do you lose gas mileage in winter?

[Jmac 10+ year member]

i do. why is that? i had like 16mpg, and now i have like 12. could it be that im using my 4WD?

Everyone does ...
There are several reasons:

1) Weather conditions generally aren't as good, especially where it snows.

2) If you live in colder environments, ice adds weight to the vehicle.

3) Gasoline companies add in butane and other chemicals during the winter months to their fuels do increase resistance to freezing and increase combustion at below-freezing temperatures (everyone wants their car to start in the cold). These chemicals do not have as much energy potential as the purer summer fuels, so they make less power for the same throttle input.

4) People spend more time letting their cars warm up during winter.

5) Traffic generally moves slower through the city during the winter and there are more accidents resulting in backups.

 

[donpisto 5,000+ posts]

How long do you guys warm up your cars?

It varies on the car. Newer cars don't require much time to warm up, about 30 seconds.

Here's a few tips and facts for you guys. When idling you are getting 0 mpg. So for those of you that wait 5+ minutes to let your vehicle warm up, you are consuming more gas. You are better off waiting a short period and keep the vehicle from exceeding 2.5k - 3k RPM. The benefit of this is that the car warms up much quicker than idling and you will most certianly get better mileage than 0 mpg (idling).

Just a reminder on cold starting. When you do so it runs much richer, thus consuming more gas. If you are driving a short distance upon cold starting, you lose even more gas mileage.

For the most part, newer cars (not sure how new) only need about 30 seconds. As for older vehicles, I guess it all depends. I would join a forum dedicated to your car and see what others recommend, but certainly warming up a car for a long period of time will cause you to lose mileage.

Also, it's good to check tire pressure in the winter since the colder weather does affect it. This as many of you know will also lead to lower mpg.

 

[Bobby322 10+ year member]

Yes...I get 7 normally. Now I have to idle my car so much to let it warm up, i lose lots of gas..

 

[Jmac 10+ year member]

It varies on the car. Newer cars don't require much time to warm up, about 30 seconds.
Here's a few tips and facts for you guys. When idling you are getting 0 mpg. So for those of you that wait 5+ minutes to let your vehicle warm up, you are consuming more gas. You are better off waiting a short period and keep the vehicle from exceeding 2.5k - 3k RPM. The benefit of this is that the car warms up much quicker than idling and you will most certianly get better mileage than 0 mpg (idling).

Just a reminder on cold starting. When you do so it runs much richer, thus consuming more gas. If you are driving a short distance upon cold starting, you lose even more gas mileage.

For the most part, newer cars (not sure how new) only need about 30 seconds. As for older vehicles, I guess it all depends. I would join a forum dedicated to your car and see what others recommend, but certainly warming up a car for a long period of time will cause you to lose mileage.

Also, it's good to check tire pressure in the winter since the colder weather does affect it. This as many of you know will also lead to lower mpg.

Colder temps will lower air pressure inside the tire (assuming you're using air and not nitrogen), but also nets you better traction in icy/snowy climates.

 

[Ellsworthz 10+ year member]

my truck takes a good 10 minutes to warm up, and i get about 7miles a gallon.

 

[smd4life 5,000+ posts]

the must run a little richer in denser air..but shouldn't really notice it...why are you using 4wd???

 

[CrispedUp 10+ year member]

the must run a little richer in denser air..but shouldn't really notice it...why are you using 4wd???

winter

 

[smd4life 5,000+ posts]

cars run better in cold weather. due to the denser air. takes less "gas" to get up to speed.,hence why they market better gas mileage with cold air intakes.

eat ****

 

[bigaudiofanatic 10+ year member]

cars run better in cold weather. due to the denser air. takes less "gas" to get up to speed.,hence why they market better gas mileage with cold air intakes.

X2 my car and motorcycle run a crap load better in the winter it is like I have 25 more horses under the hood yes denser air more oxygen the better and fuller the burn in combustion chamber.

 

[smd4life 5,000+ posts]

winter

are you wheeling? you don't need 4wd all the time...

 

[smd4life 5,000+ posts]

X2 my car and motorcycle run a crap load better in the winter it is like I have 25 more horses under the hood yes denser air more oxygen the better and fuller the burn in combustion chamber.

i think you both are retarded

 

[smd4life 5,000+ posts]

I used to do that, but not accelerate fast, just turn on the car and go. Now I wait about 30 seconds and take off. Newer cars actually don't require you to warm up the car all that much. As long as you don't drive like an *** and go easy on the pedal (with newer cars) you don't need to warm it up for minutes like with older ones.

you should get alot better gas millage using 87 than the other grades...my g did big time

 

[donpisto 5,000+ posts]

you should get alot better gas millage using 87 than the other grades...my g did big time

Really? I'd assume using 91 octane would be better than 87. Any specific info? Curious to know the details.

 

[Jmac 10+ year member]

you should get alot better gas millage using 87 than the other grades...my g did big time

Depends on the car and driving style.
87 octane requires less heat and pressure to combust, but can pre-combust at high engine speeds, high stress (i.e. towing), and/or in high ambient temperatures. This can result in pre-mature engine failure.

Always use the octane level your manufacturer recommends.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

i do. why is that? i had like 16mpg, and now i have like 12. could it be that im using my 4WD?

No if you use 4WD, that is less power needed per wheel which should improve your MPG. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif