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Time to get that almighty MPG up!

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by JB SR5, Oct 1, 2016.

  1. Oct 1, 2016 at 11:15 AM
    #1
    JB SR5

    JB SR5 [OP] New Member

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    Jonmark
    Villa Park, IL
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    All stock...for now
    I've read a few of you managing to get 20 mpg out of your 4.7L, what route did you take to accomplish this? I'm clocking at about 15 mpg right now.
     
  2. Oct 1, 2016 at 12:11 PM
    #2
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch
    It is actually very easy to get 20 mpg or even more. This is how you do it:

















    IMG_3633.jpg
     
  3. Oct 1, 2016 at 2:47 PM
    #3
    bobeast

    bobeast really old member

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    Hollister, CA
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    2008 DC
    - Bull Bar - LED Bunny Burners - AMP retractable running boards - Headlight leveling retrofit - P3 Brake Controller - 60% rear seat delete - relocation of Sub to rear wall - Bilstein 5100 x4, top setting with 2 shims per side - Coach builder +2 rear shackles w/carrier bearing drop - Firestone Air bags - on-board compressor with auto-leveling - Dual Undercover Swing Boxes. - P285/65/R20 (34.6") BFG TA KO2's - TRD Front skid plate - Pop & Lock Tailgate lock - Remote Tailgate mod - LED Headlights - Nav Bypass - iPhone integration - Serius/XM retrofit - 25% front tint - Bizon electric tonneau cover - Power folding tow mirror upgrade - 2010+ leveling Headlight mod - Auto-fold mirror mod. - one-touch lane changer mod - Flash to open garage opener mod - Rigid H/L fog light upgrade - Pushbutton / Remote start mod.
    The short answer is keep your foot out of it. But that's sort of like living your entire life on nothing but veggies in order to eek out an extra month on the planet. The usual techniques apply. Keep your air filter clean, and your tire pressures up. Avoid big gnarly tires and lifts, use cruise control when possible. In short, don't drive it like the truck it is.
     
  4. Oct 1, 2016 at 2:48 PM
    #4
    JB SR5

    JB SR5 [OP] New Member

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    All stock...for now
    Colorado TJ... ;-)

    youre not helping.jpg
     
  5. Oct 1, 2016 at 2:56 PM
    #5
    LOTSOFTOYS

    LOTSOFTOYS Toyota Whisperer

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    Mile high
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    Ive noticed that if i drive hoghway with my larger tires i get killer mileage. Larger tires, engine spins slower to go the same speed. On the contrary, in town im only getting 15 15.5 or so
     
  6. Oct 1, 2016 at 3:29 PM
    #6
    Blankcheese

    Blankcheese New Member

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    I've got the 5.7L, and I swear it gets better MPG at 76mph than 72mph. Around town there might as well be a hole in the bottom of the tank.
     
  7. Oct 1, 2016 at 3:42 PM
    #7
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch

    Lol, au contraire mon frere. I am helping you out more than you think.

    Do the math on buying a used Lexus GS350 rwd that is in the picture (11-13k with 85000 miles)vs buying fuel, a new truck 5 years earlier. Might reconcider your position kind sir.

    This is the last truck I daily drive in my life.

    Lastly, you can buy a hell of a lot cheaper car that also gets 35+ mpg. Then you see even more savings.
     
    JB SR5[QUOTED][OP] likes this.
  8. Oct 1, 2016 at 4:11 PM
    #8
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch
    I used to get 20 on the highway, 15 city pretty regular. In the past 20k miles my truck has significantly dropped in fuel economy. Not sure what happened. Now, if I am lucky, the ebb and flow has blessed me, I get 15-16.5 highway and city is dismal.
     
