MPG tanking as of late. Injectors?

Two Tacoma's with over 300K and the latest with 145K none of them every had the injector cleaned or replaced a 4 MPG shift really isn't much. Lot of variables short trips, change in the weather, idling (zero miles to the gallon) different route. I can go from 20 mpg to 13 or less just using low range to plow snow.

 

TLDR entire thread. Did you do the usual: Change air filter, clean throttle body, etc?

 

If you’re strapped for money, the best advice to give you is do nothing and spend your money on gas.
Just wait, and get more data. Monitor your mpg over the next few tanks, doing all the usual mpg increasing driving practices.
If you’re strapped for money, it’s completely insane to guess at a problem like this, and just throw money at it.

My money is on what you’re putting in your tank. There’s no way in knowing the quality of gasoline that you’re buying, because of all the supply chain issues going on in the world as of late…

 

What do you consider fully built? Let's see some pictures of your fully built tacoma.

 

5 MPG. Air filter? Please! Heh. Can we hear from that freak getting 25MPG in an earlier post? Gimme a freaking break. Also,those two dudes discussing a difference of .05 MPG. Love that post.
My gawd. God bless this place, but read back before you having me breaking out tools and procedures that I ain’t got.
Best suggestion so far…a quality shop to rebuild the injectors, whether they need them or not after 111k, and buying cheapest gas the last few years on empty every time. Times is tough. I may have done it to myself. Runs smooth otherwise.

 

You don’t need tools to look at your air filter…

 

Before throwing parts at it, I’d do some more digging. Something could be dragging, you could have a cracked exhaust manifold, your tires could be low, lots of ways to lose efficiency.

 

Golly gee.

 

Everyone on here is taking into consideration your cash strapped self and making realistic suggestions to your problem. Your posts make you sound like someone who pays somebody $110 an hour to do the work for you. Let us know how that works out.

 

Gee…just an hour, huh? Ok. Filled the tank to the brim. Needle was pushing off the full F mark. A mere 20 miles later it’s now down below the top F mark notch. Sound? Now it’s making this guzzle guzzle guzzle sound.

 

It must be thirsty. lol!

In all seriousness, I think you maybe overreacting a little bit. You’re automatically thinking the worst thing. You can spend as much money and time trying to fix the problem you are describing, and still end up right back where you started. Then having to pay someone to actually do the work is going to be more expensive than a 5mpg loss. I would personally love your fuel mileage on my truck. Do the math and find out exactly how much money you’re loosing with the 5mpg loss. Probably not as much as you think, most people cringe at the gas pump after a fill up, and automatically think something is wrong because of the total cost of the gasoline. I’m pretty sure I can speak for everyone on this forum…our trucks get less fuel mileage in the winter months due to many variables including temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and the fuel your putting in to your tank.
Pay no attention to the fuel level needle in your dash…until it says empty. Another thing to consider is that your odometer maybe stopping and starting back up. You probably have the base model cluster without a trip meter, if so I have heard of them giving trouble. Borrow (if you don’t have one) a gps that keeps track of miles driven, and compare the gps to the cluster mileage after a tank of fuel.
Good luck!

 

Regardless of how I go about this, fuel injectors are good for about 100k or so. Okay maybe more. I’m not settling for watching my fuel needle drop as I drive. I don’t think having them rebuilt for $110 at 111k is a foolish unnecessary waste of money. Yes, I’m taking in other suggestions too, except the unnecessary ones like tire pressure, air filter etc. I was going to the pump every 6 days. Every 4.5 days is unacceptable to me. With otherwise smooth performance, something’s up, I just don’t know what at the moment.

 

I have other ideas, but they require tools you don’t have. Good luck!

 

I can share some facts about weather and MPG.

Where I live there isn’t a winter blend fuel, not that I’ve heard of. No ethanol.

So with a 50 mile round trip commute in summer, 70 degrees, 2wd… I’m seeing 21 mpg at best with a healthy 85k mile 2.7.

