Author Archive for Jason Lancaster

Toyota To Make Instant Fuel Economy Gauge Standard

Anybody remember the “motor minder vacuum gauge”? It measured the amount of vacuum in the intake manifold on a carburated vehicle. The more vacuum in the intake manifold, the less fuel being burned (and thus the better your fuel economy). So, if you watched the vacuum gauge while you drove and tried to keep it as high as possible, you could improve your fuel economy. They were fairly common in the early 70s, but they mostly disappeared in the early 80’s when electronic fuel injection made them obsolete.

Fast forward to 2008.

Many vehicles now feature an instant fuel economy gauge, including the Tundra. If you’re fortunate enough to have one, you know that your truck gets TERRIBLE fuel economy under hard acceleration (try 1-2mpg), but TREMENDOUS fuel economy while coasting (like 80mpg). If you watch it closely, and change your driving habits, you’ll improve your gas mileage.

Toyota reports on their Open Road Blog that Prius drivers who watch their “instant fuel economy reading” achieve 5-10% better fuel economy than drivers who don’t watch it. This evidence is so compelling that Toyota will make instant fuel economy gauges standard on all their vehicles in the next few years, calling the gauges “Eco Drive” indicators.

The “Eco Drive” will include some sort of graph showing how efficient your throttle position is, an indicator that would light up when you’re driving efficiently, and a constant instantaneous fuel economy reading.

Sounds like a nice feature. Toyota is always “moving forward”, aren’t they…

For more Tundra fuel economy information, see the following posts:

What’s with the Tundra’s gas tank reserve? According to my calculations, I’m only getting 10mpg!!

Disappointed in your new Tundra’s fuel economy?

7 Tips for better Tundra gas mileage.

Which gas is better for your Tundra – Premium or Regular?

Toyota Tundra Lift Kit Review: Truxxx 3″ Lift Kit

Lift and leveling kits are some of the most popular accessories for the new Tundra — they improve the look and stance of the truck, allow for bigger tires and wheels, and can even improve ground clearance. We’ve already reviewed the ToyTec 3″ lift kit for the Tundra, now we’re going to review another popular option, the Truxxx Tundra 3″ lift kit.

Based in Tucson, Arizona, Truxxx started out installing after-market parts for truck owners in the Tucson area before becoming a manufacturer. All Truxxx lift kits are made in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty. The spacers are powder-coated steel, and the nuts and bolts are cadmium plated with serrated flange heads and built-in washers. We dislike the use of steel – it’s heavier than aluminum and the powder coating can be chipped, exposing the spacers to the elements…but this is a minor complaint. Overall, the kit is of good quality.

Before.
After.
Click photos for a larger view.

The Truxxx kit is designed to raise the front of the Tundra 3? and the rear 1?, thus leveling the truck while also increasing the height about 1?.

Recall of 2007 4WD Tundras For Possible Propeller Shaft Defect

Toyota has announced a safety recall on certain 2007 model year Tundra four-wheel-drive pickup trucks. The recall will effect approximately 15,600 units.

The Details: From Toyota’s press release “On certain 2007 model year Tundra vehicles, there is a possibility that a joint in the rear propeller shaft may have been improperly heat treated, resulting in insufficient hardness. In the worst case, a section of the rear propeller shaft may separate at the joint. There has been one case reported among all affected vehicles that may relate to this condition. The one case involved abnormal noise and did not involve an accident.”

Symptoms: According to the press release, an “abnormal noise” led to Toyota finding the problem. While there are literally hundreds of things that can cause an “abnormal noise”, you might want to contact your local Toyota dealer if your 4WD Tundra is exhibiting signs of rear-end noise that varies with RPM.

Am I Effected? If your trucks is part of the recall, you will be notified via first class mail beginning in late-December 2007. If you receive a recall notice you should contact your local Toyota dealer to schedule an inspection. If the inspection indicates the shaft wasn’t properly heat treated, the shaft will be replaced. This recall does NOT effect all 4×4 Tundras as some media outlets have insinuated.

Contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 if you have questions, but you will be notified if your vehicle is suspected to have the defect. Again, this does not effect all 4wd Tundras.

2007 Toyota Tundra – The Year In Review

The newest version of the Toyota Tundra, assembled in Texas and Indiana, debuted in February 2007, and it was easily Toyota’s best effort at making a full-size truck. Comparisons of the Tundra vs F150 and Tundra vs Ram both showed Toyota offered a superior product in terms of design, value, and performance.

However, Toyota didn’t understand the truck market. The launch of the Tundra was worse than expected because Toyota over-estimated the demand for the “fleet” version of the truck, resulting in quite a few base Tundras on lots that needed incentives to sell. Toyota also had to deal with rumors of a 5.7L engine recall that were dramatically overstated (by both the mass media and this website).

Toyota corrected their oversight and debuted the CrewMax, resulting in a big sales boost and increase in popularity. The popularity of the Tundra was demonstrated by the number of people modifying their trucks – take a look at our featured Tundras for 2007, and read about a bullet-proof Tundra custom built by a firm in Texas.

The debut of a new truck also led to the debut of a collection of new after market parts – Tundra lift kits, Tundra cold air intakes, Tundra exhaust systems, and a slew of accessories. Of course, all the excitement was about the new Tundra supercharger from TRD (that’s still pending release).

The Tundra release was rocky – there were quite a few problems reported, and Consumer Reports didn’t recommend the Tundra – a first. But the negative news didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the Tundra, nor should it have. The truck is still an excellent product and competitive with every full-size on the market.

What will the future hold? We’ve found evidence that both a hybrid version of the Tundra and a Diesel Tundra will both debut in 2009/2010. We also expect TundraHeadquarters.com to grow — we’ve launched TundraNetwork, a social network for Tundra owners, and we’ve started to build a marketplace for Tundra after market parts.

Thanks for reading our site, and we look forward to bringing you news, information, product reviews, and tips during 2008.

TRD Parts for the Toyota Tundra

Here’s a list of TRD parts available for the 2007 and 2008 Toyota Tundra. We’ve included the suggested retail price as well as what you can expect to pay for each part (prices don’t include install).

TRD High Performance Brake Kit

TRD’s part description: “Provides increased heat capacity for substantially more resistance to brake fade and caliper distortion during multiple stops from high speed. Creates firmer pedal feel due to stronger and more rigid components. Better modulation characteristics under threshold braking…” Our take: Cool. Literally. Keeps brakes cool. If you plan on racing and/or towing like crazy, buy these brakes. You can probably get them for $2500-$2600, but expect to have to order them. The good news is you can put your old rotors and calipers on eBay or Craigslist and get some of your money back.

Fits Tundra 07-08′, Sequoia 08′ with 20″ wheels (or larger, will not fit with 18″ wheels) — Part No. PTR09-34070 — Suggested Retail Price: $2,795

Poor Man’s Alternative: G2 Brake Caliper Paint Red. If you’ve got a few hours and a little bit of talent with a paint can, you can get the look without spending very much. G2 is quality stuff too – stay away from cheap caliper paint kits. They don’t stand up very well under high heat.

G2 Brake Caliper Paint Retails for $38.00, and is available in black, green, purple, and yellow too.