97 Camry MPG

How old is your timing belt , a stretched belt retards timing , reducing milage and power, Timing is a good place to start.

Timing belt was replaced at 62K. Power seems to be adequate and the engine runs smooth. I do seem to think I smell a bit of exhaust when sitting still but not when driving.

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No matter what happens someone will find a way to take it too seriously.

opinion only:

There are differing types of 'intelligent transmissions'. The more modern ones have variable gear- ratios (must work on some sort of DAF belt-drive (been around for eons) with infinately variable pulleys?),..the lessor types tending to remember your throttle settings and so adjusting the trans-shift points (similar to the 'power/economy' button on trans-shifters}. Ultimately tho, this shouldn't have a dramatic effect on economy.

If your driving is 3/4 urban-city street, then 24 mpg is reasonable imho. If it were the reverse, ie mostly hiway,..then its way to low.

Jason

Some areas winter gas formulations give less milage. I notice a big difference when I switch motor, trans, and differential to Mobil synthetic.

Jason ... With only a couple of recent exceptions, "intelligent" automatic transmissions still use planetary gearsets and as such, are not CVT automatics.

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    - Philip

Gas has a big effect. Don't use any Blue Planet gas. The high ethanol content causes power los. It burns, but no real heat is created by it. Don't get gas from Holiday, or Super America. Their gas is watered down (they get the post line flushing gas from the refinery). Fleat farm are good. BP is good.

Keep the RPM's low. I found I can get 27mpg in my '92 V6 (with 207k) if I keep the RPM's under 2,500. 2,500RPM is still high enough to get up to 60mph.

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SmokingTiresV6
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You may be right about the winter gas. It seems I am not the only one noticing this. Some of my friends say the same thing.

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No matter what happens, someone will find a way to take it too
seriously.

Also cold winter weather lowers my milage apx 4 mpg. But checking timing is a quick 5 min job that will give major improvements if it is off by 2-3 degrees, it increased my milage by 4 mpg on a new belt the mechanic forgot to check

^ This is an extremely band statement and should not be taken as fact.

4mpg has tons of variables. And that number is per vehicle. It also depends on the ECU. The ECU in a Subaru is corrective. When the O2 sensor in the exhaust manifold senses the cold, it causes it to run rich the the assumption that it is still warming up. However older Camrys do not have a corrective ECU. So they do not run rich past warm up (which is based on the engine temp sensor). Newer ones may have it, I am not 100% sure. However depending on the temp outside is how long the O2 sensor assumes that it is cold. There are way too many variables to assume 4mpg.

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SmokingTiresV6
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Smoking tires. My statement is fact, do you live where it gets to -20f. Cold components have more friction and take much longer to warm up. Often My car is not warmed up till I return from short tips to the store. I know of nobody that doesnt suffer from winter cold milage reduction here. The timing is also fact, no ECU will compensate for this.

The above statement by "Smoking Tires V6" has numerous debatable points and an outright inaccuracies.

"Older Camrys do not have a "corrective" ECU" ON WHAT PLANET? From the inception of feedback carbureted Camrys of the early 1980's and all of the subsequent fuel injected Camrys, the fuel feedback systems are "corrective" for engine and intake air temperature (and many other inputs).

" However depending on the temp outside is how long the O2 sensor assumes that it is cold." THIS passage suggests you believe the O2 sensor is ambient air temperature sensitive. It is not. It is exhaust temperature sensitive in that it must be heated to at least 550 degrees before it will produce an ECU usable input.

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    - Philip

The ECU does refer to a basic timing matrix before executing a 'calculated' ignition timing. Ambient air temperature and coolant temperature are only two of many inputs that the ECU uses to arrive at a 'calculated ignition point.

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    - Philip