Improve fuel economy with these gas mileage enhancers tips for winter driving
When the air and fuel mixture is burned, it produces energy. As much as 1/3 of that energy is lost to friction from the engine, transmission, and all the gearing and bearings that transmit power to the drive wheels. Another 1/3 is lost to heat, which escapes through the engine block and cooling system.
By the time the energy gets to the drive wheels, there's only about 15-25% of it left, which means that about 85% of energy released from the combustion process is wasted. Since heat transfers from hot to cold and most metals are good heat conductors, more heat will be lost through the engine and radiator during the winter as temperatures go down.
Cars take longer to warm up during the winter. Computer controlled cars need input from the oxygen sensor(s) to control the air fuel mixture. Until those sensors are heated, the computer ignores the inputs, basically running in "open loop" mode, and giving the engine too much fuel. For more info, visit gas mileage enhancers - oxygen sensors.
With older cars that are not computer controlled, or older cars with basic computer controlls, some of the gasoline condenses due to the cold, so the engine needs more gasoline while it is warming up.
As always, basic maintenance and inexpensive ideas come first:
Warming up your car - Modern cars only need 30-45 seconds to warm up. Any longer than that and you're wasting fuel, and washing the oil from the cylinder walls, which can increase engine wear. Older cars may need a little longer, but we recommend not spending longer than a minute, and simply taking it easy on the car for the first mile of your drive. For more info, visit gas mileage enhancers.
Replace your thermostat. Consider going to a higher temperature thermostat. We recommend that you stay with a temperature range recommended for your car. Always be careful with this, and consult your owner's manual or dealership for advice. Thermostats are used to keep an engine running at a specific temperature, so you should change it at the beginning of winter and again at the beginning of summer.
Tire air pressure. Don't forget to check your tires for correct air pressure. Every 10 degree drop in temperature is about a 1 psi loss in air pressure. Your car will lose gas mileage with deflated tires. For more infomation on this, visit gas mileage enhancers - tire care.
Radiator grill - Some truckers cover part of their radiator grill to control this to reduce the overcooling effect winter has on an engine. We can't recommend doing this on a gasoline powered car, but if you do this keep a careful eye on your temperature gage, especially if you are in stop and go driving. The engine may run too hot, although you may be able to control this temporarily by keeping your car's heater on, as the heater has a small radiator which cools the engine a little. Hopefully that would be enough for you to get home and adjust whatever covering you decide to put on your radiator grill.
Gasoline - Our government uses gasoline that has 10% ethanol, from October 15 to April 15 of the following year. Every time they go to this gasoline I notice a 10% drop in my gas mileage (with everything else the same, like ambient temperature, driving habits, etc.). That may or may not affect your car the same way.
Alternative technologies - There has been some work done on alternative technologies like ceramic coating engine parts, or using engine block coatings. We will discuss these technologies and bring the information to you soon, so stop back and visit us soon.
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