Hi dear C owners, after I did my 10,000km (6,200miles) service at a local service centre, I noticed after 2 fuel ups, my MPG dropped roughly 15%, from 53mpg to 45mpg. For the record, I did all standard service recommended by Toyota, as well as balancing and alignment. Driving conditions are the same. I am worried, is that normal?
* Hove you got your tire pressures raised? Dealerships tend to set it back to spec. * Are you supposed to use OW20 motor oil? Does it different on the invoice? Even it does, it's hard to prove: they might have put in something cheaper/heavier. * Check your oil level, they might have overfilled. * Maybe the alignment actually messed things up? I'm not sure, but think the only thing readily adjustable is toe-in. And how much mileage has elapsed since the service? If you're still on the same tank, without reset trip meter, it could be something as simple as the dealership idling the car excessively.
Hi Mendel, thanks very much for your reply...i "troubleshot" base on your checklist: I'll get back here soon...
I had problems with the electric locks and some other electronics failing around 6000-7000 miles. I took it to the dealer who quickly fixed it under warranty. However, I then noticed an immediate drop in mileage of up to 5 mpg on 20-minute trips around town. I was worried that the mpg had been reporting falsely high before and this was my "real" mpg after some kind of system recalibration. Then I finally discovered the problem: the repair process had turned off the Eco Mode, which I normally leave on all the time. I turned it back on and my mpg returned to its typical 52-56 mpg for in-town use. Whew!
There is no guarantee your alignment is correct from the factory so it's not a terrible idea to have it checked early. Still, if tires are wearing evenly after 6k miles I wouldn't have messes with it.
