Two 89 Toyota Cressia ?'s - gas mileage and disabling the alarm

What mileage do you think an '89 Toy Cressida w/7MGE should get? After
2 fill ups on a longish trip, I seem to be getting around 26 - 27.
Almost exclusively highway driving at speeds varying from 50 - 80,
mostly in the 65 - 75 range..

Could there be any advantage to setting the timing to more than the 10
degrees the shop manual advises? Or could the system be designed to
operate assuming that specified timing? I refer to it as a "system"
since all the engine functions appear to be regulated by an onboard
computer/brainbox.

Also, I find that there are brain boxes for both the alarm and the
cruise control. The alarm has been having problems going off
spontaneously. Disconnecting the brain box for the alarm cures this
but also diables the cruise control. Their wiring harnesses appear to
be connected.

Is there a way to disconnect only the alarm without effecting the
cruise control? Maybe a way other than disconnecting the brain box for
it?

Thanks for all input.

"Doc" > wrote in message
...
> What mileage do you think an '89 Toy Cressida w/7MGE should get? After
> 2 fill ups on a longish trip, I seem to be getting around 26 - 27.
> Almost exclusively highway driving at speeds varying from 50 - 80,
> mostly in the 65 - 75 range..

26 ~ 27 MPG highway mileage is pretty good for an '89 Cressida.

> Could there be any advantage to setting the timing to more than the 10
> degrees the shop manual advises? Or could the system be designed to
> operate assuming that specified timing? I refer to it as a "system"
> since all the engine functions appear to be regulated by an onboard
> computer/brainbox.
>

Setting the timing to more than the manual's specified amount can cause
pinging so don't do it. Even if the car has electronic spark advance, ithe
ECU will retard timing back do stop the pinging so nothing is gained.

> Also, I find that there are brain boxes for both the alarm and the
> cruise control. The alarm has been having problems going off
> spontaneously. Disconnecting the brain box for the alarm cures this
> but also diables the cruise control. Their wiring harnesses appear to
> be connected.
>
> Is there a way to disconnect only the alarm without effecting the
> cruise control? Maybe a way other than disconnecting the brain box for
> it?
>
> Thanks for all input.

Use the shop manual to diagnose whatever is setting off the alarm, or use an
electrical wiring diagram to determine which pin in the alarm control box
triggers the horn and back that pin out of the connector.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:19:07 -0800, Doc wrote:

> What mileage do you think an '89 Toy Cressida w/7MGE should get? After 2
> fill ups on a longish trip, I seem to be getting around 26 - 27. Almost
> exclusively highway driving at speeds varying from 50 - 80, mostly in the
> 65 - 75 range..


Holy Crap!!! You're getting that kind of mileage with an automatic?!?!?!

I consider myself lucky if I hit 22 with my Supra, same engine!!!

Course, if I kept my RIGHT FOOT OUT OF IT...!

On Nov 24, 9:59 pm, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B > wrote:

> Holy Crap!!! You're getting that kind of mileage with an automatic?!?!?!
>
> I consider myself lucky if I hit 22 with my Supra, same engine!!!
>
> Course, if I kept my RIGHT FOOT OUT OF IT...!



Well, that's of course going by my trip odometer, brand new rebuilt
engine, out of 700 or so miles probably 690 of them between 45 & 75
which I'm guessing is right in the optimal mileage zone.

Not sure if it's my imagination, but the low-end acceleration feels
stronger to me than it did before my trip.

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
...
>
> "Doc" > wrote in message
> ...
>> What mileage do you think an '89 Toy Cressida w/7MGE should get? After
>> 2 fill ups on a longish trip, I seem to be getting around 26 - 27.
>> Almost exclusively highway driving at speeds varying from 50 - 80,
>> mostly in the 65 - 75 range..
>
> 26 ~ 27 MPG highway mileage is pretty good for an '89 Cressida.

26 is great!. The Cressida we had rarely broke 20 mpg unless you were going
down hill with a tail wind. It was the worst POS I have ever owned.

Ed

On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:26:21 -0500, "Ed White" >
wrote:

>
>"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
...
>>
>> "Doc" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> What mileage do you think an '89 Toy Cressida w/7MGE should get? After
>>> 2 fill ups on a longish trip, I seem to be getting around 26 - 27.
>>> Almost exclusively highway driving at speeds varying from 50 - 80,
>>> mostly in the 65 - 75 range..
>>
>> 26 ~ 27 MPG highway mileage is pretty good for an '89 Cressida.
>
>26 is great!. The Cressida we had rarely broke 20 mpg unless you were going
>down hill with a tail wind. It was the worst POS I have ever owned.
>
>Ed
>

ROFLAMO

I was wondering where you were, Ed...

--
Scott in Florida

"Scott in Florida" > wrote in message
...

> ROFLAMO
>
> I was wondering where you were, Ed...
>
> --
> Scott in Florida

The mere mention of a Cressida is enough to make me crawl out of hiding. I
still have nightmares about that POS. Riding around town the gas mileage was
in the mid-teens.

The car had one feature I liked, a drain plug on the automatic transmission.
That worked pretty well. Almost nothing else did.

Ed

"Doc" > wrote in message
...
> On Nov 24, 9:59 pm, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B > wrote:
>
>> Holy Crap!!! You're getting that kind of mileage with an automatic?!?!?!
>>
>> I consider myself lucky if I hit 22 with my Supra, same engine!!!
>>
>> Course, if I kept my RIGHT FOOT OUT OF IT...!

I am guessing the Supra and Cressida have different final gear ratios. Were
the engines tuned the same? I would guess not.

> Well, that's of course going by my trip odometer, brand new rebuilt
> engine, out of 700 or so miles probably 690 of them between 45 & 75
> which I'm guessing is right in the optimal mileage zone.

NEW REBUILT ENGINE = the mileage should improve as the engine breaks in.

75 mph = way out of the optimal zone for gas mileage, especially for a car
from the 80's. They were geared with the 55 mph speed limit in mind.

Using the trip odometer = Are you basing this on a one tank average? Keep a
book on the mileage for at least a month. Single tank averages are
notoriously inaccurate. I feel you need at least 3 consecutive tanks of gas
to get a good average.

> Not sure if it's my imagination, but the low-end acceleration feels
> stronger to me than it did before my trip.

Probably because the engine is "breaking in." Rebuilt engine are more likely
to need a long break in period that factory new engines. Rebuilders, even
good ones, just won't match the OE Toyota tolerances and finishes on
cylinders (well unless you had a race shop do the engine).

I still can't believe the Cressida will get that kind of mileage.

Ed

On Nov 28, 11:24 am, "C. E. White" > wrote:
>
> > Well, that's of course going by my trip odometer, brand new rebuilt
> > engine, out of 700 or so miles probably 690 of them between 45 & 75
> > which I'm guessing is right in the optimal mileage zone.
>
> NEW REBUILT ENGINE = the mileage should improve as the engine breaks in.


Cool! 40 mpg here I come!

;-)



> 75 mph = way out of the optimal zone for gas mileage, especially for a car
> from the 80's. They were geared with the 55 mph speed limit in mind.


Really? It's not even breathing hard at 120 per the speedo, lots of
pedal left. I haven't run it that fast yet since the rebuild though.
I'll have to re-check but I think it's spinning about 2800 at 75.


> Using the trip odometer = Are you basing this on a one tank average?


This was two tanks, both almost pure highway driving. I won't have
that experience again for a while.

"C. E. White" > wrote in message
...
><snipped> I still can't believe the Cressida will get that kind of mileage.
>
> Ed
I used to get that on pure highway trips all the time.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)