Tunes worth is

I have a 2019 TRD OF Tacom, is a tune worth it to see better mpg?

 

I don’t stay up to date on the 3rd Gen stuff.
But I can’t say I’ve seen many guys tune for MPG?
Most tune for better performance and shift points.

@tonered might know?

 

Yea that’s what I’ve been told, it’s not so much for mpg. But you never know what info you can find on here

 

The guy I tagged above is a tuner
If anyone knows, I bet he might?

 

@cemented could tell you lots

 

The tunes main goals were to fix drivability issues with the double overdrive. Power and torque increases were added in and finally better throttle response. All these things added up together will help the truck run more efficiently so long as the driver doesn’t drive it like they’re 16 again. I don’t like to guarantee mpg increases, but most customers do see a few gain if they drive it with respect.

 

Boom the guy chimes in

 

So I guess a tune is gonna have to be done soon..

 

I always thought the stock tune is meant to squeeze maximum efficiency out of the engine - hence the shifting "issues". The best way to get better MPG is to take your foot out of the accelerator.

Let's say you get a tune for ~$400 and it manages to net you +2 mpg, which seems generous. That gets you another ~40 miles per fill-up, which means it'll take you about 10 full tanks of gas to recoup your investment.

If that seems reasonable, then go for it. My guess is the tune will produce negligible results mpg-wise and you will be back where you started minus your $400.

 

I have a 3.5 inch lift and I only get 16 miles mpg , I have seen and been in others with 4 plus inch lift kits amd racks etc still get 20 mpg… so I’m curious as to why I get less

 

Lift doesn't matter nearly as much as the increase in unsprung weight from the larger tires you likely added along with the lift. The lift makes your truck less aerodynamic and the heavier tires make it more difficult for your truck to start moving, maintain speed, and stop.

I can squeeze 20+ out of my truck under ideal conditions (relatively flat roads, not many stop signs/lights, and speeds ~55mph) but under general driving conditions I'm right where you are @16mpg. My 285/75/16 KO2s weigh about 15lbs more per corner than the stock 265/70/16's that it came with. In my opinion that's most of the reason why my mpg took a big hit.

 

Ok that makes more sense , I have 18s and I guess I’m not doing to bad if we are the same at mpg more less

 

Driving style. If I have a bad week and get stuck behind some slow peeps, I'll romp out 18-19mpg with 35" 2.5" lift a ton of weight and crap aerodynamics at 45mph. If no one is in front of me... I'll pull 13-14mpg, cause I can GO!

As @skeletron said, take your foot off the skinny pedal!

The tune for me just increased throttle response and tamed the shifting, that was well enough for me to get involved. I don't boast HP/TQ or MPG gains to the people I tune, too many variations and expectations. You can expect it to respond better and shift better and it's worth it!

EDIT: Also, if your running larger than stock tires and do not have a hypertech or rough country calibration... your numbers are off.

 

only?? I have a 3 inch lift with 275/70r17’s and only get 13.5… but I also have 300lbs of bumpers.. skids.. winch… tent.. prinsu with awning… and a 4.0

 

@Toywoodsguy82 you got 300 pounds of gear bro lol, but yes soon I have some gear myself and be lower on mpg..

 

Yeah my mpg varies on how I drive. With all the accessories I have on and recovery gear that I carry my truck weighs in close to 6000 lbs. cruising around town I can get 15-19, going to work 1.5 miles away I get 8-12, on the freeway I get 15-18, and on backroad highways in the 55-65 range or slower I can get 19-21. This is with the OTTune.

 

No I have 300lbs of bumpers 200 in front and 100 in back

 

Thanks!

It is really hard to guarantee MPG improvements. Most folks do get a bump and a few do not. It really depends how you drive it before and after. Most everyone feels that it transforms the Taco and makes it fun to drive. So, it may see more skinny pedal.

The low end torque bump can net gains in MPG if you can keep it in the same range after the tune. But, every Taco and driver is different. Lots of variables.

 

@tonered thank you for your input, so far I’m gonna lean towards to tune, I don’t drive very aggressive as it’s my daily driver..

 

You're welcome!

Same here. But when you want to get into it from a dead stop or adding speed, the tune makes a big difference. The excellent hardware just works like it should but better.