My replacement Yaris gets much worse MPG?

[Shinare]

I used to drive a 2007 manual transmission yaris 3 door HB and I could get 38MPG with absolutely no amount of conservation in my driving. I could thrash it around like a go-kart and it would give me 38 average.

That car unfortunately was totaled (Lady rear ended me and smashed me into car in front of me) and replaced with a 2009 Auto Transmission 3 door yaris with almost exactly the same amount of miles on it. I BARELY get 31MPG out of the thing, and that's driving as conservative as I possibly can. I mean just barely going in the thing.

As you might expect, I'm very disappointed as this was one of the great things about my old yaris, I could really joke around in it and still get 38 avg MPG. If I was conservative I could get over 40!

Is it all just down to the fact that this one is AT? Are there things I can check that may be lowering my MPG?

Thanks all, with gas prices not going down I really would like to get my MPG back up to where my old Yaris was if possible. (of course)

[sex]

My AT gets about 36mpg doing 60/40 hwy/city. Have you checked your tire pressures? You can also reset the ecu so it'll relearn your driving style.

[CTScott]

I get 38-41 with my 08 AT 3dr LB and 34-37 with my supercharged 09 AT 5dr LB.

I would do all of the basics - clean the throttle body, check and potentially replace the plugs, clean the MAF, and check/replace the air filter.

[47_MasoN_47]

+1 to CT's suggestions. My boosted AT has been averaging right around 32mpg in town for the last few fillups. You should be doing a bit better than that.

[Shinare]

I get 38-41 with my 08 AT 3dr LB and 34-37 with my supercharged 09 AT 5dr LB.

I would do all of the basics - clean the throttle body, check and potentially replace the plugs, clean the MAF, and check/replace the air filter.

OK, will do all of these things. I found threads for cleaning throttle body (http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42843&highlight=clean+throttle+body) and for MAF (http://www.microimageonline.com/forums/showthread.php/530-DIY-clean-MAF-%28mass-air-flow-sensor%29?p=4960&viewfull=1#post4960). These still good DIY's for the process?

Any particular plugs I should replace with? Can I get from AutoZone, Pepboys, or some pace or do I need to go to dealers?

Going to do the fan belt (http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44665&highlight=DIY+belt)as well.

[Shinare]

PS> Thanks to all. :)

[screenprintr]

Just bought new tires and did a wheel alignment. Hope this improves my MPG too.

[Shinare]

Well, OK, I've cleaned my TB and MAF, changed air filter, and ran another tank full of gas through my car last week. I just filled up this morning and clocked 28MPG! What the hell?!? This is with about 20/80 city/Hwy driving. Now I'm getting even worse mileage. I cant for the life of me see why this car gets 10MPG less than my last yaris with the same gas and same person driving (same driving style). Could there be something wrong with the computer? This is so frustrating only because I loved my old yaris precisely because of the great MPG and that's why I have another one. Would love to try some more things if anyone has any ideas, I can't fathom whats going on.

[Shinare]

PS> Changed my plugs this weekend so really have little driving on the new plugs, but the old plugs looked really good so not sure if its going to make a difference.

PPS> If this is something that is covered under warranty, I have 10 months left on my 1 year warranty.

[Amdkt7]

Perhaps run some SeaFoam through it. Could be dirty injectors.
Things to check:
Brakes binding
Wheel bearings binding
Exhaust pipe damaged causing restriction
Catalytic converter clogged
Wheel alignment causing excess drag.
Excessively tight belts.
Air compressor not disengaging
problems with the transmission (shifting late, torque converter not engaging properly, slippage).

Put it up on secure jacks and start the engine in gear to spin the front tires. Note how quickly they slow down when you put it back in neutral.

Turn the rear wheels by hand, note how much drag is on each wheel.

Some tires really suck for FE.

[Shinare]

Perhaps run some SeaFoam through it. Could be dirty injectors.
Things to check:
Brakes binding
Wheel bearings binding
Exhaust pipe damaged causing restriction
Catalytic converter clogged
Wheel alignment causing excess drag.
Excessively tight belts.
Air compressor not disengaging
problems with the transmission (shifting late, torque converter not engaging properly, slippage).

Put it up on secure jacks and start the engine in gear to spin the front tires. Note how quickly they slow down when you put it back in neutral.

Turn the rear wheels by hand, note how much drag is on each wheel.

Some tires really suck for FE.

Wow LOL, looks like I'll be getting my hands dirty then, heh. I've done a search on the seafoam stuff here on the boards and found people pour it into the gas tank, or set up some way of sucking it into a vacuum hose some how. Is it beneficial to just pour it into the gas tank or do I need to figure out how to do it the vacuum hose way?

[Amdkt7]

I have never used Sea Foam, but lots of others on here have. I suspect that just putting it in the gas tank should be enough in your case. It will clean the injectors, but not do much for the valves. I doubt the valves are the problem in your case.

Try the easy thing first!

