AVG has mileage in newly purchased 4R

Hi all,

brand new here. I just purchased my second consecutive 4R (2018 trd off road premium) after a wreck claimed my 2015 sr5.

I noticed that the avg gas mileage is significantly lower than what my last 4R was averaging. ~12 vs ~17/18 in exact same driving conditions.

are there any mods (ecu, exhaust, etc) that would account for this? How would I check for ECU? Does the trd drive train differ in any way from the sr5 that would account for this?

As far as I can tell the car has not been lifted nor does it have larger tires.

 

welcome

 

Welcome. The engine and transmission are the same across the board. I assume the difference would be in the suspension and elocker etc in the differentials.

 

How are you calculating MPG? Over what time period/how many miles? Do it by hand/calculator instead of the dash computer to be sure.

How would we know if there’s any mods?

Differences in tires? Maybe it’s the same size but all-terrains with a higher load rating/heavier.

The usual suspects apply, tire pressure, maintenance/filters, etc.

All else equal, both trims should have the same fuel efficiency.

If you shift into neutral at speed, does it coast as you expect?

 

Welcome to the forum. Powertrain is the same. Are you reading mileage from the dash display or manually calculating on odometer reading and fuel put in between fill-ups? The dash display may not be reliable.

Other things affecting gas mileage are dragging brakes (either main brakes or parking brake), really degraded rear diff fluid, low tire pressure, and colder temps (e.g. below 10F). Check for engine oil sludging by snaking an inspection camera down the oil filler neck - the previous owner/lessee may have been negligent with getting oil changed.

 

Welcome to the site!

I have a 23 TRD ORP and average 17.7mpg since new (I never reset that one). On some trips to the cabin I've averaged 21-22mpg on the "since last fuel-up" screen.

First place I would check is tire pressure. I keep mine around 36-38psi. Then like someone stated above, I would go to each wheel and take the brake calipers off, make sure the slide pins are free and not stuck.. you could have a sticky brake somewhere.

Is it possible the previous owner put in the wrong weight oil or changed the spark plugs and used some crappy cheap-o's? Definitely.