Winters coming! how do I keep my mileage up?

[instarx]

Originally Posted by tasdrouille

I drive a diesel, very lightly, for 7 miles.

For faster warm-up:

• engine block heater
• block a lot of your radiator with cardboard. diesels produce a lot of heat so radiators are way oversized for winter
• change your thermostat - it may be stuck partly open. Seven miles to get warm is huge in a diesel. My VW rabbit was warm within a mile no matter how cold, and my 6.5L diesel is fully warm in two.

For better mileage:

• low viscosity engine oil, I'd use 0W-40 synthetic (makes starting a lot easier, too)
• no warm air intake stuff - diesels like intake air to be as cold as possible

Unfortunately diesels always suffer huge mpg issues in the winter because diesel is heavily winterized with #1 diesel (kerosene), which has much less energy per gallon than #2 diesel fuel.

As a fellow diesel owner I'm sure you already know this stuff, but maybe some other readers don't.

[greenitup]

Originally Posted by Binger

Excessive idleing in the winter time greatly increases. How often do we start our cars and go back inside for 45 minutes?

I'm going to look into block heaters for both of our cars.

My wifes kia warms up really quick.
I usualy have to run the fan on low and turn the heat down to slightly cool just to keep from melting my eyes.

i never warm my car up before i go unless it is a morning where my windshield is a block of ice and i can't scrape it off. I then start driving when i have a small hole in the middle that breaks off, Once i start driving the window melts a bit and wipers will throw the ice off the windshield.

[99metro]

1. Don't warm up or idle in the winter. Get in and drive away.
2. Use COLD water to get ice off the windshield. I use my wife's (ok, OUR) big pans. Do this with the engine off. Then defrost as needed while you drive.
3. Ditto on getting a block heater.
4. Work with what you have available for winter driving. Find a gas station that doesn't have "winter" and "summer" blend changes. Good luck on that!

[ptsmith24]

What's this "winter" thing everyone speaks of?

[99metro]

Originally Posted by ptsmith24

What's this "winter" thing everyone speaks of?

That's when the rain turns white.
And the overnight temperature drops below 40 degrees.

BUT you have to be living above the Mason-Dixon line to experience this!

[ptsmith24]

Originally Posted by 99metro

That's when the rain turns white.
And the overnight temperature drops below 40 degrees.

BUT you have to be living above the Mason-Dixon line to experience this!

oOo...

I'm sure I would freeze up there. Of course, those northerly folk would probably melt here about now!

10 Day Weather Forecast for Statesboro, GA (30458) - weather.com

[99metro]

I bet you wish you were here! (Looking forward to the rest of the week)

10 Day Weather Forecast for Nunn, CO (80648) - weather.com

[ptsmith24]

Originally Posted by 99metro

I bet you wish you were here! (Looking forward to the rest of the week)

10 Day Weather Forecast for Nunn, CO (80648) - weather.com

Looks like some nice weather. I'm sure I'd be an ice cube in the middle of your winter though. That's when I'd know to head back this way (good P&G on the hwy on the long trip back... "you might be an ecomodder"... lol)

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Back on topic, as much as I can. This is going to be the first "winter" that I'm actually paying more attention to my mileage. When it did get cold for a little while, I would start and idle my car for 5-10 minutes or so before going anywhere. Engine block heater isn't feasible for me. From my fuel logs in the past, I don't remember seeing a HUGE drop in the winter. Of course, it seems like I did more highway driving then. So maybe it all balanced out.

[cephraim]

Originally Posted by 99metro

4. Work with what you have available for winter driving. Find a gas station that doesn't have "winter" and "summer" blend changes. Good luck on that!

How can you even find out?

[99metro]

The gas stations where I travel advertise it on their little signs out front. I suppose you could ask a manager. Heck, we're buying their product - might as well ask what you are getting?

In the "city" you have to buy the smog gas. Out in the country where I live, it's all "real gas". This doesn't have the winter/summer blends to it. I have noticed a big difference in FE by buying "real gas" compared to "city" gas. Thus my change in fueling stations.