asma123

So I finally decided it's time to look for something to increase fuel efficiency. I was looking on ebay, and I came across the following things:

• Save gas fits : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=320362919733
• Best performace chip : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220400950511
• #1 performance chip : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220404195218
• Super Turbo charger: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=160330328842

Obviously the #1 performance chip seems like the best option, but does it really work? I just want something cheap that will make a big difference with my performance and fuel consumption, not a scam. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

CoedNaked

Here are a few options to help with fuel economy on your 3vze

1) Keep things fully maintained. If you haven't done it in a while, a new Cap, Rotor, spark plug wires, spark plugs, air filter, etc.

2) Consider switching to synthetic oil and synthetic drive train fluids - I recommend Amsoil products for this. Makes the engines job easier, keeps things cooler, better lubricated, can extend oil change interval, has excellent detergency so will keep things free and prevent them from sticking.

3) Consider a good quality Fuel system/Fuel Injector cleaner that you dump in your gas tank. Amsoil makes a good one called Performance Improver that works, and Redline has one, also BG44K has one that is proven too.

4) Learn how to do a Sea Foam treatment on this engine (i.e buy a can of Sea Foam motor treatment) - it will make a difference if you use the right vacuum line (do a search, talk to guys on here about it, etc. - I have had success using it with the brake booster vacuum line).

5) Note none of the above involve modification to the engine or anything else - just general upkeep/cleaning/different products to use/try but otherwise no modifications needed. Note - I would use stock parts whenever possible in the above scenario, especially related to ignition compoents, for example the best cap & rotor is the denso/stock one, the stock/Toyota spark plugs are excellent, the stock/Toyota air filter is the best filter availble - don't waste your $$$ on K & N crap - it just lets more dirt in.


If you are looking for a significant mileage difference, the modifications neccessary to do so are questionable in a cost-benefit scenario unless you do a lot of driving and/or plan on keeping the truck a long time.

For example, many attest that going to an aftermarket exhaust system will yield power gains which can be attributd to increased exhaust gas scavenging and subsequent increased efficiency, but seldom result in any real noticeable mileage gains (speaking personally here as well as reading what other guys have said as well).

Headers are argubly the best mileage & power modifcation you can do if teamed up with an exhaust system to compliment them. Many report in the 1 to 3 MPG ballpark for gains. Having your cams grinded is something a few guys have done and they'll probably speak up to mileage gains as well. But again - questionable in the cost-benefit scenario perhaps someone can provide some math for this - its late right now and I don't feel like pulling out the calculator. You'll spend $1000-1500 or more to do these modifications but you may never pay yourself back potentially. The only justificatin you should use for these types of modications is to gain power and the increased mileage just comes as a welcome bonus.

gary96360

everything coed naked said plus drive like an old man. also dont have oversized tires, mudders. i gained 3 mpg by driving slow in town to 16 mpg

asma123

The funny thing is that I've already tried # 1,2,3,4 (putting a fuel injector/engine cleaning solution)
I recently just had my head gaskets replaced (old ones blew). while they did the head gaskets, they replaced every seal from head gasket to the top. They also replaced the water pump, timing belt, sparkplugs, etc. While I was at it, I decided to flush my transmission fluid as well. Car still runs the same (although I did noticed some power increase, but not that much) my gas mileage still remains almost the same (i'm almost halfway through half of my tank and I only went 150km) I was reading in the post your fuel consumption thread, and people are getting like 450km etc.. I get poor speed while driving uphill (flooring it I get about 80km/h) I have no idea what it could be. Any ideas?
Next thing that's left for me to try is changing the fuel filter. Perhaps this is the whole problem..
Forgot to mention that I had the cat converter and muffler changed as well on september-ish
edit: forgot to mention it's auto

Hilux808

First and foremost, save your money by not buying any of that garbage in those links. EACH OF THOSE PRODUCTS ARE GIMMICKS! What's even more ridiculous then the wanna-be Tornado is the small magical black boxes with 2 wires coming out of it promising more HP then some toyota engines with a lot of mechanical engine mods and fuel savings that make the Toyota Prius look like an 18 wheeler. Even the real Tornado is a gimmick, besides being nothing more then a restriction in the intake tube.

