Cold Weather = Lousy MPG?

[Nomad]

Yes, slightly.
Odo should have added about 40 extra miles on a 1000 miles trip.
I'm not caring really. If I had larger tires it'd be logging less miles.
I'm planning on having this car for a while, so it's not bothering me.

I'm only using these wheels/tires for the three months winter is here.

Then it's back to the 17's.

The gearing difference is nice though! Bit more pick up.

 

[clicknext]

I'm getting that too. 29 mpg summer, 25 mpg on the last fill. And I just did an oil/filter/air filter change too, and on top of that filled the tires to recommended pressure because they were under before. Unless all that was what made the milage go down, but that wouldn't seem to make sense. Could be my 5 minutes of idling every morning to defrost, I guess, but I wonder if that kind of idling should have such a big effect on milage...

 

[Cellerator]

Cold weather is my friend, I got 34mpg on my last trip back down to Austin but when I came back up, I only got 28 because of the constant 30mph winds on my way back up to Lubbock.

 

[Revs]

cold air is dense air and dense air means more fuel is needed for combustion

ding ding ding, correct!

In order to keep the same air/fuel ratio the ECU will dump more fuel in to match the denser intake air. The opposite occurs in hot summer weather.

There are other more minor factors involved in lower MPG, like snow tires offer more rolling resistance, denser air for the car to push through as mentioned before and longer engine warmup times.

 

[NJP5Guy]

technically yes speed. air drag increases with the square of speed. so if you could have a car drive at 50 mph and then change the tranny so the same car at the same revs went at 70 mph, the faster car would use more gas.

but just the same drive at 50mph in 3rd gear uses more gas compared to 50mph in 5th gear. because the revs in 3rd are obviously higher. technically both are correct depending on how you look at it.

 

[Clarkbug]

Oh man.

I was hoping that someone on here would have a quick easy fix like "Oh yeah, you need to replace your blinker fluid and muffler bearings!"

Apparently it sorta goes back and forth between people getting better mileage, and those who just done. Hmmm....

When I was driving I had it on cruise for just over 70 mph, no AC, no roof racks, Toyo Proxies 4 inflated to ~ 35 psi for tires, and only about 50 lbs of luggage (and 180 lbs of myself) in the car.

It just seemed like the mileage was way lower than usual for driving all on the highway. My only thought is that if the air was more dense, it was more work to punch a hole in it?

Hmmm...the mystery continues....

 

[Protege52003]

Maybe the tank of gas you were using was a bad batch or something???????

How is you air filter, plugs, is your EGR valve clean????

 

[Clarkbug]

Its possible the gas was a bad batch or had water in it or something like that, I dont know. Ill have to monitor it again on the next highway trip, which is in about 3 weeks.

My filter/plugs/EGR valve are all the same as what came with the car, and Im at 29k right now. Yes, Im due, I know. Time to go tune it up. It just sucks that now its cold out. Working on cars is easier when its above 60 degrees out. (IMO anyway....)

 

[aMaff]

Its possible the gas was a bad batch or had water in it or something like that, I dont know. Ill have to monitor it again on the next highway trip, which is in about 3 weeks.

My filter/plugs/EGR valve are all the same as what came with the car, and Im at 29k right now. Yes, Im due, I know. Time to go tune it up. It just sucks that now its cold out. Working on cars is easier when its above 60 degrees out. (IMO anyway....)

Fer shizzle

 

[archangel571]

ding ding ding, correct!

In order to keep the same air/fuel ratio the ECU will dump more fuel in to match the denser intake air. The opposite occurs in hot summer weather.

There are other more minor factors involved in lower MPG, like snow tires offer more rolling resistance, denser air for the car to push through as mentioned before and longer engine warmup times.

In other words it'd benefit us RAM(WARM!) AIR INTAKE people then, eh??

 

[slkt]

It seems it has better mpg in cold weather, and it goes quicker too.

 

[aMaff]

Well, mine goes quicker, but my mpg's about the same...as in not really that great lol

 

[AlaskaP5]

Do you guys used oxigenate fuel in the winter. Reduces efficiency by ~5%.

 

[iracemine]

awha????

 

[xvdarkyvx]

man. my mpg went to crap.I installed a mazdaspeed axleback exhaust and the cold weather came. Now i'm down to like 22's... omg?!?!?!

 

[aMaff]

I don't believe the axle back has anything to do w/ the decreased mileage....I could be wrong...

 

[djp5]

Simply changing the muffler does zero to change mpg. Maybe you're lead footing it around to hear the nice sound!

 

[NJP5Guy]

just remember for every 10 degree drop your pressure(tire) can drop more than a lb. less pressure equals more drag and less mpg.

 

[xvdarkyvx]

last time I check I was around 34 psi.... =\ don't think i'm lead footing it because I'm keeping the rpm under 3... argggh. my car never had good mileage anyways. You think all city driving would drop it that low, like most of my trips are under 5 miles one way. My dad also moves my car from the driveway to the roadside like once or twice a day.

 

[NJP5Guy]

last time I check I was around 34 psi.... =\ don't think i'm lead footing it because I'm keeping the rpm under 3... argggh. my car never had good mileage anyways. You think all city driving would drop it that low, like most of my trips are under 5 miles one way. My dad also moves my car from the driveway to the roadside like once or twice a day.

all those little starts piss away gas.