[Shinare]

Seafoam is in! When I do something like this I usually chalk up any kind of change in "feel" to placebo, but in this case there is already a real tangible effect on the "peppyness" of my car. I hope that this "feeling" stays around after this tank of gas, heh.

[47_MasoN_47]

You can use the brake booster line (that's what I use on my truck anyway) to suck the seafoam into the valve cover. It does a decent job of cleaning the valves and whatnot when you do that. It'll smoke your neighbors out though so do it at night or in a rural area :P

I'd check the rear drums. See if there's a drag or something going on. I had a little spring brake on my old Ranger once that caused one of the rear drums to drag. Just that bit of resistance was causing me to get even worse mileage than normal.

EDIT: Oh and if you haven't already, take the negative battery terminal loose for 10 minutes, then connect it back. See if resetting the ECU does anything for you.

[Shinare]

I will probably do the rear brake drums next. The left rear is squeaking very badly when I depress the brake pedal. I figured I will open up both and clean them out, making sure that they are adjusted correctly before buttoning them back up. Reading other threads on here I see that one can get some serious mileage out of a set of factory brake pads and shoes (like well over 100k) and this car has only a little over 40k on it. So I'm thinking they shouldn't need changing.

[47_MasoN_47]

One of my drums makes a weird noise all the time. I'm dumping them for a set of Runstop rear disks from Vten.

[Amdkt7]

The life of the brakes is more dependent on the driver, not the car so much. Many of us are driving to get max gas mileage, and as a result we tend to not use the brakes as much as those who accelerate towards stop signs and such. The same car could have it's brakes used up in as little as one day, or last for the life of the car. Depends on how it is used.

Don't know if anybody mentioned checking to see if there are any codes stored in the ECU. Use a code reader to check if any codes are being thrown. Do that before clearing the ECU by removing the battery terminal.

[Shinare]

No codes according to Torque Pro on my phone. I did throw a CEL when I forgot to hook up one of the coil packs when changing my spark plugs. (I actually really liked how it sounded missing a cylinder LOL) I cleared it out with my phone. I unhooked my (neg) battery when I changed out my plugs, so that was way longer than 10 minutes. I didn't think to check Torque Pro to see if there were any codes before doing that but no CEL ever.

In my old M/T yaris I was pretty aggressive in my driving style and got avg 38 all the time (I didn't shift till about 5-6k RPM and pretty much was WOT a lot heh). In my A/T yaris I'm milking it like a granny and get 28-30. Thats why I'm thinking theres GOT to be something wrong here.

Edit: I wish I could take it to the dealership and say "What gives man?" seeing as how I have a warranty but they will probably say I drive too rough or mileage varies blah blah blah... *shrug*

[Amdkt7]

What happens when you drive it a little harder? Does the mileage get worse?

[Shinare]

Well, this seafoam seems to have made my car a little more peppier, or at least it feels that way to me, so I am hitting it pretty hard right now. We'll see after this take goes through.

[Shinare]

Just as a quick update: I'm just about to turn in my worst MPG gas tank yet. If the last couple gallons stay the same, this tank will be in the upper 20's for aMPG. That's probably 70/30 highway/city driving. I'm at my wit's end. I've tried all the suggestions here. I cleaned the TB, the MAF, I've changed the plugs, the belt. I've made sure all the pulleys turn freely. I made sure all my wheels turn freely. I've had it aligned at the dealership. Now I'm wondering if there's a fuel leak somewhere or something. This is ridiculous. I think its time to take it to the dealership as my 1 year warranty is quickly running out.

[Amdkt7]

I think you maybe on to something. I did not think of fuel leaks. One more idea: could anybody be stealing your gas?

[Shinare]

I would say that it is unlikely that someone is stealing my gas. I park in my garage every night, and because this is an "every tank of gas" type of thing, I would think it would be noticed if it was happening at my work as I park in front of the building with offices looking out over the parking lot.

I just gassed up at lunch and officially averaged 27.6 MPG. that sucks.

[Shinare]

If it were a gas leak, would it be something I could smell, like when it is parked in my garage? I don't smell any fuel smell in my garage.

Edit: Also, could it be my oil? I have no idea what kind of oil is in it right now. Thats something I thought about last night. If someone put in the wrong oil would it affect fuel economy so drastically?

[Amdkt7]

If it were a gas leak, would it be something I could smell, like when it is parked in my garage? I don't smell any fuel smell in my garage.

Edit: Also, could it be my oil? I have no idea what kind of oil is in it right now. Thats something I thought about last night. If someone put in the wrong oil would it affect fuel economy so drastically?

It perhaps could be a leak only when running. I guess you could leave it idling for a few minutes and sniff around for leaks. I'm puzzled, but I don't remember if you ever had it checked for codes, or had a mechanic look at it.

The wrong oil would not make much difference in the summer, I doubt that that is the issue, although there could be multiple minor reasons adding up. Some tires suck...

Indianjim, that sounds like my former KIA, never could get above 33 with it. Generally, I am getting 48 to 51 mpg for the last five or more fillups. I have hills, and use Pulse an Glide most of the time.

