Any tips to improve mileage ?

Hey all.
I hope everyone's year is starting off groovy.
02 With 210k Runs good...
However, I'm averaging 15 mpg.
I'm just wondering if there's any kind of Usual Suspects out there that I should be looking at like sensors or whatnot that may be tripping me up as far as mileage goes.
As always, any input is appreciated. Thank you

 

Miles Per Gallon is influence by a lot of things:

1) How you drive. Do you accelerate quickly, speed or brake hard?
2) Do you have a lift and/or over sized tires?
3) Do you live in an area with a lot of hills or are you in a high elevation area?
4) Do you have armor or additional weight like a steel bumper, roof top tent, skid plates?

From what I hear, most 3rd Gen's get around the 15MPG range. Maybe a bit more if they're lucky. If you try really hard (street tires, drive like an old man on a level flat road) then you may get 19 or 20MPG, but I have never heard a story of a 3rd gen owner getting beyond that.

The biggest influence on your MPG's is you. Treat the accelerator peddle like an egg. Don't smash it.

 

On my completely stock 3rd gen I averaged between 15-18 MPG (lifetime). Ran Michelin X (LT) @32-36 psi. Slightly lower (~1-2 MPG less) when I had the cargo box on the roof.

 

We drive 4Runners - not gonna get great gas mileage. But, you can drive the damn thing just about anywhere, in just about any conditions, for 200K+ miles. That's worth some MPGs for me. Embrace it - drive around like a boss, contributing to global warming, lighting cigars with $100 bills, etc... Or, get a Prius.

 

I should add, for the 'usual suspects' at your amount of mileage on your rig...

• Air filter
• O2 sensor(s) These sensors can have a dramatic effect on MPGs when they start to go bad.
• MAF sensor (when's the last time you cleaned or replaced it?)
• Is it time to replace spark plugs? Are you running Densos or some other brand? Densos are OEM and are what works the best.
• Igniter (Ignition Control Module) could be going out?
• What condition are the coil packs in? The 5VZ-FE is a rather unique engine in that spark plugs are fired in pairs (what's called 'wasted spark ignition') so these coils are kinda going double duty compared to a more conventional ignition system.
• Throttle Body - when's the last time it was cleaned?
• Is the engine running a bit rough? May have dirty Fuel Injectors.

just a few things off the top of my head (and memory)

 

All your tips and my suggestions "may" help him get to 16.5 or 17MPG. Sadly, not much can be done to improve that 3rd Gen engine. Sure, it's a beast that won't die unless you really try to kill it, but you'll be filling up the tank ALL the time until it finally dies. Because it chugs gas like a frat boy chugging beer at a kegger.

 

Maybe more like a beer bong...

 

Thank you for all that.
I'm an Oldster, I drive pretty conservatively.

 

Hey.. another mile or two would be awesome!!!

 

Filters are all pretty new.
Cleaned the MAF not too long ago but I will look into everything else.

 

Air filter, tire pressure, fuel system cleaner, spark plugs and your right foot.

 

15mpg isn't bad. Was it way different before?

 

I averaged 17-20 over the 10 years I had my 2001. I still regret trading it in 10 years later. One of the dumbest things I’ve ever done.

 

FYI, hook up a scan tool and check real time fuel trims. If your short time fuel trims are like 1%, I'm thinking you really can't do much to improve mileage on a 22 year old drive train.

Fuel trim is where the ECU is trying to compensate for bad fuel burning efficiency. I actually did this last week to see just how bad my efficiency might be and my trims were near zero.

 

If you have it lifted or heavy tires (45lbs or more) that will be your new milage. I'd expect better if it is unmodified, I get 18 mpg city and would expect the V6 to get 17 mpg.

The fuel injectors maybe

 

Was 16 closer to 17.

 

I'm at about 100k and getting close to needing to change my sparkplugs and all that's needed for that service interval and my MPG has dropped slightly over the passed year. You are there at 210and would need to do the same.

 

I am pretty much the opposite of a lead foot ... and get between 16 and 17mpg ... mostly driving 45-65mph on country roads.
1999 with 195k miles

 

I look forward to that kind of driving.!!!
Right now I'm in LA and 80 is the mid-range on the highways.

 

Thank you

 

These cars were not engineered to really go above 65 as 55 was the norm and 65+ roads were just really getting started. Anything above 65 and your mpg PLUMMETS. The effort to push your brick of a vehicle through the atmosphere exponentially increases with every additional MPH above 55.

 

That makes sense, especially since the mid-range driving speeds these days at least in California are 70s - 80s