my gas mpg experiences with 2000 Taco PreRunner V6
I attempted to preview my work and it said I was not logged in , ended up losing 20 minutes of writing, and I was logged in,darn computers!!
Anyway, my truck is basically stock, with 10x15x31.50 BFG AllTerrains. I was getting a pretty consistent 17 mpg city( ave speed 40, stop and go, flatland driving) and 22 mpg highway ( 70 mph ,flat lands) and using 89 octane gas.
After Toyota changed my timing belt and installed a new water pump, my highway miles fell to 19 mpg,why?? I had my mechanic tear apart the engine and he said the new timing belt was on correctly.I was having a rough cold idle problem which my mechanic was able to fix by cleaning something called a mass air flow sensor.
So,next I had my guy install new platinum tipped spark plugs after I gave up trying to find the darn things. He told me they were down inside the valve covers now and wanted $150 to install them but it came out to be more like $80. NO mpg difference. Next, I had him flush and clean my fuel injectors and rails with a special machine he has.Took 2 hours. HOLY COW,BATMAN!! City mpg jumped 2 mpgs!! Highway mpg , no change, maybe a little worse even. Also, a new air filter element helped. I figger I am now getting 19-20 mpg city, and 18-19 highway. Yes, believe it or not, my city mpg is actually now better than my highway mpg!! I also seem to think the Silver gas gets me 1 mpg better than 89 octane.
I was also having problems with crosswinds blowing my truck all over the road on the way down to Indy from Chicago on i65. Presto, problem stopped when I added a Leer extra tall fiberglass camper shell. Handles real good in wind now, don't know why, really.
Anyway, here's the kicker.I was driving in Tennessee, near Knoxville/Tellico Plains in the Smoky Mountains, using 91 octane, 2 people in the truck and maybe 600 pounds of camping and gold mining gear, averaging 62 mph( following my friend pulling a trailer, thank God for safety chains cause his trailer came off the hitch and would have clobbered me!! ) I got 23-24 mpgs, my best ever!! But once we got back to Cincinatti/Indy/Chicago area, my mpg's immediately fell back to 19 or less, even at 62 mph.
I can only conclude that hillbilly gas is much better for mpgs than big city gas.Big city gas must be formulated for cleaner air at the expense of gas mpgs? A couple weeks ago, I went down to Indy and figgered at 70-75 mph, I'd be lucky to get 17 mpg.Boy, was I surprised to get 19,almost 20. Gas mpg is definitely better after March, definitely gets worse by 1-2 mpgs in winter even tho I hardly ever warm my truck up.
Now, can somebody tell me what to do for my electric locker? It no longer seems to lock.The dash light just keeps blinking red. I sure hope its not a $500 repair job?
--Tom
