We still have the winter blend right now in Wisconsin.. I am getting about 26 combined depending how I drive. I haven't gone on many trips yet, but I got 28 mostly highway on a 1 hr trip (I was going about 70-75 mph though).

It seems like the 5th gear is a bit short to me. Seems like a lot of cars from the era (My 88 Prelude was over 3000 rpm going 60!). I think the Wagons need another gear or a taller 5th.

I haven't experimented much with different brands of gas.. I used to always get BP gas (out of convenience) however I did notice a 1-2 mpg increase now that I use Shell gasoline almost exclusively.

I get about 24mpg in the city. Haven't done a road trip in awhile so I don't know about the highway. Chevron 87 exclusively. Mine is also an auto.

I calculated, with Excel, my consumption for several months (30 000km) (and still calculated !) and it have an average of 10 liters/100 km = 23.5214583 miles/gallon(US) All seasons combined, -35C to 35C on the highway and the city

It's a 1992 with auto trans.

My best score is 7.1 liters/100 km = 33.1288146 miles/gallon(US)... the worst : 15.1 liters/100 km = 15.5771247 miles/gallon(US) (but this is a shame )

how tall is the OD on the auto trans? the autos usually rev lower on the highway.. like my camry (auto) only spins like 2100 rpm going 60 so it can get close to 35 mpg highway

I really have no idea about the revolution of the engine... I don't have the RPM in the dash !

I'll check mine next time I'm on the highway.

I just bested my old best.. got exactly 30 mpg 90% highway yesterday.. I was going ~70 mph average.. not bad

In stop-and-go city driving I get between 22.5 and 24 mpg.
On the highway, I get close to 30.

Last weekend, I had guests in town, and I drove them all over Los Angeles basin, mostly highway miles, and got 29.5 miles per gallon, including rush hour slow traffic.

My best miles/gallon to date was driving between Phoenix and Los Angeles during the summer time, 31 miles/gallon.  For some reason, the car felt as if it were driving better in really hot (120 F) weather.

My car isn't perfectly tuned up.  I have a crack in the exhaust manifold, which spurts out air when I run the engine.
Unfortunately, I can't remove the exhaust manifold due to the location of the lower bolts on the underside of the manifold (where it attaches to the exhaust down tube); they are on there really tight, but I can't get a breaker bar onto them because of their location: not enough room to insert the bar.  I suppose I'll have to get an air gun impact wrench to take it off.

I find the discrepancy between the AWD/4WD Corollas and their FWD counterparts interesting.  Most of the non-All-Trac Corollas get 40 mpg, so there is a 25% drop in fuel economy. Nowadays, other cars with similar variations in their models have less of a gap between their 2WD and 4WD models. Example, the 2.4 Litre 2WD Toyota Matrix tets 28 mpg highway while the AWD version gets 26 mpg highway.

I noticed the mpg drop between the 2wd and 4wd models too.. I wasn't expecting the difference to be so dramatic. when I bought the car. Still, I cant complain.

My exhaust manifold is leaking too.. these cars seems to have a lot of exhaust/manifold related problems, lol. I will be switching to semi-synthetic engine oil along with changing the diff/tranny fluid. That long with getting the ehaust fixed should probably give me at least a measurable bump in mpg (I hope!)

Quoted from Jcmcc

I noticed the mpg drop between the 2wd and 4wd models too.. I wasn't expecting the difference to be so dramatic. when I bought the car. Still, I cant complain.

Yes, that's the sacrifice we had to make due to the 4WD drive train.

Quoted from Jcmcc

My exhaust manifold is leaking too.. these cars seems to have a lot of exhaust/manifold related problems, lol.

Cracked exhaust manifolds are the norm for most older cars -- long periods of high heat just makes metal brittle and prone to cracking, as it does to cracking gaskets and seals.
I went to a junkyard and got the proper exhaust manifold off of another 1.6L non-All-Trac Corolla; I just can't get the old manifold completely off; the bottom bolts are stuck (where it attaches to the downtube above where it meets the oxygen sensor), and the other tubes and pipes makes it harder to get a wrench in there.

