'eco Package' Tyre Pressure

[Grant Holman]

I've just bought a used 2009 Avensis T4 1.8 CVT. The manual state tyre pressure should be 35/34 (front/rear) or 40/37 for 'ECO package'. Can anyone tell me what this means? I have a lttle green 'ECO' alert that lights up on the dash so should I be using the higher tyre pressures?

[PhilGee]

Normally the higher pressure is for when you have a heavier load to carry. Never seen this ECO pressure before? Where is it located? May explain more in the owners manual.

[Grant Holman]

Thanks for replying. Page 605 of the manual (for 17" wheels) has 2 rows, one labeled 'ECO Package' and the other labeled 'other' (which has the regular pressure). I may try calling the dealership for clarification.

[Thermal]

That's odd.

By pure coincidence I just read the following article:

Eco alert: design for a double life

Companies are beginning to embrace designs which allow the products to be reused. For instance, Tension Envelope Corp supplies an envelope to several companies which can be refolded to form a return envelope. The envelopes are made of virgin paper which can be recycled once the envelope is returned. Deja Inc manufactures sneakers from recycled materials and the packaging is designed to convert into a decorative storage box. Once the sneakers get worn-out, the box becomes a mailing container in which the customers can return the shoes for recycling.

Now I wonder what your car was made of, and whether it came with a mailing container... :D

[Stuman]

Did anyone get to the bottom of this?

Interested to know.

[Sam29]

Did anyone get to the bottom of this?

Interested to know.

I am not sure if UK avensis is equiped with Eco driving module but searching on internet and NZ toyota came up with this

Eco Driving

Read under Economy.

so I guess if you want to be enviromental friendly, then increase the pressure of the tyres. Less resistance and more greener by emitting less CO2.

If that green light works on your car, then your car may be fitted with the module.

Well in Ford Fiesta Econetic, it tells you when to upshift the gear and in other cars it also tells you when to downshift to make most MPG out of your driving experience.

Cheers.

[Stuman]

Thanks Sam29.

I think there may be a difference in tyre type. My 2009 model has Bridgestone Turanza 'Ecopia' tyres fitted, which are low rolling resistance (so increased mpg). My question is over whether this is what the 'eco package' in the tyre pressure table of the manual is referring to, as opposed to 'other' tyres. The difference is a few psi higher inflation pressure.

Cheers.

[Cyker]

I suspect they're just using silly fancy terms to say that it is safe to run the car at higher tyre pressures for what is effectively a cheap way of turning normal tyres into low-rolling resistance tyres :)

AFAIK real low rolling resistance tyres are usually run at similar tyre pressures to normal tyres; They're just made of a harder compound. I'm not aware of any them *requiring* higher pressures.

I tend to run my Yaris with similar higher tyre pressures because it does let the car 'roll' more freely, and that lets me coast in-gear for longer distances.