[andulong]

How about tire / wheel sizes? did both cars have the same size? If you change out from stock it can alter your mileage and also throw off the Odometer accuracy? Just a thought.

[SkyYarisInFlight]

This is a fascinating thread. Did you ever figure out the issue?

Before I bought my 2013 auto, I was browsing MPG threads to see what people were getting. I definitely noticed a trend; pre-2008 ish models seemed to get 5-10 more MPG than the newer models. This also seems to be confirmed by official EPA numbers (as controversial as those are).

Was there some kind of major change that took place with the Yaris after 2007-2008ish?

[roxy1]

This is a fascinating thread. Did you ever figure out the issue?

Before I bought my 2013 auto, I was browsing MPG threads to see what people were getting. I definitely noticed a trend; pre-2008 ish models seemed to get 5-10 more MPG than the newer models. This also seems to be confirmed by official EPA numbers (as controversial as those are).

Was there some kind of major change that took place with the Yaris after 2007-2008ish?

yeah, there was a change in the formula the EPA dictated be used. the pre 2008 models are not more fuel efficient.

example: the 2007 yaris automatic originally had an epa sticker of 34 city/39 highway. under the newly revised requirements in 2008 that same car gets rated at 29 city/35 highway. same car, same engine, same trans, same body.

so, in fact, the 2012+ yaris is rated higher (30/36 auto and 30/37 manual) than any previous N. American yaris.

[SkyYarisInFlight]

Ah, I see! That clears things up for me. Thanks

[jayeh]

Howdy, I'm a newbie to this forum, not a newbie to forums in general. I'm active on the Tundra one.

I'm happy with my mpg averages. At $15k less than a Prius, I think these cars are great! Before my Yaris adventure, I was driving a 2002 ECHO for several years and it was also a 1500cc engine with automatic and it also got the almost exact same mpgs.

Then there was my 2008 base 3-door with auto that got a consistent 30~31 mpg (90% highway at 65-70 mph) Dropped to about 28~29 with winter blend fuel. Drove that car to about 40,000 miles, then in October 2010 I sold it to my brother and upgraded to a second-hand 2009 5-door "S" model with auto. Both cars are identical drive-train and got exactly the same mpg numbers.

I keep a log book and write the odo mileage and exact fuel to the tenth of gallon. I have been doing this for four years and the best either car ever did was 33mpg on a long road trip.

It is Indiana flatland driving so no excuses for altitude or hills. But there are days when I am driving many miles directly into strong headwind. Combined total of miles I have driven in both cars is 80,000 miles. Kept the log book from day one.

Not a post from a newbie to start an argument, this is the actual MPG I get.

I refill the car at about 280 to 300 miles, so these are complete tanks of fuel being consumed.

Right now my 2009 has the problem with the two lowest bars on the gauge staying lit so for the past year (since about 70,000 miles) I am driving the car by using the trip odometer to judge when to refill the tank. (And I keep a one liter aluminum fuel bottle and funnel in the back. I have ran out of gas two times. The first time when I found out the gauge was not working properly and the second when I was on a long trip and not paying attention to the trip meter.)

My 2009 S now has 90,000 miles. ZERO problems except for the fuel gauge. Occasionally, I run a can of SEAFOAM through it. Changed the spark plugs at about 65,000 miles. I run MOBIL-1 oil 5W30 and NAPA gold (WIX) filter. Change the oil at 5,000 mile intervals. My tires are 90,000 mile Michelin Harmony P195/60R15 at 34psi.


That sounds pretty low mpg wise. My 90% highway tanks (which are very rare) are 32-36. Road trips are usually 38-40.

[tooter]

I have no idea what kind of oil is in it right now.

Do you have any idea the last time it was changed? Even though this is likely not the cause of your problem, just on general principle I'd change the oil and replace the filter.

Also, do you know how well your car was maintained and how it was driven before you acquired it?

[cali yaris]

I have been doing this for four years and the best either car ever did was 33mpg on a long road trip.

I never got more than that.

[Shinare]

This is a fascinating thread. Did you ever figure out the issue?

...

I never did. I've decided to just accept that this Yaris just does not get as good MPG as my old one.

The last thing I did was to drop a ton of money on some "premium" 10k mile synthetic oil. Was going to flush the auto tranny with some synth oil as well but looking at prices, I already am never going recoup what I have spent so far in gas savings... hehe

:iono:

[BIGTAZ351]

My 2010 3dr auto gets 35@70ish - 37@60ish in the summer pretty constant..about 20/80-city/hwy and about 30@60 in the winter with Altimax Arctics/long warm ups.. In the summer I'm still running the factory Goodyears... year-round I use mobil 5000 5w-30 Wix filter@5000 miles, and the only thing I have done is change the wix air filter.
I have gotten 41 on a trip....
Is your Trans upshifting properly.. mine under light throttle will shift to OD@35mph or so...Is the converter locked?....also how hard you pushing it?