Question Turning down super charger, increasing mpg.

[Cobb]

Thanks. Since reading the manual and how the torque converter locks, I now drive 50 vs 40mph on secondary roads, which is where my scions got their best fuel economy. I got 20mpg, 239 miles on like 12.1 gallons.

Before I was getting 17.3 to 18.9. I try to keep it at 2 grand when accelerating and now press the od button to accelerate on the interstate and its locked in 4th gear. This was with like 4 jack rabbit starts.

Basically I got the truck inan estate sale to drive as it was setup with recaro seats and automatic and well cared for to drive as I am letting my parents drive my new 09 xb as they need a new car with an automatic and room for their walkers.

So, I am just on the fence about keeping it if its can be a crotch rock with reasonible fuel economy or if its middle of the road, sell and or trade it for another car for me.

Here are some videos of the performance, the secodn video is a great example of what happens at some stops when I start off. It just sits and squeals tires. Got to let off the brake and let it roll on its own at idle, then gas it first. The drive away sounds like a big truck as well as the braking through the gears as I return. Sounds too as if the tires are squealing throughthe first gear in that video too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEy2OPg8s3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XsnbiNOccU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-EbZyB81S4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dv5PUjyCjI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hV9FqEESfA

[mustang67408]

Nice Vids. It really sounds like you like the truck. I know I love mine.
The key to having your cake and eatign it too, is to drive using a boost gauge.
1 side of the gauge reads vacuum = gas mileage.
The other side of the gauge reads boost = Gas STATION.
Drive around 2k rpms as you said and you can have the best of both worlds.

[Gadget@URD]

Whatever you do, do not run anything less than the highest octane pump gas in your area.

One guy decided to run mid grade and he got 1 and a half tanks out of that before a piston failed.

Whoever that was at the Toyota dealer that told you you can run less than premium should be fired for doing so. The engine already runs super lean as it is and dropping octane will likely lead to an engine failure in short order.

Your truck has some age on it. Here is what I would do if I were you. Find a shop that does the Motor Vac treatment in your area and get that service done. It will super clean your injectors and restore new injector flow rates, clean the intake valves, clean the intake ports, and remove all the carbon from the combustion chamber.

Then change your fuel filter and replace it with a new Toyota/Denso fuel filter. After you do that install URD's 7th Injector kit to give you the knock control you need and properly fuel the engine at high RPMs.

Those things will get your engine running correctly. Now you have to deal with the transmission if it is not already to late. Contact my good friend John at Import Performance Transmission in NJ. His contact info is in the URD links page.

Get your transmission's valve body reworked before your transmission fails. You can go to my personal website and read up on the valve body modification. GadgetOnline. Just make sure you do business with IPT instead of the company I reference on my site. IPT is a days drive from you so you can drive up, get your tranny fixed up, and drive home in one LONG day.

If you have any other questions you can call me at the URD Tech Support Line 877-8URDUSA x3

Gadget

[The Phoenix]

I have to back IPT as well. They did my friends trans on his Tundra. What a difference!

[mustang67408]

I also agree the IPT mod is awesome and have heard 0 issues. Call John and tell him exactly what your after, he knows his stuff.
Adding the 7th injector is an excellent idea too, you will notice the difference right away.

[Cobb]

Thanks gadget, but a lot of the links near the bottom of the page TRD Supercharger: do not work like the fuel, low rpms, ping, etc.

Its much more drivable in traffic using the od button in conjunction with gassing it to get up to and above highway speeds to merge, get around slower moving vehicles and stay out of trouble. I then release the gas and push the button back in for it to go to od.

I drove home i295 christmas eve and at 90mph with the rest of the traffic and it was like a mobile parking lot. I was runnning boost most of the time and consumed quarter of a tank of gas for 40 miles. So, the 7th injector will fix this? 1000 bucks and I need a scan tool too?

What about a nitrous setup with the fuel and nox injectors?

I guess my disappointment is that its much like an american truck or van in regards to the performance in acceleration at higher speeds. The shift points and gearing seems off compaired to the cars and suvs I have driven and mainly toyota products. Not that I never thought twice about doing 4 grand in my scion to maintain 80 mph and still exceed 30mpg.

[Gadget@URD]

All of the data and pictures is still on my site. The problem is that I moved it to the URD high speed high bandwith server and that server is case sensitive on the URLs. If you play around with the caps or no caps in the links the pages will come up.

I am going to revamp my whole site someday, but I have many other higher priority projects I have to attend to first. You will see some of the things I have been hard at work on starting the 1st of the year.

Now I hate to be the one to break the bad news to you, but you are not going to get good MPG in one of these trucks at 80+ MPH. It is a matter of aerodynamics and gearing. We can tune the hell out of your supercharger system, but if you beat on it it is going to be a gas hog.

Most people report loosing 1-2 MPG when the TRD supercharger is installed on a 5vz. Most report getting that 1-2 MPG back when the URD fuel kit is installed and properly tuned on the vehicle. So, you have significantly more power available without a significant MPG penalty provided you drive sensibly. Make no mistake about it. If you unleash all those horses, you will have to feed them.

Gadget

[Cobb]

Thanks and thanks for answering my tough questions. I know its a 10 year old truck, but it sat for 5 years with 43 thousand miles. It was driven only on sunday and cared for way more than it was driven. I bought a new 09 xb and gave it to my parents to drive as they need an automatic and this truck has one as well and recaro powered seats, which I like for my ms. If I can get 24 mpg, that will allow me to commute on a gallon a day to and from work, so it will still be afordable when the price of fuel goes back up, not to mention preminum fuel.

