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MPG affected by weight of spare, skid plate, backseat

7K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Stone_Blue 
#1 ·
I'm taking long highway road trip this summer. No offroad.
Thnking about MPG.
Changing my oil, I wonder whether to put that annoying skid plate back on just to haul it a couple thousand miles.
Then I wonder about the back seat and also that heavy back tire.
I have 2 roadside assistance plans, cell phone,new tires, credit cards & spare-in-a-can.
Thoughts about leaving the heavy items behind for better MPG?
Thanks

2005 Tundra SR5 double cab
 
#3 ·
Yup...Adjust your driving habits...I got a ScanGauge II, which shows instantaneous MPG, trip avg MPG, and tank avg MPG. I like the instantaneous and trip MPG...It has other tank gauges that would help keep track of your mileage, AND it even tells you how much gas AND mileage and driving time you have left in the tank, so you know when to fill up...No more guessing once youre below 1/4 tank...especially since the fuel gauges in the Tundies seem to be non-linear, and are whacky below 1/4. You just have to calibrate the SGII if you have even a slightly different size tire than whats listed on your door sticker. Easy to do with a GPS. I guess my Tundie originally had 245/65-16s...I now have 255/85-16s, and I found my calibration is about +8.5%...Unfortunately the SG doesnt do half-percents, so i run it at 9%. I also wish it let you enter gallons to at least the 2nd decimal...It only does tenths of a gallon... :(

I drive with a lighter foot, and drive more by instantaneous MPG than by using the speedometer...I have probably increased my MPG by 3-5MPG just by doing that...I coast more on downhills, and coming up to stops...(Also braking less helps the pads/shoes last longer... :)) I also float the throttle on uphills, to get it to shift sooner...Its slower speed wise, but the instantaneous MPGs can be 3-4 MPG better by shifting in the middle of an uphill....(I wish there was a bolt-in manual transmission swap for the Tundie...I bet I could get another 2-4 MPG with a manual).

Also, make sure maintenance is done before the trip. ie clean the MAF and throttle body, check the plugs, airfilter, PVC, fresh oil/filter change if needed, throw some injector cleaner in the tank and run a full tank thru before the trip, (or give it a full Seafoam treatment before leaving. That would require at least two oil and a filter change.)

Also make sure the front and rear brakes are adjusted properly and not dragging...Check tire pressure.

I guess you could remove the spare, (maybe 70-80 lbs), but I wouldnt worry about the backseat or the skid plate. The skidplate may actually give you some aerodynamic benefit...Especially if you are 4x4 and lifted at all... ???
 
#4 ·
I'd leave the skid plate on personally. I know someone who didn't and and an animal chewed threw some of the wiring in the engine bay. Not that it still couldn't occur, but I think it's less likely.

Are those Havelinas know to wreak any havoc? ;)
 
#5 ·
Yes I will get a ScanGauge strip stuff & see what happens.
BTW, I have been coasting Tundra in automatic neutral for years, yet I just learned Jeep Cherokee doesnt like neutral coast (wheels lock if u tow), but is it ok to coast Tundra?
Also is there a way to moderate cruise control surge?
 
#7 ·
BTW, I have been coasting Tundra in automatic neutral for years, yet I just learned Jeep Cherokee doesnt like neutral coast (wheels lock if u tow), but is it ok to coast Tundra?
Also is there a way to moderate cruise control surge?
Well, you can do it...Though i recommend against it...
I have had around 20 vehicles over the years, and only 2 automatics...(14 were Toyotas, and the Tundie is my 1st Toyota automatic)...I used to coast in neutral all the time with all the manual trannies...So, I tried carrying it over to the Tundie...Until a few weeks ago, when I just topped a hill, going down, also in the middle of a nice curve, at 55-60MPH...I guess I shifted a little to fast, and it slipped past N into Reverse... :eek:
Locked up the rear wheels, the ass end kicked to the right real hard, and I left several feet of skidmarks on the road (and maybe even a little in my shorts.. :D)...Luckily it only ended up stalling the motor before any (obvious) permanent damage to anything else. At first, I thought maybe I had blown the engine...It was not fun coasting down the hill with no power steering, (several more curves), in neutral, and I was also a little distracted by kind of freaking out wondering what kind of damage I had done...Other than I think this is how I ended up breaking one of the rear leafs in my pass. side leaf pack.
It wasnt fun, as there were a couple cars right behind me, and also a couple vehicles coming up the hill right in the opposite direction right in front of me...Could have been a very serious accident.
Needless to say, I no longer try to save a small bit of gas by coasting in neutral with an automatic tranny...

As to cruise control, I dont bother using mine...I've always had a pretty steady foot, and been able to maintain a constant speed up or down hills by light throttle control...Again, much easier to do with a manual tranny, and I guess a habit from driving them so long...
The auto in the Tundie seems to have a hard enough time knowing when to up or down shift on hills, that if I do use the cruise, its even worse...And consiquently even worse on fuel efficiency...The only and few times I use cruise is on long, flat stretches of expressway (freeway, for all you left-coasters)...
 
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