How to improve mpg for 99 v6

[tylerho]

I got a 99 v6 camry i'm trying to get better mpg. currently i'm getting 21 mpg. my daily commute to school is about 3 miles in the city and 7 miles on a straight road that is 55 mph speed limit. Basically i drive 20 miles a day. I have put lucas fuel system cleaner with 89 octane gas and a new k&n air filter. I have 128K miles on it, so please give some suggestions thanks.

[pmesfun]

I would try seafoam first. If the spark plugs are original, replace them with NGK or Denso. Clean the Maf Sensor,
Throttle body and spray tb cleaner into the iac valve hole.

[73sport]

I had a cast on my foot for 3 months and I gained about 3mpg!

95 1MZ gets 22mpg doing 50mile round trip mix of city/freeway.

Use the search button - lots of others and other forums have answers.
- tire pressure
- synthetic oils
- proper tune
- good gas (didn't help my mpg tho)
- change the WAY you drive. . .
- change the hours you drive (less start stop)

those are the basics. . .

[deadrx7conv]

Its a gas guzzler. Trade it in for a 2.2L

Set your Tire PSI to 38-40psi using an accurate gauge.

Use thinner full synthetic ATF in your transmission and power steering. Valvoline Maxlife, Amsoil ATL, Redline D6, Amalie Synthetic ATF are some of the 'thinner' ones that you can use.

Use the thinnest oil. If you fear 0w20, then use a 0w30. Mobil1 advance fuel economy is an easy choice.

Alignment! There is a big difference in an alignment that is in spec and an alignment that is zero'd out. If your springs are old, you'll probably need camber bolts to get that perfect alignment and a really competent alignment tech.

Fuel additive... use 2-4 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil or Lucas Fuel treatment with each 15-gallon fill up. Don't overdose as I find that the most MPG improvement is from a 1/4-1/2 dose of what is recommended by the manufacturer.

If you're cutting octane, you'll sometimes over-instigate timing cut from the knock sensor. So, make sure your cooling system is working perfectly. If thermostat/radcap/coolant isn't too recent, replace them. Add a bottle of Redline WaterWetter, Lubegard Kool-It, or Amsoil Dominator Coolant Boost. Relocating/insulating knock sensor can be considered.

Don't use AC. Don't leave HVAC on the defrost settings because it will cycle AC automatically.

Lighten the vehicle. Live on SlimFast and vacuum the 20lbs of dirt under your seat. And, remove anything that is not needed, like the 100lbs of stereo equipment, the spare tire/tools..... doors, trunk lid, fenders, hood.... all really needed??

Learn to drive with a lighter foot. Practice coasting. Don't tailgate. Keep your distance prevents excessive braking/accelerating... ANTICIPATE.

When your tires are bald, buy eco-greenie-enviro-mpg zero-traction tires.

Gap spark plugs wide and replace if over 50k.

Drill a hole in the airbox and run some additional plumbing for more CAI to the stock airbox

Invest in an underdrive pulley.

Clean/brush/deoxit all battery/alternator/harness/ground/power connections.

Lean here out. EFIE is an option here.

Keeps injectors clean with the 5-10k bottle of 3m, bg44k, SI1, techron, or PI

Stick with toptier gasoline.

Don't use engine remote-starter.

Wax the car really well so that it cuts through the wind.

[Safari Wagon]

Lets put this in perspective -
20x365=7300 miles / year driven
7300 / 21=348 gallons used
348x$5 (I am exaggerating on the price of gas here...)=$1738 spent on gas in 1 year

Now if you are very lucky, you may be able to get a 10% increase in efficiency with the list of items above. So you would be saving $174 per year. (5% is more likely though)

If you goal is to save money, striving for the best mpg is not always the way to do it. Many people spend way more on mpg increasing mods than they save.

I am not saying that you should not do things to increase your mpg, just pointing out that some of them may be good at increasing mpg but also decreasing your $$$.

[deadrx7conv]

Much improvements mentioned are already built into regularly maintenance. Cost is already there. There is also the ignored or neglected maintenance that should be addressed to optimize and prevent future issues.