Basically, this is what I wanted to do and would like your feedback.

1. I wanted to get an rke alarm system, possibility with remote start.

2. Second, see about lowering it. I know my previous cars rode better lowered and its a street truck, its not going off road, but 4wd can come in handy in the few snow storms we get in va as I am a super at a call center and its critical I am at work when required or needed for job security in this market. I have adjustible coil overs in the front that are cranked up 1/4 the way of travel and see in the manuals the 2wd has the axle mounted above the springs, the 4wd its mounted below it. Can the 4wd be mounted above the springs and unscrew the coil overs to lower?

3. Then getting the tranny mod. I am sure a flush is in order and I would LOVE it if it can be adjusted to unlock the torque converter when off idle or at a push button when merging in traffic and the ability to lock it at 40-45mph. Its a bit bouncy driving at 50mph for better fuel economy with the torque converter locked on the back roads when my previous car was most efficient at 40mph as the torque convertor locked at 37mph on the xb. How about an older style floor headlight switch hooked into the od switch and one for the torque converter to over ride it?

4.The 7th injector. Do you do that? You are in MD right? Whats that roughly installed? Can you give me a link to the other company, IPT? Whats the tranny mod run, minus the rebuild but include a flush and some wiring and switches?

I had a friend with a snap on computer, he claimed this computer can do anything including adjusting shift points, can this help the toy, is this was ipt does, or can you do that?

Thanks, If you can do this feel free to email me or other vendors. I wouldnt mind driving up and getting this stuff done, just need to see how much we are talking and make a day of it.

[Gadget@URD]

I do not do installs, sorry.

The URD 7th injector kit for the 5vz TRD Supercharger is very simple to install especially if you upgrade to the plug and play ECU harness.

The valve body mod is a mechanical alteration to the hydrolic control system in the trans to make it shift faster and crisper to reduce the wear on the clutch packs. There is no wiring or anything like that.

Gadget

[Cobb]

Is this something a dealer or performance shop can install? I was going to take my truck to p tuning in Manassas va to look it over. I see from the photo a fuel pump, a regulator, a short piece of hose, some hose clamps and a set of spark plugs, plus a brain box. I have the grey charger and the pulley is like the size of a 12 ounce coke can.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Gadget@URD

I do not do installs, sorry.

The URD 7th injector kit for the 5vz TRD Supercharger is very simple to install especially if you upgrade to the plug and play ECU harness.

The valve body mod is a mechanical alteration to the hydrolic control system in the trans to make it shift faster and crisper to reduce the wear on the clutch packs. There is no wiring or anything like that.

Gadget

[Gadget@URD]

Originally Posted by Cobb

Is this something a dealer or performance shop can install? I was going to take my truck to p tuning in Manassas va to look it over. I see from the photo a fuel pump, a regulator, a short piece of hose, some hose clamps and a set of spark plugs, plus a brain box. I have the grey charger and the pulley is like the size of a 12 ounce coke can.

Thanks.

99% of our kits are owner installed.



Gadget

[Cobb]

Gadget, my new friend, help me out here. I have ms, it took me 9 hours to install lowering springs on my scion xa, 5 hours to put the oem fogs on my 09 xb. Its well worth my expense to get some help installing something that is hooked to fuel and power. Can you send me the manual and or a dealer in the Richmond area to install it, va area? My email is markacobb@yahoo.com zip 23230 Also ipt search turns up a bunch of stuff, can I get their site to upgrade the tranny too as well as the engine.

Thanks

PS, I have my credit card on my desk to buy as I hate to buy something I cant install as I do not believe you or most vendors will acccept a return if it was partly installed or screwed up in the installation. Maybe I can installthe plugs, injector and a few really easy parts and let the dealer or perofrmance shop do the rest? I use RPM on Broad st for my alarm and tint on my scion xa. I am likely to use they for the alarm on the taco and this kit.

[Cobb]

Hello? I guess I can install 3/4 of it, then get the dealer to replace the fuel pump. I looked up plugs today as I loved the bosch +4 in my scion. Turns out bosch does not recommend platinum plugs in any vehicle with forced induction. Strage, seems the iridiums are also platnium.

[mustang67408]

I looked up plugs today as I loved the bosch +4 in my scion

Bosch plugs are some of the WORST plugs for Toyotas (IMO). I have yet seen a Toyota run well on them. I do not recommend them to anyone. Stick to Toyota brand plugs. Just my Opinion again. Platinum and Iridium plugs are very different and run in different ranges. Iridiums work best on S/C applications (IMO) They are built to take the punishment of the force induction. You should run Denso IK22's. I think URD sells those too.

[Cobb]

Thanks. I pulled a plug and yeah, they need changing rather I get the kit mentioned above or just the plugs. My plugs are orange and dual electrode. Likewise I was going to get a few degrees cooler as well.

I know hondas love ngk, but my scion 1.5l loved the 4 electrodes. I get a few more mpg and it seemed very smooth.

Anyway, bosch said no and why, then the store refused to sell me the iridiums cause bosch said they do not recommend platinum cause it runs hotter.

Do you think a performance shop or dealer could help me install the urd kit?