I'm getting city milage on the highway?????

I have a desert runner 6 with 5000 miles on it and I get 13 around town

Why would you think that?

Not pushing a brick through the air. Put the camery engine in the truck and the milage will be the same. Why do you think -all- SUV's eat so much gas? City driving probably won't be much different but highway is murder on vehicles that puch air like a brick.

1996 King cab PU, 4 Cyl

Yeah, you ain't gonna' get it! Had a '95 Nissan king cab PU with 6 cyl & auto. Got 19 mpg down the highway with an empty truck. About as good as you'll ever get. Great running truck, wish I still had it.

But he has the 4 cyl. He should be getting in the 20s on the highway.

Original window sticker from the dealer was in with the manual.

It says the truck gets 19 mpg city 24 mpg highway.

Even with a light foot on the gas, all highway, I get 19 mpg.

Like most specs, I'm sure you dont get what they advertise.

Thought I'd do better that 19 though???

Steve

My thoughts exactly!!!!!

Is 19 the best I'll get or is it worth changing something|??? Plugs????

3 - 4 mpg adds up with the cost of gas!!

Steve

Not necessarily, it's a matter of physics. Bascially same weight with either engine, but the 4 cyl. has to work harder than the V-6 to push this truck down the road. Hence, he may get 1 or 2 more mpg, but that's about all! It's more a matter of driving habits, maintenance items, etc.

Steve,

There are several things you can do to try to improve your gas mileage - not sure if your truck is carburated or fuel injected. Before you start though, check to see if you can put your truck's electronic control module/unit, (ECM/ECU), into Diagnostic mode. Check to see if your truck is kicking out a trouble code that may require attention. I believe your truck is OBD II..standard that US Government required all vehicles to be compliant with so as to reduce pollution and improve air quality standards here in the US.

Things to check to see if you can improve your gas mileage:

1). Change your air filter - a clean air filter allows the engine to "breathe" & perform better. 2). Change your fuel filter 3). Clean out the throttle body/carburator & idle adjust valve, (if applicable), by spraying the throttle body/carburator & idle adjust valve, (if applicable), with a can of carburator cleaner. Carb cleaner removes any excess carbon which can affect idle. 4). Pour a can of fuel injector cleaner/carburator cleaner in your gas tank to clean out the carburator jets / fuel injectors - to remove any excess carbon which can affect idle. 5). Check your Engine Coolant Temperature sensor for proper operation - a faulty sensor could trick your ECU into thinking the engine is cold & cause more fuel to be dumped into the intake manifold. 6). Check all your vacuum lines for minor leaks. A minor leak can cause idle problems 7). Check the PVC & EGR systems to make sure they are operating properly - if you can, spray it with carburator cleaner to remove carbon buildup that may be inside. 8). Switch to a "cooler" spark plug 9). Remove the valve cover & check and adjust the valve clearance on your engine. 10). Check & adjust your engine "timing" 11). Check or replace your oxygen sensor on your exhaust manifold. 12). Have your catalytic converter checked to see if it is working properly. A partially melted cat can cause exhaust airflow restriction which can affect engine performance & gas mileage 13). Check & adjust your tire pressure - you might want to consider switching to a "narrower" tire width so as to reduce rolling tire resistance. 14). Check your brake & suspension system along with your wheel bearings.....any unnecessary drag can cause lower gas mileage 15). Reduce the amount of aerodynamic drag on your truck by driving with the windows up & the tailbed down. If you have any racks attached that you don't need, you might want to take those off. 16). Check your gas cap also. A "leaky" gas cap can allow fuel vapors to evaporate. Not sure if the state you live in requires bi-annual smog checks like California, but gas caps are checked in California to make sure they are operating properly & preventing any fuel vapors from escaping into the atmosphere.

And if you want to really have a good laugh, check the federal government's website on how to improve fuel mileage:

best & worst truck regarding gas mileage: You might also want to check the free federal government's website for technical service bulletins on your vehicle to see if any affect gas mileage: Nissan has their site, but you have to pay to access it: hope the above helps...ID

steve wrote: > 1996 King cab PU, 4 Cyl > I'm getting just over 19 mpg. >

What did the camry say it would get? Bet it was higher than 23..

Might not even get that. The 6 is only a 3.0L and the 4 is a 2.4L, not much difference is engine size there.

I love this thread.

Guys, vehicles use gas period, deal with it. A bicycle uses no gas.

The first rule of buying a car is to take whatever the seller says out the window. You should have asked opinions on here on MPG before buying the truck.

Some truth to this. However, fuel mileage can be an indication of the health of the vehicle. In my case I was getting 12.5 when I was supposed to get somewhere close to 15. The service manager wanted to argue with me until it was determined that a baffle had brkoen in my muffler. When the muffler was replaced under warranty, my mileage jumped up to 14.5.

Glenn

So lets all drive sub 15 MPG SUV's!

Speaking of bicycles, we'll all be peddling one around the end of the decade since the world oil supply reached its peak in 2000 and almost no new reserves are being found now. This planet's supply is drying up quick.

Is your truck a 4x4 or 4x2? I have a 86.5 V6 4x2 and get over 20 mpg on the freeway. The 4x4's suck up a few more mpg than the 4x2's.

- Dave

Well, I've got a 1997 single cab, 4cyl, 5-speed, 2wd and mine varies a lot. I have a canvas tonneau cover, which i'm sure helps but it's still all over the place. This last fill up I got 21.5mpg doing almost all city driving. Usually, with mixed driving I get around 24mpg though, I must've been a little deeper into the gas this week. I went to Dallas a few weekends back, went slow, probably averaged 55-60mph and managed to get 28.6mpg out of the truck. Week after that I went to Houston and was in a hurry, doing 75-80mph the whole way and barely got 22mph.

All these are with a pretty empty truck, I never really carry much of anything with me. I'd say you've got something wrong or a very heavy foot if your gas mileage is that poor. How many miles are on the truck? Mine has ~80k but has been babied.. maybe check your o2 sensors? I've never gotten <

20mpg, i've only had the truck for about 2 months/5k miles though.. Hope that helps.

trey

The service manager wanted to argue with me until it

Thanks Glen, This is a helpful answer!!

Steve

Its a 4x2,

Steve