[csharp100]

Umm.. I just checked what the MPG for a V6 99 Camry is supposed to get and you are right in the ballpark. According to fueleconomy.gov the 99 V6 Camry is rated at 17MPG city and 25MPG hwy. Combined is 20MPG. In my opinion, the driving you do is city driving. Take that thing on a long trip and see how the MPG increase. I have the I4 in my 98 Camry and I get and average of 27MPG. 32MPG on long trips with the cruise on. Don't think you going to get much more. Maybe 1MPG better and if your lucky, 2MPG.

[bigbird]

sounds like some cleaning is in order. Seafoam, clean the TB and IAT sensor. have the injectors ever been replaced or cleaned (not bottle BS cleaned)? 22 is low for a stock 1mz. My supercharged camry pulls that off with higher rate fuel pump and no tune. You should see near 30mpg highway.

these are my opinions on deadRX7's post:

Its a gas guzzler. Trade it in for a 2.2L true to a point...gets slightly lower mileage then the 2.2 over a period because of the 5sfe's tendency to sludge at higher mileage and constant flogging due to its underpower.

Set your Tire PSI to 38-40psi using an accurate gauge.

Use thinner full synthetic ATF in your transmission and power steering. Valvoline Maxlife, Amsoil ATL, Redline D6, Amalie Synthetic ATF are some of the 'thinner' ones that you can use. do this at your own risk, a tranny that ol may not like the change to a thinner fluid.

Use the thinnest oil. If you fear 0w20, then use a 0w30. Mobil1 advance fuel economy is an easy choice. while it may be true...do NOT use this oil. thinning out oil to these levels will cause over heating of components and ware on critical engine parts...this motor does not like to be fooled with.

Alignment! There is a big difference in an alignment that is in spec and an alignment that is zero'd out. If your springs are old, you'll probably need camber bolts to get that perfect alignment and a really competent alignment tech. good advice for sure!

Fuel additive... use 2-4 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil or Lucas Fuel treatment with each 15-gallon fill up. Don't overdose as I find that the most MPG improvement is from a 1/4-1/2 dose of what is recommended by the manufacturer. a few of us have attmepted this over the years (me included) witn no results. There was slightly better fuel mileage, but the cost of the product itself cancled itself out. What are you saving with $2.50 worth of fuel treatment every fill up. I didnt save enough to make it worth it, but to be fair, it wasnt 4 bucks a gallon when i did.

If you're cutting octane, you'll sometimes over-instigate timing cut from the knock sensor. So, make sure your cooling system is working perfectly. If thermostat/radcap/coolant isn't too recent, replace them. Add a bottle of Redline WaterWetter, Lubegard Kool-It, or Amsoil Dominator Coolant Boost. Relocating/insulating knock sensor can be considered. dont cut octane, your knock sensors will flip and retard timing on a regular basis.

Don't use AC. Don't leave HVAC on the defrost settings because it will cycle AC automatically. This helped my on my camrys, i never used AC and it made a pretty big difference.

Lighten the vehicle. Live on SlimFast and vacuum the 20lbs of dirt under your seat. And, remove anything that is not needed, like the 100lbs of stereo equipment, the spare tire/tools..... doors, trunk lid, fenders, hood.... all really needed??

Learn to drive with a lighter foot. Practice coasting. Don't tailgate. Keep your distance prevents excessive braking/accelerating... ANTICIPATE. Best advice! how you drive makes a HUGE difference.

When your tires are bald, buy eco-greenie-enviro-mpg zero-traction tires.

Gap spark plugs wide and replace if over 50k. gap to stock specs...1mz dont like to be screwed with. but making sure the plugs are good is a good idea.

Drill a hole in the airbox and run some additional plumbing for more CAI to the stock airbox

Invest in an underdrive pulley. puts ware on other components of the engine, not worth the money if only doing it for MPGs, consider lightweight pullies though (still expensive)

Clean/brush/deoxit all battery/alternator/harness/ground/power connections.

Lean here out. EFIE is an option here. thats a big negative ghost rider! 1mz's are not lean friendly, the knock sensors are very sensitive. to peoperly do this youd have to get a tuner and tune it, which is WAY mroe then worth spending...not to mention, any modifications you do to the AFR...the clever ECU will override after a while anyways.

Keeps injectors clean with the 5-10k bottle of 3m, bg44k, SI1, techron, or PI good idea for a 100K+ car

Stick with toptier gasoline.

Don't use engine remote-starter. Yeah, just a bad idea all around

Wax the car really well so that it cuts through the wind.