  9. Oct 7, 2016 at 9:25 AM
    #9
    Seadawg1

    Seadawg1 New Member

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    Check with your muffler shop to see what they say. Your exhaust system has something to do with mpg. But I seriously doubt that you will get up to 20 like you wish. I had a Flowmaster installed and I got a bump of 1 mpg. I installed the Flowmaster for the sound not the mpg. I big truck needs to sound like a big truck. lol Before I retired I drove 25 mile each way on a country road and that is what I saw. But it may not be worth the price of muffler over the cost of getting 1 mpg. This was my experience as I am not an expert.
     
  10. Oct 7, 2016 at 9:58 AM
    #10
    joonbug

    joonbug °°°°°°°°°°

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    an extra 1 mpg is about $100 per year
     
    Law323 and Seadawg1 like this.
  11. Oct 7, 2016 at 12:42 PM
    #11
    BRNG ITT

    BRNG ITT New Member

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    Heck, why stop there? Might as well buy a motorcycle. Cheaper to buy up front and cheaper on gas.

    Cliff notes: You buy a truck to have a truck.
     
  12. Oct 7, 2016 at 1:57 PM
    #12
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch
    Wonder if they make studded motorcycle street tires?
     
  13. Oct 7, 2016 at 2:01 PM
    #13
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch
    Maybe for you. It is about 260.00 for me.


    Before anyone says it, if you don't think that is a big deal, PM me and I will send you my PO Box number so I can get a cashiers check from you since we all seem to like giving it away. Hell, I might have a new diesel before Christmas. Better than a Go-fund-Me page....
     
    QSX15 likes this.
  14. Oct 7, 2016 at 2:08 PM
    #14
    joonbug

    joonbug °°°°°°°°°°

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    No, I meant for the average driver driving 10k a year. Yeah, $260 a year starts adding up. For me, it's like $40 a year, I only drove my truck 4k this year.
     
    ColoradoTJ[QUOTED] likes this.
  15. Oct 7, 2016 at 2:22 PM
    #15
    BRNG ITT

    BRNG ITT New Member

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    I think so.....lol.

     
    Law323 and ColoradoTJ[QUOTED] like this.
  16. Oct 7, 2016 at 2:27 PM
    #16
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch
    That is how I am going to be now. My Tundra isn't moving unless work needs to be done. I have filled my truck up 6 times since September 26. I'm done doing that.
     
    joonbug[QUOTED] likes this.
  17. Oct 7, 2016 at 6:59 PM
    #17
    school teacher

    school teacher New Member

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    Edward
    Louisville Ky
    Vehicle:
    2002 Tundra Limited
    Leer Cap RAV/4 V-6
    On several 400 - 500 mile trips with mostly interstate driving, I get 17 MPG or maybe a little more with my 2002 4.7 Limited. All around driving, I get an honest 15 MPG. To date, I have 200,000 miles plus on my Tundra. In the Winter with snow and stop and go driving, I get 13 MPG or less.

    I used to have a 1983 Ford E150 Club Wagon XLT with the 300 CID inline six and a 4 speed manual trans with overdrive on 4th gear. The truck weighed around 5600 pounds and it held 42 gallons of fuel in two tanks. I put over 330,000 miles on it. For the first 100,000 or so miles, it had a 3.0 rear end and I could get 20 MPG on long trips using cruse control. I pull a 2500 # bass boat and I had trouble pulling it out of the lake so I changed to a 3.5 rear end. My gas mileage dropped to 12 - 15 MPG in town and on the road. However, I could pull the boat up any ramp and acceleration was better. That old 300 CID inline six with a 1 bbl carb was rated at only 120 HP and but it developed 240 foot pounds of torque at 1800 RPM. I wish that they still made engines like that.

    With gasoline now 30 - 40 % less than at its peak a few years ago, 15 MPG is not all that bad. Plus, the 4.7 V8 runs real smooth and has good acceleration and pulling power.

