98LimitedCustomized

I'm about ready to drive my 4Runner off the nearest cliff... which might be 1,000 miles away but I'm still ready... Okay I've been pretty happy with my Tundra coil lift with the usual spacer and whatnot, but I am now back to rubbing on my right limited fender flare, like it did without a lift! I only have 32's mind you. It's not AS bad as before, but still. I know stuff sags, but I thought the Tundra coils wouldn't sag as bad as OME. So I'm not sure what the deal is, I don't have to great of date besides what i hear and see.... I wish I had some surveying equipment or laser to do some more precise measurements....

Gas mileage... yeah yeah I know there is a search function... but I got 196 miles on my last tank till the gas light came on, and that's adjusted for the tires. That came to be 13 mpg... I seriously drive like your grandma... people complain! That tank was 75% interstate driving at 75-80 mph... something is NOT RIGHT. I put in new NGK plugs 500 miles ago, just did Amsoil tranny fluid and 5W-30 oil... Did an alignment less than 1k ago. I don't know what else to do, I might as well sell this damn thing and get 3/4 ton diesel... it'd be CHEAPER to drive. I'm putting a new PCV on this weekend, but beyond that I don't know what's going on. I've got about 120k, I wonder if O2 sensors are done for, or mass air? I need some suggestions at this point. I'm a bit windy, thanks for reading if you made it this far.

I've got about $20k in this one, or else I'd sell this thing in a heartbeat. Also, would anybody out there like to trade some performance measures? I swear this thing is doggier than it should be.... I did a ton of stuff at once to it, but switching to 32's from 31's feels like i'm pulling a another vehicle behind me. I'm thinking just some 0-60 times with somebody else that has a 3.4 auto. Any takers?

turboale

Hmm...

I'm getting about what your getting and I have 33s on steelies with a S/C and stock gears. Have you done the seafoam stuff? I did it the same time I put my S/C in so I can't really tell you if I got any milage out of it, but others rave about it. Other than that, I don't know what to tell ya other than I really like the color combo you got!! Though I too hate the flairs. Have you cut/pounded the pinch weld yet?

AgRunner06

Check your air filter. Run Redline or Seafoam through it. Clean your mass air. Then do your O2 as a last step because it's kinda expensive.

Also check out Auto-Rx. I've heard it can do wonders for gas mileage.

RobT2k

what about the faulty gas gauge that the early 3rd gens had? I know mine is bad, my light comes on at around 220 mi on the tank and I usually fill it up at 270-280 and can only add 17 gallons instead of 18.
So this means I could probably make it to 300 mi on a tank on the fwy.

I rode around with a gas can for awhile to figure out the limits of a tank of gas. I knew there was no way I was getting that bad of mileage. It turned out to just be the gauge reading wrong.

Do a search for "tsb* and that will probably get you more info on the actual tsb # and maybe model years affected.

98LimitedCustomized

Thanks for the quick replies guys.... Turboale, I've always liked your ride, and it seems like we must have similar mod tastes or something.... I've put both Amsoil fuel system treatment as well as a Slick 50 treatment within the last 1000 miles with absolutely no change in anything. I have a Injen intake and filter which I modified quite a while back, which you can see in my pics... After all the major factors in this I was still getting around 17-19 mpg (with 32's) coming down from the 21-24 I was getting before. So basically the drop I'm complaining about is from the 18 zone to where I am now. The filter has 1000 miles on it... Geez... Almost everything applicable is new or near new. I'm a perfectionist, so I do it right the first time. That's why I'm so frusterated... I don't cut corners on anything, but my 4Runner is acting like I do! I do have a slightly odd hiss sound (almost like a little turbo whine if you're familar) at certain points on the throttle. I'm wondering about that Injen that I modded. At first I had used a silicone adhesive to connect it to the throttle body (which recently clean btw), but the silicone broke loose off the rubber connector... So I readjusted and cranked the hose clamps to what felt like an even better seal. I highly doubt this has anything to do with it, but does anybody know if the intake is to function as a perfect seal from filter to throttle body?

Stegall984R

my gas gauge usauly reads about 1/4 less then whats auctauly in it.

turboale

Mine is a bit wacky also...

I can drive it a good two days after the light comes on, sometimes more. It also flies down the first half, and is slow on the second half. I'll see how much it takes in gal. next time I fill up right with the light comes on.

98LimitedCustomized

Okay I agree with folks now that Toyota really doesn't want you to run out of gas... But the fact is that gas pumps are accurate (they are checked by the govt yearly), and this tank I just finished tonight used 15.3 or so gallons.... out of what 18 or so? In Minnesota in the winter it's safest to fill up with 1/4 left, and is good practice to keep the fuel pump happy, but I made sure to drive this tank to the fuel light. It's been mild, but I've refrained from remote start anyways.... so there is no factor of pissing gas out the pipe from extended periods of idle.... I wonder if the catalytic converter could be a possible culprit? I don't notice a change in exhaust sound, and that's not something that happens over night anyways.... Thanks again guys, I'm not sure how so many cool people happened to buy Toyotas and join this thing, but I'm happy to be part of it!

turboale

Even if I get a car, I'll always stick around here... The 4x4 community is SO much better than the car community.

