Camry Mileage

mileage.

Kind of a general complaint. Any recent changes? Almost everything about the operation of the vehicle can affect mileage

- dragging brakes, excessive idling, colder weather, shorter trips, harder acceleration, weak spark plug wires, underinflated tires. If you're getting 20 mpg steady speed cruising on the highway, you should find the source of the problem. Either take it to a mechanic, or begin checking everything under the hood - fluid condiitons and levels, electrical connections, loose damaged or missing parts, something binding? Cursory inspection of ignition could be done by placing inductive timing light pickup on each lead. Could be restriced fuel injector - try Redline complete fuel system cleaner in gas tank:

Could be weak, lazy, contaminated or failed oxygen sensor: test with volt meter at DLC O2 terminal (data link connector) - factory service manual lists minimum number of times needle crosses threshold in a set period of time. Electronic controls that bypass an inoperative oxygen sensor will give very low fuel mileage. That should get you started. Report back.

Difficult to answer without additonal info like: 4 or V6 - assume automatic trans. # miles on engine. Last change of plugs, spark plug wires, dist cap, air filter, location (hi altitude or extremely cold). Could be simple tune up to needing new thermostat to a coughed catalytic converter --- or just excessive wear and miles.

If the poor mileage started with the onset of cold weather then check the thermostat first. If the car takes a long time to warm up then its an easy fix.

Mitch

swami wrote:

As others said it is alot of things changing all oils to synthetic helps me alot, get a tune up and if your timing belt is old they stretch retarding timing, you loose power and milage. I got 4 mpg better on timing alone, 4 mpg on synthetic oil, 4 on a tune up. Maintain your car.

4 mpg on each? --- you can start selling gas by all you are having to drain off. 4 mpg total is probably more realistic. Bet a good wax job and Rain-X on windshield would give ya another 4 mpg. I don't believ synthetic oil does much of anything for a noticeable mileage boost -- not when cost is 4-5x dino oil cost --- use proper 5w30 in winter and your best ya can do.

I got 20 mpg last spring did eveything at once and on one highway ride was at 36 but got 32 for most of the summer in rural settings, not trips. Stretched belt retarded my timing 4 degrees it made a big difference, oils were changed to mobil synthetics in transmission, differential ,engine and power steering. Plus I went from 29 in my tires to 38. Camrys are touchy and I find little things make a big difference

Thats way overinflated. you will get better mileage probably but at the expense of having to buy new tires. Bet the ride is pretty harsh too.

Buy new tires, that is wrong. My Michelin max inflation is 45lb, Ride is alot better, tighter, to me on highway driving the camry is a to soft ride. But now that winter is here I may lower a bit , everything is stiffer when it is cold. The max pressure on a tire is the max a tire should not exceed, 38 gives plenty of heat expansion room. Tire pressures from Toyota are based upon suspension, not tire design which is Michelins rating. Underinflation is worse leading to overheating and failure.

In addition: Side-wall flex decreases as inflation increases. While this does provide some slight savings due reduced rolling-resistance,..it also reduces the natural castor which occurs when the foot-print lags behind the tires centre and increases the wheel's tendency to follow (or tramline) ridges on the roads surface (more obvious in a high-mileage car), also, road-shocks are transmitted staright to the suspension rather than being buffered by the tire....but worst of all it works against the radial-tire's design ie to flex its wall to stop the footprint lifting (hence loss of traction) on cornering.

Jason

The max pressure is for the tire and has nothing to do with the correct presure for the car since the tire manufacturer has no idea what car you're putting this on. While the car manufacturer's reccomendations are usually a compromise of ride vs. handling I still wouldn't go that high. While you're handling and fuel mileage may be better, you're tire wea will be worse.

Mitch

m Ransley wrote:

Tire wear will not be worse it will be less, less contact patch= less resistance. Not all tires are the same, the Michelins I have run fine at this pressure, that is not to say other brands will run well. There are tradeoffs, reduced tire patch is not as safe as a full contact of

31 psi. Tire pressures are guidlines by car manufacturers, for maximun saftey and comfort and average road conditions . I do not feel going lower is smart, but years ago tires would not handle the higher pressures, 35 used to be a max rating, maybe many still cant, Michelin ond other high quality tires can. The difference for 31-38 is a minimal difference in my ride quality, but in cornering the tires dont roll under now, that is where I notice a major improvement. Plus I drive smooth roads, if I noticed a drawback I would not do it, but now snow will be here soon so lowering pressure will happen for the winter.

Yes less contact patch but that means MORE wear. Its like walking on your tip toes instead of your hole foot. Your shoe will wear out the toe(or center of your overinflated tire)faster. Your also generating more heat in the center of the tire accelerating wear.I bet your rain and snow handling are much worse. I have Michelins too and new shocks. Maybe your roads are smoother than mine and get a better ride at high press. I wonder if you have an accurate tire guage? Consumer reports did a test once of tire guages and some were not very accurate...

