Gen 3/4 MPG Q and A With Gas prices what they are, you need the best MPG you can get

[ASG14]

Ok, Figure I'd start a thread to help people either keep the mpg they have, or find a reason to WHY they get bad mpg.

This is from personal experience between freinds and I.

First off, for highway driving, the 3VZ-FE/1MZ-FE V6 should be able to tap 30mpg on the highway. The 5SFE I4 should be able to do over 30mph.

Already get decent mpg? These are way's to keep it up there.

1: Tires, MUST be properly inflated. Under inflated tires hurt your mpg more then you know. But over inflated will also ware the tire faster.

2: Roof racks and other attachable items. Just like under inflated tires, most things added to your car cause drag, tielding less mpg. If you have any roof rakes, bike rakes, etc attached to the car, that can be taken off off then not used, do so.

3: Driving style. A big part of mpg loss for city driving is your start and stop. When accelerating, do so slowly. Try not to go over 3k RPM's. Stopping, try to do it smothly and slowly. Also, putting a car in Neutral when stopped does not burn less gas as some think.



Currently getting horrible mpg? Here is some ways to help improve it.

1: Are there ANY check engine lights? If so, what are they? They can be read free at AutoZone and PepBoys in the US, and PartsSource in Canada. Often, a CEL indicates an issue that needs to be addressed. Item's such as O2 and AF sensors that go bad can greatly decrease your mpg. So get it checked out! I recommend replacing those sensors with OEM Toyota ones from the dealer. Yes, they cost more, but you get what you pay for. Also, thanks to Maim Menu for reminding me to add to Replace the air filter when dirty. It is often over looked.

2: Tune up. When did you last do one? Old Spark Plugs, Wires, Cap, and Rotor can decrease the mpg. It's normal maintmence to replace it. ***The 1MZ does not have wires, cap and rotor.***

3: Just a plain dirty engine? Try using Seafoam: http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm in your brake booster line. Some people here have reposted a MASSIVE (up to 50%) mpg increase. For the fuel injection system, pop a can of BG44K into the tank. BG44k, from what I have heard, is the top in it's class.

4: Big Rims. YES, they hurt your mpg in city driving. Some people on here have reported a significant decrease in mpg after instaling big rims. Just cause it looks good, does not make it good.

5: Junk in the trunk? If you have a lot of stuff in the car, it's un-needed weight. Remove it. The heavier the car, the more to pull.

6: Just GENERAL driving. Cruising speed on the highway is a big thing. My best mpg was 30.1 on my V6 over a 960 mile trip averaging about 75mph. It likely would have been 32 if I was going 65mph. Also, the more steady you keep the speed, the better. Try not to go up and down, but just even. Cruise Control is best to help achieve mpg if your on an open road. As I said, nice constant speed.

[N35QU!K]

Really??? Putting it in Neutral doesnt save gas?

I always figured that the reason cars with MT get better mpg than AT was because they spend more time in neutral, so i figured I'd incorporate the same idea with my AT... So it really does nothing, eh?

Well, I do know one thing, when I'm at a stop, I feel less vibration from the engine when I'm in N, compared to when I'm in D.

[Maim Menu]

Always running your baby on a fresh air filter will help keep MPG up too.

[ASG14]

Originally Posted by N35QU!K

Really??? Putting it in Neutral doesnt save gas?

I always figured that the reason cars with MT get better mpg than AT was because they spend more time in neutral, so i figured I'd incorporate the same idea with my AT... So it really does nothing, eh?

Well, I do know one thing, when I'm at a stop, I feel less vibration from the engine when I'm in N, compared to when I'm in D.

I thought the same thing too, haha. I thimkt he reason the 5-speeds get better mpg is due to gearing.

Originally Posted by Maim Menu

Always running your baby on a fresh air filter will help keep MPG up too.

I was going to add that and forgot! Thanks.

