Very frustrated (winter MPG) - Page 2 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

FastPlastic · 12-08-2009, 05:27 AM

I feel your pain my friend. Even with the partial WAI I too have seen the drop. So far my tank average is looking like about 14MPG's. I Just got back from work a few min ago. I've seen up to 20MPG's on my way home from work, tonight we had about 2" of snow on the roads and a temp of 19F, I got 13.5MPG's. It's ruff. The best you can do is button it up and try to save as much heat as you can for the next trip. I've got the Warm Air Intake to decrease re-warming time, 4slot grill block to keep the heat in, and a gasket around the hood to keep the warm air from escaping. Haven't had the electric fan kick in once, with engine temps running around 200F. Another benefit is the ice on the hood melts faster then before, so it stays clean. Of course thats just a sign I need to put insulation on the underside.

rgathright · 12-08-2009, 12:52 PM

I have had to close my grill and reroute my air intake as well.

Winter mileage blues folks!

wagonman76 · 12-08-2009, 01:26 PM

I seem to lose about 1 mpg per 10F degree temp drop. Not only winter, I had a lot of summer blues when we had nowhere near real summer temps.

99LeCouch · 12-08-2009, 02:08 PM

I wonder if it's because we're all driving older cars with even older engine designs. I'll have to compare the fuel economy drop in my fiancee's Honda Fit with an engine designed in the early 2000's to my fuel economy drop with an engine designed in the early 1960's.

MadisonMPG · 12-08-2009, 02:41 PM

I doubt it, the basic principle applies to all engines.

99LeCouch · 12-08-2009, 02:53 PM

Still, you can design an engine around electronic control instead of adapting one like the I-6 in the Jeeps and the 3800 in my LeSabre. I'd think that counts for something.

brucey · 12-08-2009, 03:33 PM

1 mpg per 10 degrees sounds about right for me too.

Took a trip, drove the same way the same route. One way it was ~15 degrees out. On the way back it was 50~ degrees out.

Difference was 3.5 mpg.

FastPlastic · 12-08-2009, 03:38 PM

That's it! To reduce car emissions around the world we just need to heat the planet

brucey · 12-08-2009, 03:40 PM

I'll start driving my hummer over trees again!

vtec-e · 12-08-2009, 04:19 PM

I've had a double whammy due to replacing the gearbox oil with the recommended viscosity during my last service. I just felt a little scared with the slight increase in gear whine with the lighter oil. But it's no quieter with the heavier stuff so i'll change it back next service. I also removed my belly pan as i have an inspection this week and it also needed a repair job due to me hitting some deep water at a higher-than-i-should-have speed.....doh!
Aaand....it's gotten colder here too. And wetter, much wetter:Clean-up begins after worst flooding in 10 years | IOL
http://ocaoimh.ie/89495558/cork-floods/
Ah well, at least i'll be able to improve on my last bellypan effort (and maybe do something about those wheel skirts)......if it would just stop raining already!!!!

ollie