In winter, the same drive at 20 to 30 below F., in 4wd at highway speed, and with the excessive idling at warm up…19 mpg is typical.

The least I get is 17 mpg, with a trailer in 4th gear, not using 5th just because I prefer not to use OD while towing. That’s the same, winter or summer.

I just wanted to share my real world cold weather experience to rule out the 5mpg difference.

 

I changed the factory shock and coilovers and I consider it fully built because it was

 

At this point, my next spare $110 is going into rebuilding my injectors. If this isn’t what’s causing the guzzling, so what. At least then, I can come back here and report back and you all can check it off. If gulping continues, some can have a laugh “I knew that wasn’t it.”

 

I personally get a 5mpg difference between tanks all the time. But my truck is supercharged, and boost = poor fuel economy. Nothing to blame there other than my foot on the throttle. It really is hard to keep a roots blower in vacuum.
Anyway, there’s a lot of things that could be causing what you’re experiencing. A restricted air filter could cause that, and before you automatically dismiss the possibility, think of varmints. Idk where you live but I used to have a dog and one little pesky rat filled my entire air breather with dog food. Most of the time this condition would eventually end up with a check engine light, with rich codes. The people on this forum are very smart, but none of us can diagnose your truck without actually being there. Things you pass of as nonsense isn’t always nonsense. Tire pressure could also cause the change, but you would probably notice a bulge between the rim and the ground, and on more than one wheel. Lots of folks on the forum gave you actually good information for someone who doesn’t have any tools or experience. I graduated Nashville Auto/Diesel college in 2000. I’ll never forget one of my instructors sayings. He said to remember the word KISS
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid!
In my career I have seen many problems be caused by something so simple that it was overlooked, even by a Ford Senior Master Technician.
I think it was mentioned, but you could also use your spare tire jack, and lift each wheel off the ground individually. Check for resistance in rotating the wheel. Then press the brake pedal and check it again to make sure your brakes aren’t dragging, and releasing properly.
At any rate, good luck!

 

I'd check the maf, if its dirty could give a wrong reading without setting off the engine light. Shouldnt cost much for a shop to check it if your afraid you might break a nail.
Could also be an o2 sensor. They are in the exhaust pipe, as old as your truck is it could have soot and junk stuck to it enough to give it a bad reading but also not throw a code.

 

you posted a 5 mpg difference as usual, then posted it went down "3" mpg in total of your differences (not uncommon at all) and with a period of 15 fill-ups which can equate to around 3.5 months, not a "short time" in my book. What are you using to track fuel? pen/paper, website, spreadsheet?

I have 184k on mine, fuel mileage hasn't changed except when the colder weather hits, so to me for someone who doesn't have money to burn, that $110 would be better spent elsewhere.

These things are trucks, not economy cars, you want 30+? Buy a civic or a Prius, not an open bed truck that acts like a wind sail most days.

Gurgling would not be coming from fuel injectors as they are pressurized, that sound would come from air getting into the fuel line or fuel tank. don't overfill or you compromise the charcoal canister which is supposed to capture vapor, not liquid. consistently overfilling will ruin the canister and cause issues thus decreasing gas mileage


and a final thought, most of the suggestions people have made are simple things that should be checked regardless. 5psi is not that noticeable by looking at the tire but will reduce the overall diameter of rolling which decreases the amount of distance you cover overall (little bit adds up over a couple hundred miles)

by the way, if you're going to act like a dick/be snarky when people make suggestions, don't be surprised when people stop helping/replying to you when you ask for advice


good luck and I hope you get that magic answer you're looking for

 

There isn't much you can rebuild in an injector, putting a new filter screen in and electrically opening the injector and pumping cleaning fluid through it is about it. The injector operates by the amount of time that is open it is controlled by the ECM high demand it stays open longer idle low demand it stays open shorter if you listen to them you can hear them buzz opening and closing. The time is controlled by inputs form things such O2 sensors TPS and any other thing connected to the ECM. The injectors are basically a simple device with no brains.