Tire inflation must largely be a matter of personal preference. Tried higher pressure (tires is good condition raised only by a couple of pounds) and happened to get into an unfortunate high speed problem. On an unfamiliar freeway interchange had to make a sudden move at around 70 mph with the harder tire pressure. Difficult to describe but the car got into a lurching motion from side to side requiring fairly significant corrections. Sort of an oscillation built up where the side to side lurching, rocking motion was hard to bring under control. I felt a less skilled driver could easily have lost control under those conditions. My conclusion was that the harder tires didn't work with the stock suspension as well. So many people had been recommended they liked a few extra pounds in the tires, I had decided to try it. Now I run the front tires one pound over the factory recommended "optional" inflation for "fully rated loads" and the rear tires at the minimum recommended pressure and have been very pleased with ride qualities, handling characteristics, fuel economy and reduced rolling resistance. I suppose I like pushing the car to its limits on occasion, while keeping it perfectly stock. Had occasion to swerve again at high speed recently - dodging some obstacle in the roadway, and the car responded beautifully - not like a high end German luxury automobile, but predictable and controllable, left me with a big smile on my face, while my young passenger with a look of fear on his face said "don't ever do that again." Final analysis, I'd stay with varying tire pressure only a few pounds off factory numbers to suit individual taste. On mine, there's an alternate pressure 3 lbs. higher all around, so obviously the standard inflation is the 3 lbs. lower number all around. I run 1 lb. over the higher number in front and at the lower number in back, so there's a four pound differential between front and rear to compensate for the greater weight loading in front - generally 1-2 people in the car, works great, even tire wear, good handling, mileage and "road feel" just enough but still comfortable.

Tire inflation must largely be a matter of personal preference. Tried higher pressure (tires is good condition raised only by a couple of pounds) and happened to get into an unfortunate high speed problem. On an unfamiliar freeway interchange had to make a sudden move at around 70 mph with the harder tire pressure. Difficult to describe but the car got into a lurching motion from side to side requiring fairly significant corrections. Sort of an oscillation built up where the side to side lurching, rocking motion was hard to bring under control. I felt a less skilled driver could easily have lost control under those conditions. My conclusion was that the harder tires didn't work with the stock suspension as well. So many people had been recommended they liked a few extra pounds in the tires, I had decided to try it. Now I run the front tires one pound over the factory recommended "optional" inflation for "fully rated loads" and the rear tires at the minimum recommended pressure and have been very pleased with ride qualities, handling characteristics, fuel economy and reduced rolling resistance. I suppose I like pushing the car to its limits on occasion, while keeping it perfectly stock. Had occasion to swerve again at high speed recently - dodging some obstacle in the roadway, and the car responded beautifully - not like a high end German luxury automobile, but predictable and controllable, left me with a big smile on my face, while my young passenger with a look of fear on his face said "don't ever do that again." Final analysis, I'd stay with varying tire pressure only a few pounds off factory numbers to suit individual taste. On mine, there's an alternate pressure 3 lbs. higher all around, so obviously the standard inflation is the 3 lbs. lower number all around. I run 1 lb. over the higher number in front and at the lower number in back, so there's a four pound differential between front and rear to compensate for the greater weight loading in front - generally 1-2 people in the car, works great, even tire wear, good handling, mileage and "road feel" just enough but still comfortable.

SNIP

NOT necessarily. You can offset anticipated higher wear rates (when choosing a smaller tire) by choosing a harder rubber compound or a tire with lower rated resistance to rolling.

--
  - Philip
In observance of Pear Harbor, feel free to
Zero in on any Mitsubishi driver and cut him off!

I talked to Michelin and they said I should not overinflate the tires as it will make the centers wear and that it is about car weight and contact patch, that the same tire I have is rated to be filled 4 lb lower on a Honda or a lighter car. Underinflation even by 1 lb they said will start heating the tire. Well time to lower pressure, My gauge was checked to a 80$ calibrated gauge, But I have junked 3 gauges that were off by up to 5 lb. This is a common problem, crappy gauges, Even my tire shop was off by 3lb. Many people do not really know if they have the correct pressure due to innacurate gauges.

Precisely why I keep one bourdon tube type dial gauge in my toolbox ... for cross checking the accuracy of my other gauges, the ones that get used, dropped, or loaned. The measure I use is how much the tire changes pressure from Cold to whatever temperature it stabilizes at after 10 miles. 3-4 lbs max increase.

--
  - Philip
In observance of Pear Harbor, feel free to
Zero in on a Mitsubishi driver and cut him off!