MPG sliding in winter

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MPG sliding in winter - 12/18/2007 6:48:08 PM    wineye   Posts: 251 Joined: 9/10/2007 Status: offline I found my MPG (3i touring sedan, atx) is sliding from above 28 in Sep/Oct to 24+ now in December. Temp has been sliding as well, with lows at daytime reaching 15 deg-F. There seems to be a strong correlation between the air temp and the mpg. Has anybody (esp friends from Canada and from the west plains in the US) noticed it? I wonder if it's the car buring rich when cold, or they add stuff to the gas in winter......speculations? Post #: 1

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/18/2007 10:33:08 PM    sstlaure   Posts: 2364 Joined: 11/28/2005 Status: offline colder air, denser oxygen mixture, more fuel added to engine to compensate by the computer. Yes, you get worse mileage in the winter (but better performance) _____________________________ 2004 Mazda6 Sportwagon Any statements made are purely my opinion (in reply to wineye) Post #: 2

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/19/2007 4:43:14 AM    jamfan   Posts: 10 Joined: 10/9/2007 Status: offline I noticed the difference in mileage this week as well.  For the past 2 months, i've been averaging 100-120 miles, for a quarter of the tank.  This week i've gotten about 75 miles for a quarter of a tank.  I live in the midwest, Northeastern Indiana. _____________________________ '08 Sunlight Silver, Mazda3 i-sport, 5-speed!! (in reply to sstlaure) Post #: 3

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/19/2007 6:04:13 AM    mazdachris   Posts: 58 Joined: 12/14/2007 Status: offline Cold air, xtra idling, and my winter tires all = poorer gas mileage.  But it's not an SUV guzzler. Still turning 9.5 per 100 kms.  So, I could still probably get 600 k's to a tank.  But, I never let it get that low in the winter.  Could freeze. (in reply to jamfan) Post #: 4

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/19/2007 10:20:49 AM    Lev   Posts: 230 Joined: 1/30/2006 From: New Paltz, NY Status: offline Yeah i feel the effect too. I normally get about 320 miles to a tank, now i get about 280. i live in New York and its been cold, but i do feel the difference in power. The car picks up better and it feels more torquey. The car's performance improves, but it sucks up more gas. Also running the heat uses more gas because it takes more energy to heat up cold dense air. I hate how having the windshield defogger on automatically has the outside air coming in and only the outside air. I finally figured out that if you set the air to blow on your feet then some of the air will come out of the defogger vents, but you need to have the fan speed on 2 or higher to get the effects of the defogger. This will save on gas so you don't need to heat up the outside air. Also, remember to press the recirculate button because when you aim the air towards your feet the outside air light comes on and you are able to have the air recirculate . (in reply to mazdachris) Post #: 5

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/19/2007 10:34:14 AM    wineye   Posts: 251 Joined: 9/10/2007 Status: offline Thanks, sstlaure, for the thermodynamics explanation! Makes sense. I have noticed the performance change as well, this seems to relate to the cold air intake mod most people have (don't know the MPG though). Thanks to Lev for the tips on heating, I live in Niskayuna, NY (Indian word meaning high taxes), north to New Paltz. It's the smallest town in the smallest county in NY State. (in reply to Lev) Post #: 6

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/20/2007 7:27:41 AM    Lev   Posts: 230 Joined: 1/30/2006 From: New Paltz, NY Status: offline That's funny because New Paltz is french for high taxes also. haha. I guess the original settlers already knew that New York would become the state with the highest property taxes and gas tax and all other taxes. That's probably why they call it the empire state, because you need to own an empire to afford it here. I'm glad i was able to help, and i thought Niskayuna was just outside of Albany, so it can't be that tiny.   (in reply to wineye) Post #: 7

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/20/2007 11:51:17 AM    wineye   Posts: 251 Joined: 9/10/2007 Status: offline Lev, you got it. The county is Schenectady (pronunced sganectady, a Dutch word for high taxes). NY is also one of a few states that still collect Mortgage taxes, 1 point of your mortgage, whenever you buy or re-finance. THE Empire state sucks, literally. (in reply to Lev) Post #: 8

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/20/2007 1:11:59 PM    virgin1 Posts: 5207 Joined: 3/15/2007 Status: offline ^ ^ ^ Hahahahahaha!!!  ^ ^ ^ WIN!!  You DO have a sense of humor!!  And a "thing" about words from other cultures that mean "high taxes" too.      I LOVE it!!  ROFL!! _____________________________ "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe (in reply to wineye) Post #: 9

RE: MPG sliding in winter - 12/20/2007 10:01:38 PM    UrbanmanUSA Posts: 556 Joined: 2/19/2007 Status: offline Your transmission fluid and engine oil thicken slightly when cold, it takes extra energy to move your vehicle until these two fluids warm up. I don't agree running the heat burns more gas.  A gasoline engine generates too much heat even in the coldest weather - it doesn't have to work harder to create more heat just because you turn the fan on.  _____________________________ If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. - George Orwell (in reply to virgin1) Post #: 10

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