I agree with CoedNaked, mostly...synthetics are good to switch too, add it in everything…wheel bearing grease and gear oils/ATF. I’m a fan of Royal Purple but if I had to switch it would be to Amsoil. That’s probably the best 2 brands you will ever find in the world of synthetics. Seafoam can really clean a dirty engine and injectors which also helps. I haven’t tried BG44K cause of the cost but I’ve heard its good stuff. Try to look foe a cleaner that comes in a metal can rather then a plastic bottle as this usually indicates the strength of the chemicals.

I don’t agree with his recommendation of using a Toyota air filter. Any paper element filter is more restrictive then aftermarket filters. I’ve had the best performance with TrueFlow filters. I switched from K&N and I’m glad I did. My throttle body has never been cleaner now that I made the switch and the TrueFlow is a high flow filter; it’s the best of both worlds.

I plan to get headers myself as I have heard from a lot of people that it does help with fuel economy. The biggest improvement to my fuel economy has been from my MSD 6A box and Blaster SS coil with 8.5mm MSD wires. Make sure your tires are properly inflated too; I run mine at 40psi. Don’t drive as if your drag racing too, driving habits can really affect MPG. Adjust the idle speed to where it should be also. If you idle higher then you should you’re burning more gas then you should.

xjdubber

I always have to laugh when i see the E-supercharger.

okie81

x2, cheap and effective

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

well, if its auto then post up what your getting per tank...

most auto guys get 12-15mpgs city and 15-16 highway... its just something that you have to live with... regearing to a lower gear might help, but its expensive...

as for me, when i bought my 4runner, it was getting 16mpgs... i had a stuck valve which i remedied with a top end rebuild. after that i was getting 17 mpgs... retarded the timing back and picked up another .5mpgs highway and found that it didnt matter anymore highway or city i got the same mpg... did the cap(Toyota)/rotor(Toyota)/plugs(Bosch platinum +4s)/air cleaner(KnN) and was getting 19mpg... put the 32x11.5s on and got 15(on a good day)... regeared to 4.88s and im happily getting 18-20mpgs consistently...

as ive found, these motors are very tempermental to changes... choosing the right upgrade is key... honestly, if your mechanically savy and have some spare cash, swap the auto tranny for a stick... big difference... plus you CAN drive it like a granny without the tranny interfering...

one last word of caution, unless you want another rebuild, dont push the stock motor much past 3500 rpms, and dont drive over 70(110KMs??) because the fuel consumption spikes very quickly... and definately dont rev past 4500 if you can help it... these motors may make peak HP around 4200 RPMs, but, hear tell, they like to go kaboom when you go above that...


keep a log of what you have done to your rig and the fuel mileage changes and you will see what it likes...

Keep us updated!!

xzyragon

honestly, the best way to improve MPGs is to drive like a old man. Dont gun it, shift early, and take a while to get up to speed. I only spend $20 every 2 weeks on gas and get about 230 miles to 10 gallons of gas, 23 mpg. Time your engine, clean it out, do maintenance. I have yet to try a sea foam treatment, but from what i hear, it works wonders.

tc

x2 - do you have the stock tire size?

TOTALLY DISAGREE. You will harm these motors much more by lugging them than by revving them. If I had to keep it <3500, I wouldn't get anywhere here in Colorado! I will agree that revving beyond 4200 or so is just wasting time as it is defintiely not producing any more power.


This is a good point. A LOT (hell, almost all) say this mod or that mod gave them x MPG mprovement, but they're really just remembering a particularly good (like all highway with a tailwind) tank and they conveniently forget about all the "average" tanks. You really need to have all the data to make a valid comparison.

Tire pressure and vehicle weight are the two biggest things I've noticed. Don't carry around any more crap than you absolutely have to, and check your tire pressure frequently - barometric and temperature variation can have a significant effect! As a matter of fact, the poor mileage everyone blames on "winter gas" is as much or more a factor that they are running 5 psi lower tire pressure!