[Venom_5]

putting it in neutral doesnt save gas because your car is running at the same [or higher] rpms ..... if its spinning faster, its taking in more gas to make it spin

if youre in a situation that you can put it in neutral, youre already using as little gas as possible ... which is just enough to keep the engine running (plus a lil extra since we run rich from the factory)

[N35QU!K]

Originally Posted by ASG14

I thought the same thing too, haha. I thimkt he reason the 5-speeds get better mpg is due to gearing.

Yeah, now that I think about it, thats exactly the reason. That fifth gear allows the car to travel at higher speeds at a lower RPM.

However, it does save gas if I roll down a hill to a stop in neutral, right?

And another thing, engine braking: will i get bad gas mileage if i put my car in L when going down a really steep hill? I tried it yesterday, and the engine hits 3,000 RPMs. Since your not actually pushing the gas, is the fact that the engine is revving high account for eating up gas?

[Venom_5]

engine breaking doesnt cause bad gas mileage .... read what i said above, in terms of rolling downhill

i use a combination of my brakes and engine-breaking for steep downhill driving just because i dont want to wear my brakes down fast

[Kep]

ASG14, thanks for the post. I would like opinions on changing the wires, cap and rotor. The manual indicates that if the wire resistance is under 25k ohms that the wires are OK. What do you all think of the age of the spark plug wires? Should you change them even if they have acceptable resistance but they are old?

Kep

[Eye8Pussies]

ahhhh....sorry to disappoint you guys when it comes to the 5-speed gearing thing...

the better mileage is not due to the gearing, but due to the fact that there is less power train loss without a torque converter.....that way, the car is basically always under less load

in fact, the 5th gear in the e153 makes you cruise at a HIGHER rpm in 5th gear than you would in the auto in 4th....I usually cruise at around 140kph on the highway, which was an even 3K with the auto. With my 5-speed, I cruise at 3.4K. Long story short, highway mileage is actually about the same, but in town mileage is better.

[Heat]

Originally Posted by N35QU!K

...Well, I do know one thing, when I'm at a stop, I feel less vibration from the engine when I'm in N, compared to when I'm in D.

My '95 LE I4 does the same thing; I believe that this is a motor mount issue.

[Venom_5]

yup, that means you need new mounts

[shimpi]

Good initial post in this thread.

My stock Gen3.5 V6 XLE gets around 24 MPG highway with ECT turned off. I believe the V4 version gets between 25-30 MPG highway.

Things I do to save gas include never turning on my ECT unless I am severely pissed off at another Fwit in the road (which doesn't happen too often), and turning off my engine at rail road crossings while a long ass freight train is slowly going by.

The do-it-yourselfer-mod-kiddies may add a K&N air intake and filter (or another similar brand), perhaps swap out the exhaust, for that "deeper and richer" sound and the extra 4-7HP, but you know as well as I they get less mileage than a stock would too.

Let's face it, the newer Camry's have newer engine technology giving them more HP and Torque, but with more efficient gas mileage. I have to admit, I've been wondering if I should retire my gen3.5 and simply get a new Gen6.

[N35QU!K]

My uncle has a Gen6, and i have to say that they really look amazing. It's really something to see how far the Camry has gone in terms of performance and appearance.

[Venom_5]

shimpi: no such thing as a V4

its an I4 ... inline-4 cylinder engine .... and i get 34mpg with it driving the way ASG14 described

[touringcamry]

Another reason manuals save fuel, probably a trivial amount, is because the ECU on many newer cars will cut fuel, and potentially spark, if the car is coasting in gear (flat or down hill). The way a manual works, it allows the wheels to drive the engine; so when you are coasting, you do not need fuel and spark to keep the engine turning. Contrary to what some people might think, this does not destroy the clutch because there is no slip. If it did, manual cars would have to go to neutral every time the driver lets off the accelerator.


It is basically the same reason why you can push start a manual, but not an automatic.

Since automatics cannot use the wheels to drive the engine, the engine must be idled during coast.