Winter sucks, all time low so far

[brucepick]

I'm with a couple recent posters here, saying that rotten mpg is pretty much par for the course for a short drive in cold weather. I drive about 2-3 mi. to meet my car pool buddy and in cold weather I get about the same for that short segment.

ANYWAY, what really has helped is flat-out use of every trick in my arsenal. I don't always do it, but engine-off coast really helps on a cold engine. I've proven to myself that on uphills, pulse-&-glide with engine in neutral actually can be better than a regular climb. I've only done it with a warm engine but I wouldn't be surprised if it helps on a cold one too. Of course you need a stick shift for either of these.

I'm not sure where you are on a grill block but if you didn't set one up yet, do it. Just make sure you pay attention to it when things warm up again, you probably need to remove it in warmer weather. That constant blast of cold air doesn't help you any. I used foam pipe insulation (dark gray) jammed into the rad grill slots. Some of them needed hot glue to hold in place, some didn't.

And be sure your tires are pumped. I didn't check mine for about a month and when I finally checked them they needed 5-6 lb. That helped.

Oh yeah - as for the grill block when it gets warmer - I plan on running a lead from my electric fan to a small indicator bulb on the dash. That way I'll know when the fan kicks in. That will tell me if i need to remove the grill block. Be sure to watch the engine temp too, just in case the fan electronics don't work as they should (which happened to us once).

[basslover911]

I am actually getting better than stock in the summer because of all my mods AND my driving style

Love ecommoding!

[bbjsw10]

Brucepick, I do have a complete grill block already. I also have been doing some p&g, but no EOC seems awful bad on a cold battery. I would rather lose a little mileage than be stuck miles from home killing my battery.

I just can't wait til warmer weather again, I am going to rock and roll next spring that is for sure. I figure if I can still get decent mileage in the winter with my driving style now, I should excell in warm weather. Ecodriving is a natural style for me now don't even have to think about it, took awhile but I re-programmed my brain to drive this way and it stuck.

[MetroMPG]

My last drive (to the Halifax airport) was my worst trip fuel economy in recent memory, but it was still not worth complaining about: 61 mpg.

It was about a 140 km drive in a building blizzard. Took about 3 hours, and I saw one car spin out into the median directly in front of me (not long after passing me - but not because of passing me), and the aftermath of a transport truck pushed off the road by a big wind gust (probably an unloaded trailer).

On the bright side, the traffic was light. I was mostly just driving with load down an empty, snow covered highway.

Going back tomorrow. Maybe the return leg fuel economy will be better....

[Formula413]

My fuel economy has been hit with a perfect storm: winter fuel blend, cold New England air, and very few long trips, which had pushed my FE well into the "hypermiler" range over the summer. The irony of course is that even though I don't get a hypermiler tag anymore I am using far less fuel because I haven't been driving much beyond going to work and back. And my commute is brutal; driving to work in the morning yields as low as 20 mpg, typically 22-23, in a car rated at 23/31.

[GasGuage]

Winter seems to be hitting everybody pretty hard when I'm seeing the best mpg I've ever had. Having said that, I can't wait to see how much better it gets during the summer months. I don't mean to sound like I'm tooting my horn, but I do get excited when I pulled out 32mpg when 27 has always been "tops" (few & far in between) since I bought that '97 truck new. But then again, I dont' have to drive like my fellow modders. Being disabled, I don't drive to work anymore, hence I miss the dreaded "rush hour traffic." And since we moved to a rural area, we don't see stop signs or stop lights anymore either, all which add into better mpg. There are the few cows in the road once in awhile, or a tractor/combine that slows down the commute. And the dreaded school bus that stops at every mailbox, which can get hectic on hilly, curvy roads when you can't find a place to pass. My wife does work 18mi away to the nearest town & she avoids those busses at all cost by leaving earlier to go to work. She may get there a half hour earlier, but enjoy a cup of coffee & goof off on the PC until she actually has to use it to work. Our kid is grown & gone. All these things can affect how we use our time to gain our best mileage. I just avoid rush hour at all cost. But some things can't be avoided.
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[brucepick]

Originally Posted by bbjsw10

...but no EOC seems awful bad on a cold battery. I would rather lose a little mileage than be stuck miles from home killing my battery...

Hmm? If your tranny is a standard, I'm pretty sure that bump starting gets around most concerns re. battery issues. I usually bump start in top gear so it doesn't spin the engine very fast. I don't need to let out clutch fully either - just enough so the engine starts spinning, then push down again. Then shift into appropriate gear for the current road speed.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hiya,

So far, I have met my goal of keeping my mileage above 40mpg; during the winter. My worst tankful was 41.02mpg. The best part is, that would have been close to my best tank during the summer; before I started ecodriving!

My "old" high was 42.5...and I just turned in a 42.87mpg, which included lots of cold, and snow, and ice.

The mod that made this possible, was putting the smooth wheel covers on the steel wheels with my Michelin X-Ice snow tires. They have a sidewall max of 51PSI, and I have them inflated to 40PSI -- they are snow tires fer cryin' outloud!

[Formula413]

Highway commutes sure make for some nice numbers. My last refill was my worst ever, and my first to fall below the EPA estimate. However if I adjusted the formula to accurately reflect my city/highway split I would still be over.

[i_am_socket]

My last fill was my first with a functioning MPGuino, and it was a heck of a lot better than the one before it.

Now just to fill my 2 tires that are low (~20lbs instead of 45)