Thanks for the compliments! Our trucks used to look identical!


thats a good idea... about the cat. You could always go in there and dig it out!

98LimitedCustomized

TurboAle: Yeah key word is USED TO! I'm going to supercharger/fuel upgrades, but a bumper is so tempting! You've definitely got me something to shoot for at this point... but after looking through your pictures a couple times I think you're a ways behind me in COMMON SENSE after seeing how buried you got! Did you every recover from that "mishap"?

turboale

Hell yeah man, that was over a year and a half ago!

I basicly just replaced all fluids, and ended up that the timing belt slipped two teeth, but our engines aren't valve benders so they just slipped it back and voala! As for the S/C, be ready to spend a good $4k on everything when all is said and done. You don't have to buy everything all at once, but... a bumper is much more wallet conscious. And you don't have to use premium fuel for a bumper aww... 18mpg is killing me! :cry: Ive seen 16mpg on the hiway... BEFORE the s/c. I had a huge head wind. It really makes a difference when your lifted!

rowdy4runnin

has anyone found a solution to the faulty gas guage problem.. like is it possible to switch it out with one that was on a 4runner from a non-faulty year?

bamachem

dealer fix for the gas gauge problem is $450!!!

__________________________________________________ ________
Hey 98LimitedCustomized:

I'm having a hard time believing that you've got only 1/2" lift from the Tundra Coils AND Spacers. Take some measurements from the edge of the wheel to the bottom of the fender flare (straight line and NOT wrapping around the bulge of the tire) and also get some pics of the front coilpack assemblies (from the front, underneath) if possible. There's something else going on, and I think I know what it may be...

Mystickal

It should be a perfect seal, yes. Before I explain why, let me first say that this is coming from my knowledge of the Mitsubishi Eclipse intake system. As far as I know, since the Eclipse and the 4Runner both use MAF sensors (as opposed to MAP sensors), the theory should be the same.

The ECU has to have a way to measure the amount of air that is going into the engine, since it wants 1 part fuel to 14.7 parts of air. It uses the MAF sensor to see how much air is getting into the engine. So, before the MAF sensor, you can have all the leaks you want, doesn't matter. But from the MAF sensor to the cylinder, all that air has been metered by the ECU, and the ECU will dump fuel according to how much air has been measured. So, if you have a leak after the MAF sensor, the ECU will think that there is more air then there actually is, and will dump more fuel than it should (resulting in worse gas mileage and less power).

With the age of your truck, a highly suspect component of poor gas mileage is the O2 sensor. I'd try changing that out (especially if it's still the original) before trying anything else. Yes, OBD2 detects the failure of an Oxygen Sensor. The problem is that long before the sensor fails enough to throw a code, the readings that it gives are so far off that you can lose A LOT of mileage.

~Bill

bamachem

actually, w/ a leak in the intake after the MAF, the ECU thinks that there's actually LESS air that what's actually being sucked in, causing a lean condition and NOT a rich condition. still bad either way.

i agree that if cleaning the MAF, cleaning the throttle body, doing a seafoam treatment, and changing the plugs doesn't do it, then next on that list would be the O2 sensor. also check the air filter and change the fuel filter.

Mystickal

That may be the case in a stock 4Runner, which is why I quantified my comments to my experience with my Eclipse. With forced induction, a leak causes the pressurized air to go to the atmosphere, causing a loss of air in the intake, resulting in the ECU counting more air than there actually is.

In a stock vehicle, it may very well be that there is enough suction produced by the intake that additional, uncounted air is drawn in through a leak, resulting in a lean condition. But the lean condition, while potentially devastating to the engine, would not account for a loss of fuel efficiency.

~Bill

bamachem

yeah, but our forced induction (3.4L TRD SC) is AFTER the throttle body, not BEFORE like w/ a turbo. The same principle applies since the SC is still sucking in at a NEGATIVE PRESSURE all the way through the throttle body until it hits the rotors.

we're both right, just different applications...

Mystickal

Yeah, I can picture that. I didn't realize that the supercharger was after the throttle body. I've never seen how they're plumbed, I just knew that they were belt driven rather than exhaust driven.

But in his case, there is no supercharger. So while I know that with a turbo there would be positive pressure, and I can agree with you that if there were a supercharger there would be negative pressure, I do not know if there would be positive pressure or negative pressure in the intake in this case.

As I think about it further, I would imagine that, even without a supercharger, there would be negative pressure in the intake. I do recall that, at idle with the turbo not spinning, that my boost/vacuum gauge did indeed show a hefty vacuum.

Supercharger. Gotta get me one of those. Someday.

~Bill

bamachem

lol... it is indeed vacuum in the intake at all times on the 3.4L

if you have a leak on the intake, then you will suck in more air than what the ECU is seeing, leaving you very lean...

they're fun... you can buy mine in about a month...

98LimitedCustomized

I might have to double check that intake sealing, or add a bunch of silicone again... Bamachem you're taking off the supercharger or did i read that wrong? I hope i read it wrong, that's the equivalent of castrating ones self. Not something you do! I was just gonna see, what do you think I can get an O2 sensor for? Also, where are they located on these babies? All my GM stuff has had them quite accessible. Thanks for the help!