[73sport]

Originally Posted by Safari Wagon

Lets put this in perspective -
20x365=7300 miles / year driven
7300 / 21=348 gallons used
348x$5 (I am exaggerating on the price of gas here...)=$1738 spent on gas in 1 year

Now if you are very lucky, you may be able to get a 10% increase in efficiency with the list of items above. So you would be saving $174 per year. (5% is more likely though)

If you goal is to save money, striving for the best mpg is not always the way to do it. Many people spend way more on mpg increasing mods than they save.

I am not saying that you should not do things to increase your mpg, just pointing out that some of them may be good at increasing mpg but also decreasing your $$$.

^+1
Well Said!!

Now do the same math on a New Car and its $payments$ factoring in the 6 or 7mpg increase for a similar car/weight/HP. . . .

I made one car payment = $3400. Or pack your own lunch 1 day a week instead of going out and save over $300!

[LynchburgCSI]

Its a gas guzzler. Trade it in for a 2.2L true to a point...gets slightly lower mileage then the 2.2 over a period because of the 5sfe's tendency to sludge at higher mileage and constant flogging due to its underpower.

VERY well said. The 1MZ had carbon issues with the emissions systems too. I reccomend an EGR inspection, TB cleaning, and seafoam treatment every 12 months for that engine. If that isn't done then it will (well, can/most likely) get A LOT worse milage than a 5S.

[deadrx7conv]

My 2.2 isn't underpowered and is never flogged. I keep up with traffic in all driving conditions with no problem and get 30mpg average. I guess that if you have a small pp and have some pre-maturity teenage speedracer wanna be driftking wet dreams, then a decade all FWD 4 or 6 cyl Camry is the wrong vehicle. Keep driving with your lead-foot if that makes you feel better.

There is no sludge either with proper maintenance and quality fluid. And, the 3.0 isn't immune to sludge as it is one of the certified sludge monsters from 97-01.

[bigbird]

Originally Posted by deadrx7conv

My 2.2 isn't underpowered and is never flogged. I keep up with traffic in all driving conditions with no problem and get 30mpg average. I guess that if you have a small pp and have some pre-maturity teenage speedracer wanna be driftking wet dreams, then a decade all FWD 4 or 6 cyl Camry is the wrong vehicle. Keep driving with your lead-foot if that makes you feel better.

There is no sludge either with proper maintenance and quality fluid. And, the 3.0 isn't immune to sludge as it is one of the certified sludge monsters from 97-01.

sorry friend, the 2.2 (with the exception of the 5 speed) is underpowered for the weight of the car. i'm sorry if my opinion offended you, it appears you were bothered by that. your comments seem a little...well im not sure where you were goin with that, i agreed with your point about how you drive making a difference, but i digress. this opinion is based on years and years of experiance with these cars and this forum and it's hundreds of owners. as i said, it is true...the 5sfe gets better mileage, but thats only to a point. most people value the v6's increased capabilities and lower mileage over the 5sfe's lack of power and increased mileage. not saying your wrong, but "gas guzzler" is hardly a label you could put on the 1mz and back that up.

as for sludge, the 5sfe could have sludge issues reguardless of regular mantainance, thats what the TSB was about. the 1mz only had issues when not properly mantained. the OP likely will see some gain in mileage if he does some cleaing.

[pmesfun]

I like the V6 since its smooth, and rarely do I need to push the engine above 2krpm(only when I'm bored). I get 23-25mpg driving this way. 95%/5% City/Highway.

[tylerho]

Originally Posted by 73sport

^+1
Well Said!!

Now do the same math on a New Car and its $payments$ factoring in the 6 or 7mpg increase for a similar car/weight/HP. . . .

I made one car payment = $3400. Or pack your own lunch 1 day a week instead of going out and save over $300!

Thats true about getting a new car, I'm not really so serious on saving money on gas but i want to try to get as much mpg as possible when i drive. i try not to eat out as much as possible cuz eating out gets really expensive.

[zythr]

Originally Posted by tylerho

Thats true about getting a new car, I'm not really so serious on saving money on gas but i want to try to get as much mpg as possible when i drive. i try not to eat out as much as possible cuz eating out gets really expensive.

There is no decent public transportation and/or carpooling where you're at?