreaker" as you drive down the highway it breaks the wind and it help with your mpg"!
my grandfather said" SHITTT! Ive put up with her doing it for 40 years going down the road and I cant tell the differance! pointing to grandma

she was not happy, but they did the winter in florida for many years.

 

I just bought a 1986 Accord with 340,000 on the clock, 4 banger, 5 speed from a family member for $100, yes $100. It gets about 34 mpg.

I currently drive about 85 miles per day for work. Now that the weather is warming up, I'll be pulling the boat about another 100 miles per week. The car is going to be great for just getting back and forth to work.

 

1st gen forum, but my comment was that the best use of his $1000 to improve the mileage of his 3.4 was to use the $1000 as a down payment on a new 2.7 5spd regular cab

That still stands

 

I've owned both a 2.7 and 3.4 1st gen. I got 24mpg on the 2.7 and I get about 18.5 on the 3.4.

Let's figure that a person drives 10,000 miles per year (it's an easy multiple anyway), we are paying $3.50 per gallon, and assuming the mileages I proved above:

2.7L would cost you $1,458

3.4L would cost you $1,892

That's $434 per 10,000 miles. The grand question is, is the V6 worth that extra for you?

I pull a 20' bass boat about 3,000 miles per year. It's all a 3.4L can do to handle that. No way would a 2.7L handle it. So yeah, it's worth it to me.

I think most guys I know that have trucks (Tacomas or otherwise) are buying little cars to drive back and forth to work. In our area, most folks commute at least 20 miles to get to work (one way). Buying a cheap car that gets at least double the mileage of your truck is the way to go.

When you start figuring in gas mileage, cost of tires, cost of maintenance, etc on trucks (which is higher than small cars) it doesn't take long to recoup your money. This is particularly true if gas prices continue to climb.

 

Bahh... for a 20 mile commute, I wouldn't sweat it.
I commute 45 each way and drove a '95 Suburban for a year. Only dumped it because it was a POS. I wanted to like that truck.

But the fuel-sipping 2.7 is a nice change from the 5.7.

 

Spend it on gas.