    A well tuned engine, properly inflated tires and conservative driving will help you maximize MPG. I think, once you reach 55 MPH, you loose MPG the faster you go as you are pushing more air out of the way. Streamlined automobile shapes low to the ground are more efficient cutting through the air than a wide and tall pick up truck.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2016
    Backslider, Rex Kramer and chunk like this.
  18. Nov 19, 2016 at 6:50 PM
    #18
    shaw0531

    shaw0531 New Member

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    My ultra gauge reads 16.4 average. I drive 30 miles one way to work every day. Mostly highway but about 5-7 miles. City driving probably 50 miles a week. Stock everything
     
  19. Jan 28, 2017 at 9:27 PM
    #19
    03limitedTRDtundra

    03limitedTRDtundra New Member

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    3" leveling lift kit front & rear, KNN INTAKE, JL AUDIO 4 channel amp, single 10" kicker competition sub and custom box, alpine front & rear door speakers, LED LIGHTING IN INTERIOR LIGHTS.NEED TO FIND MUD TIRES IMMEDIETLY POSSIBLE RIMS TO FOR THE RIGHT PRICE somewhere around 33"s the bigger I can fit the better and I have 16" and 17" rims
    I have 03 limited 4.7l v8 with headers and flow master muffler 285/75/16 kn&n intake and I get 8 miles to 9 mpg that's it no matter what I do and there's no check engine codes I only get 240-250 a tank that's 26 gallons
     
  20. Jan 28, 2017 at 9:30 PM
    #20
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    First gens were not mileage monsters to begin with, add some oversized tires.......
     
  21. Jan 28, 2017 at 9:32 PM
    #21
    03limitedTRDtundra

    03limitedTRDtundra New Member

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    3" leveling lift kit front & rear, KNN INTAKE, JL AUDIO 4 channel amp, single 10" kicker competition sub and custom box, alpine front & rear door speakers, LED LIGHTING IN INTERIOR LIGHTS.NEED TO FIND MUD TIRES IMMEDIETLY POSSIBLE RIMS TO FOR THE RIGHT PRICE somewhere around 33"s the bigger I can fit the better and I have 16" and 17" rims
    I did but the mileage didn't change and the power got noticeable less I'm in the middle of diy hack on head unit adding a aux cable but can't find the thread again
     
  22. Jan 28, 2017 at 9:36 PM
    #22
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Are you saying while installing an aftermarket head unit you lost engine power?
     
  23. Jan 28, 2017 at 9:38 PM
    #23
    03limitedTRDtundra

    03limitedTRDtundra New Member

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    3" leveling lift kit front & rear, KNN INTAKE, JL AUDIO 4 channel amp, single 10" kicker competition sub and custom box, alpine front & rear door speakers, LED LIGHTING IN INTERIOR LIGHTS.NEED TO FIND MUD TIRES IMMEDIETLY POSSIBLE RIMS TO FOR THE RIGHT PRICE somewhere around 33"s the bigger I can fit the better and I have 16" and 17" rims
    No no sry I got bigger tires and mpg didn't change. Off topic a lil is I'm attempting the diy aux wire hack to the stock radio
     
  24. Apr 1, 2017 at 6:29 PM
    #24
    ryankmasuda

    ryankmasuda New Member

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    I have an '03 Tundra with 87k on the odometer and my scan gauge typically reads 21.2mpg on the highway holding at 60mph and 15.5-16.2mpg while driving around in the city. Both scenarios driving modestly and not being heavy on the gas when accelerating. They few times I've really gotten on the gas my scan gauge reads 4.4-5.5mpg.
     
  25. Apr 10, 2017 at 7:27 AM
    #25
    Rex Kramer

    Rex Kramer Vinyl Spinner

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    The more frontal mass you are forcing through the air, the less fuel efficient it is above 50 MPH or so. Suspension lifts & oversize tires make the MPG even worse. I roll at factory height on OEM size tires and the best my 4WD 4.7L can deliver is about 18 MPG. I didn't buy the truck for it's MPG, I bought it for it's power, ride height, reliability and practical use for work.

