Your Fuel Economy Suffers in Cold Temperatures

Winter conditions put a tremendous strain on your car and on your driving. Winter also puts a strain on your fuel economy. In order to prevent a decrease in your fuel economy you need to be aware of some specific issues with regard to your car and your driving in the winter.

The cold temperatures of winter is the most significant factor in reducing your fuel economy. A cold vehicle uses more fuel during start up than a warm vehicle. The lower the temperature the greater the amount of gas burned.

In cold weather, the engine of your car is harder to start. The oil in your car is thicker when it is cold and thus requires more energy to get it flowing. All the parts that are lubricated by this thicker oil require more energy to move them. More energy means that it will take more fuel to move the parts. Your engine will use more fuel to run until it warms up.

Other parts of the car are affected by the cold. The joints, transmission, bearings, brakes, and steering mechanisms all need more energy to move them in cold temperatures. This is partly because they too use fluids in their operation that thickens in the cold. Subsequently more energy is needed to operate them which also burns more gas.

Moisture from the air, from precipitation or from the road can freeze areas of the car. These frozen parts require more energy and more fuel to move them until they warm up.

Since your engine needs to overcome some temperature issues to lubricate itself in the cold you do need to give it a little longer to idle after starting than you would in the summer. But, I have to stress this, it only needs about 30 seconds of idling, no more. That little extra idling does affect your gas mileage.

Some things you can do to mitigate the affects of cold on gas mileage are: Park your car in a heated garage if available. Even a non heated garage may be warmer than leaving your car outside. It may be time to get rid of all the boxes in your garage and make room for your car.

Make sure you are using an oil that is recommended for your car in cold temperatures. The proper oil will flow better in cold weather thus reducing the amount of energy needed to start and run a cold engine.

In very cold climates the engine and oil can be kept warm using an engine block heater. The warm oil eliminates the problems of cold temperatures causing oil thickening. All you need to operate an engine block heater is an electrical outlet.

You only need 30 seconds of idling to lubricate the engine at a cold start. Excessive idling longer than 30 seconds will rob you of fuel economy faster than anything else. Your car can complete the warm up as you are driving. This could be the most important cold weather fuel saver of all.

Even though winter temperatures can reduce gas mileage, you can minimize or eliminate that reduction. Following a few simple rules can help you maintain good gas mileage even with the worst winter can throw at you.

Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com

Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider information on saving gas and money at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to discover how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.

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