Quoted from Jcmcc

I will be switching to semi-synthetic engine oil along with changing the diff/tranny fluid. That long with getting the exhaust fixed should probably give me at least a measurable bump in mpg (I hope!)

I also plan on switching to synthetic engine oil, once I clean out the engine (I'm using Auto-Rx which recommends using dino oil for the cleaning and rinse phase.)  Like you, I am also planning on switching my transmission and rear diff oil to synthetic; I just don't know which brand, although I am leaning towards either Mobil 1, Royal Purple, or Amsoil.  I like the latter, but I hate the way it is marketed and advertised (they brag too much; it turns me off).  The lower friction due to synthetic should not only increase fuel economy, but also cool (lower the temperature of) the gear boxes, making them quieter and last longer.

yep, I switched to valvoline max life full synthetic 10w30, and the engine does seem to run a little quieter. I haven't really noticed a bump in mpg, but it will probably protect better than the dino oil and isn't really much more expensive (13$ at walmart, lol)

Does the auto-rx really help? I bought 2 bottles of it a week ago (going to use it on my gf car- 1zz-fe). I'm hoping it might slow down the oil burning of her car. Hers is 10 years newer but mine runs better and uses almost no oil


by the way, i changed the transmission oil about 400-500 miles ago, but i just looked at the jug and its a gl-5 gear oil instead of gl-4. Will this difference cause problems? Its been driving and shifting just fine so I'm not sure if i should change it back to gl4

The Auto-Rx seems to help. It really cleaned up the valves and rockers under my valve cover.
I am still running Auto-Rx in the transmission and differential; I am not due to change them for a few hundred more miles.

As far as GL5 versus GL4; according to my shop manual, I am supposed to use GL5 which is less harsh on synchros than GL4.  Does your manual call for GL4 and not GL5?

92 All-Trac automatic with overdrive, I have gotten just under 30 mpg here in Southern California, on a 350 mile round trip.  Usually about 22-23 around town.  I do have a K&N filter and I am running 14" wheels from a 98 Corolla.  Waldo

Waldo,

I like the look with 14" Corolla rims; I have been looking for some affordable ones lately somewhere locally; they are too expensive to ship.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on improving MPG?  

I am a believer in using top tier gasoline. I consistently see 1-2 mpg better with shell gas.. Plus it's supposed to be better for the car.

Other than that set tire pressure a little higher and drive slower.

You want better MPG number ?.... Drive only on the high-way .... !!

Quoted from Jcmcc

I am a believer in using top tier gasoline. I consistently see 1-2 mpg better with shell gas.. Plus it's supposed to be better for the car.

Other than that set tire pressure a little higher and drive slower.

Another suggestion I got was: use a lighter grades of motor oil, transmission fluid, and rear differential fluid; to offset the lowered protection of dino-based oil, go with a superior wearing synthetic, e.g. Amsoil 0W30 in the engine, and even in the manual transmission (yes, my transmission mechanic swears by putting 30 weight oil in the manual tranny).  If you have a automatic, you can try a leaner version of ATF.  But you can still use a lighter transaxle fluid. (Recall: in the automatic drive All-Tracs, the transmission and the transfer case are separate because they use different fluids: ATF and transaxle oil respectively.  But in the manual drive All-Tracs, the transmission case and the transfer case are connected so they use the same fluid.  But the rear diff still needs a hypoid gear oil, but instead of dino 90 weight, go with synthetic 75W-80.  I have yet to try this.

I consistently get 10L/100km around town which is 23-24 mpg.  Better on the highway but i haven't done a full highway tank yet.

Quoted from Waldo

92 All-Trac automatic with overdrive, I have gotten just under 30 mpg here in Southern California, on a 350 mile round trip.  Usually about 22-23 around town.  I do have a K&N filter and I am running 14" wheels from a 98 Corolla.  Waldo

That's one hell of a clean '92 - exactly the structural condition I'm looking for. If you're ever inclined to sell it, let me know...

I just went through my first tank after the engine (re) swap and combined half highway / half city the tally came to 27.7 mpg. I'm about to shoot to the Southern california desert and wouldn't be surprised to pull 30 mpg going down I-5 ,but that's a few weeks away still.