    You could add an air dam to improve aerodynamics at speed, but it has it's drawbacks :eek:
    feodknydtwx3lv4wz3f8.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2017
    Tundraboy and NewImprovedRon like this.
  26. Apr 10, 2017 at 10:45 AM
    #26
    Stumpjumper

    Stumpjumper New Member

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    Never had a dirty air filter affect MPGs. Also, read some articles on the subject.
     
  27. Apr 10, 2017 at 6:25 PM
    #27
    bobeast

    bobeast really old member

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    Bob
    Hollister, CA
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    - Bull Bar - LED Bunny Burners - AMP retractable running boards - Headlight leveling retrofit - P3 Brake Controller - 60% rear seat delete - relocation of Sub to rear wall - Bilstein 5100 x4, top setting with 2 shims per side - Coach builder +2 rear shackles w/carrier bearing drop - Firestone Air bags - on-board compressor with auto-leveling - Dual Undercover Swing Boxes. - P285/65/R20 (34.6") BFG TA KO2's - TRD Front skid plate - Pop & Lock Tailgate lock - Remote Tailgate mod - LED Headlights - Nav Bypass - iPhone integration - Serius/XM retrofit - 25% front tint - Bizon electric tonneau cover - Power folding tow mirror upgrade - 2010+ leveling Headlight mod - Auto-fold mirror mod. - one-touch lane changer mod - Flash to open garage opener mod - Rigid H/L fog light upgrade - Pushbutton / Remote start mod.
    Who ya' gonna believe? Me or the internet?? Hmmmm? True enough though, modern engine computers do compensate for restricted airflow, unlike those of yesteryear. But ya gotta wonder about all these claims that hi performance air-cleaners improve MPG (also found in numerous articles). It seems the internet is at war with itself.
     
  28. Apr 10, 2017 at 6:34 PM
    #28
    gosolo

    gosolo You Don’t Know Who I Am But I Know Where You Live

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    2"CB shackles, bushings and 1 shim, lockerdown console vault, rear folding seat back mod, snugtop shell with opening side windows, 46g fuel tank, SDHQ sliders and hidden winch, Decked Drawers, Alcan leaf springs and got rid of the interior chrome
    As my hero, Dale Dribble, said,"There's no such thing as computer error, what they do, they do on purpose!"
     
  29. Apr 10, 2017 at 6:35 PM
    #29
    FlashCulprit

    FlashCulprit ColoradoTJ's whipping boy/Gino's illegitimate son.

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    They do! hahaha It's actually kind of cool but screw riding in below 30. K3 makes DOT approved dual sport tires *and yes i've seen people stretch them to sportbike applications.
     
    ColoradoTJ[QUOTED] likes this.
  30. Apr 10, 2017 at 8:13 PM
    #30
    bobeast

    bobeast really old member

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    Hollister, CA
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    - Bull Bar - LED Bunny Burners - AMP retractable running boards - Headlight leveling retrofit - P3 Brake Controller - 60% rear seat delete - relocation of Sub to rear wall - Bilstein 5100 x4, top setting with 2 shims per side - Coach builder +2 rear shackles w/carrier bearing drop - Firestone Air bags - on-board compressor with auto-leveling - Dual Undercover Swing Boxes. - P285/65/R20 (34.6") BFG TA KO2's - TRD Front skid plate - Pop & Lock Tailgate lock - Remote Tailgate mod - LED Headlights - Nav Bypass - iPhone integration - Serius/XM retrofit - 25% front tint - Bizon electric tonneau cover - Power folding tow mirror upgrade - 2010+ leveling Headlight mod - Auto-fold mirror mod. - one-touch lane changer mod - Flash to open garage opener mod - Rigid H/L fog light upgrade - Pushbutton / Remote start mod.
    Yep. Every computer error is really a programmer error. The computer just does what it toad. always.
     

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