You are correct but I did the deckplate on my mom's '99 and she doesn't "play" with it or even notice that the mod is there and her MPGs still stayed consistent as before the mod. Of course you will see a 1-2 MPG difference anyway so it's hard to prove that the mod did anything since driving conditions vary every day and no one can drive exactly the same for a whole tank of gas.

 

Doesn't matter if the MPG figures are similar, fact is, they are different engines, so your comments, while its intentions might have been good, does NOT apply here. BTW, my friend has a 95 Tacoma 2WD 4-cyl and gets mid to upper 20's.

Oh, and I will never ever, ever set foot in Custom Tacos website.

 

Power increase does NOT mean more MPG's.

 

You're right. Efficiency increase does. Extra horses are a nice bi-product, hence the reason fuel injection improves both economy and power over carburetion. As for CustomTacos, that's a shame, some good info on there and a lot of guys doing cool things to their trucks.

So, we just need to agree to disagree I suppose.

 

You need to clarify your statements, because they are confusing. You say increase in efficiency = power increase. How do you think we measure the efficiency of an engine? MPG, perhaps? So you are basically saying + MPG = + power, which is exactly what I pointed out. Even in your statement above, you are still saying the same thing. Increase in efficiency is in direct relation to increase in power, which, I'll say again, is NOT true.

Please show me how a K&N filter or an exhaust system helped your MPG figures. *Maybe* some joe-schmoe got a 3HP increase in Chattanooga on some internet forum, but what have YOU found? I can show you a 3 page spreadsheet with various combo's of these "breather mods" that show ZERO increase in MPG. These bolt-on mods might give you a little tiny bump on the HP, but they do not make your rig more efficient.

 

I drove from LA to Quartzite - 248 miles - I could only stuff 10.2 gallons in it. THe ride from Phoenix back to LA proved an average of 24.6 MPG. 97runner fan mod and K&N air filter, rest stock.

 

I have a '97 4Runner 4WD, 5-Speed. I always get at least 20MPG, and my best was 25.75MPG. I average right around 22MPG.

I got to OSU too, we should get a 4Runner meet going!

 

how is everyone calculating over 20mpg?

ppl need to fill the tank, drive a certain distance, fill up again and take that distance divided by the number of gallons filled in again

i get 259 mi from 14.8 gallons on the refill. which is 17.5

how are ppl getting 25mpg??, even a camry averages that on mixed driving!

post your miles to the fuel displaced to verify or please state how u r calculating your MPG's for the ppl that don't

 

I drive roughly 3K or more miles a month, almost all highway.

 

You have to realize there are many variables even within the "correct" method of calculation. For instance, how do you know that you've filled up to the same spot as the previous tank? Is the odometer correct and synced with everyone else's odo? Terrain? Weather? Etc. However, I believe most people will average out at around 20MPG on the freeway. You will very seldom see 24+MPG, because IMO, the person just miscalculated it or the fuel pump stopped way too sooner.

I do about 80-90% highway driving, and I'm at ~21MPG. I set the cruise at 70MPH (indicated).

PS, could you please do away with the "u" "r" "ppl" and all the teenybopper typing? I think most of us here graduated high school. Although, in the US, it doesn't mean much.

 

No, I don't miscalculate, I just have a manual tranny and you have an auto.

It's pretty easy to get over 20MPG in 3G 4Runners if you have the manual, you just need to know when to shift.

I've spent a lot of seat time in a '02 DC Taco and I'm surprised your getting 21MPG. Congrats.

 

What does that put your engine RPM at?

 

i use CC @ ~2300rpms (~72MPH indicated) and avg 20 (w/breathing mods )
often cruise @ ~80...'to keep up'

 

In my experience, auto or 5-sp in the 3.4L doesn't translate to a big difference in MPG (if at all). I've gotten 20-21MPG on all of my 3.4L Toyota's (have had 3). When you're cruising on the highway, you're not shifting whether on a 5-sp or auto, so "knowing when to shift" really doesn't apply. Plus the auto is about as efficient as the 5-speed around town, so the in-town MPG will not differ much, if at all.

And if you read my original statement, I said they either miscalculated OR the fuel pump stopped sooner, which means less gas that went in, which spikes up the MPG figures. (I never pointed a finger at you, so don't take it personally. I was speaking in general terms). I guess there could be other variables, such as the odometer calibration. So one cannot look at a single MPG figure and state that as fact or "what you got on that tank". It's not what you got.

I believe just above 2k?

 

The best I have gotten was 24 mpg in my 3rd generation between Arlington and Amarillo. That was pretty well loaded with the A/C on also. The worst I ever got was 8 mpg...between Santa Fe and Childress, Texas pulling a trailer with a fierce headwind, and a solid oak entertainment center in the trailer. I have the 2000 gas gauge issue. We pulled into the gas station to get a drink, the gauge read 1/2 tank. It died when we pulled up...my brother was driving and said What the you know what. He turned the key off and then back on and the gauge went to empty!