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Hmmm... These are all very good theories... Here's the info that I'm going to come away with: It's worth checking the transmission fluid. I do have a stick shift and according to the owner's manual, it takes API GL4 or GL5 gear oil with a viscosity of 75W-90. Not sure what Valvoline put in there, so I'll have to try and check on that. Perhaps flushing my transmission would be a good idea. Or at least running some sea foam through it before I drain it to change the fluid.
It sounds like my 5th gear syncro might be worn. Toyota generally builds things to last though and I haven't heard of other hypermilers having this experience, so I don't know if P&G is 100% of the cause. It may be a contributor but I would suspect the oil first. Another possibility that I thought of might be that the previous owner might have skipped a service interval and there might be some sludge in the transmission but I don't know how likely this is. I'll have to double check my maintenance schedule to see when the intervals are.
I will prolly start using the fourth gear syncro to get it into fifth gear at speeds over 40. If I start having problems with 4th, I will know to just give up on P&G and look for other methods of saving gas... Just out of curiosity though, does anybody know the approx cost to get a syncro replaced? I'm guessing in the $2,000 ball park. How far off am I?
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