Effects of Winter

[add|ct]

Originally Posted by benfrogg

To all vx owners:
How long does it take to warm up on a cold day (30-40 df)? Miles or minutes in traffic. Mine seems like it takes FOREVER, it always have and I'm running the 195df thermostat. I wonder if I might have gotten a faulty/incorrect part? Maybe that's a problem with you too, Arky, when was your last thermo?
B

I'd have to get back to you on a precise time/miles thing, but isn't the stock 170 degrees?

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by benfrogg

To all vx owners:
How long does it take to warm up on a cold day (30-40 df)? Miles or minutes in traffic. Mine seems like it takes FOREVER, it always have and I'm running the 195df thermostat. I wonder if I might have gotten a faulty/incorrect part? Maybe that's a problem with you too, Arky, when was your last thermo?
B

I did not warm up the car prior to driving. It sat outside, and it would show 1/4 of the way up the temperature gauge after about 5 minutes of driving in 20-30 degree weather. That's the best I can remember.

[benfrogg]

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I think stock is 180, but it may be 170. In my climate, it's uber nice to have hot heat once warmed up. I don't know that the hotter thermostat helps FE much (logic says it would, but hey, this is a VX we're talking about) but it makes for warmer driving.
Thanks Fetch.

It takes my VX 4.5 miles at 20df to get to full operating temp. 30df it's more like 3.8 miles or so. It seems too long since I've got all but 15% of the grille blocked....
B

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by benfrogg

Add-
I think stock is 180, but it may be 170. In my climate, it's uber nice to have hot heat once warmed up. I don't know that the hotter thermostat helps FE much (logic says it would, but hey, this is a VX we're talking about) but it makes for warmer driving.
Thanks Fetch.

It takes my VX 4.5 miles at 20df to get to full operating temp. 30df it's more like 3.8 miles or so. It seems too long since I've got all but 15% of the grille blocked....
B

I didn't have a grille block or block heater and I had the stock thermostat, but I did pull the cold air tube from the front of the air box so that the intake air would be the slightly warmer air from under the hood. I doubt that made much difference.

[VX_Arky]

Mine takes about 4 miles to warm up. Unfortunately, my drive to work is 4.3 miles. It hasn't destroyed my mpg's but I can tell the engine is working harder and burning more gas. I've only lost 2-3 miles per gallon per tank so far. I'll be curious how it does once January and February hit. Those months are killer in Arkansas, especially February.

[Brian D.]

I was so good this year...from June through September I kept a solid running log of my miles & fuel used for my stock '89 CRX HF. I averaged 51.4MPG over the course of some 15,XXX miles. But I dropped the ball and didn't start logging it again until just a couple of weeks ago. My WHOLE reason for this was to watch the decline I would get once winter (and winter blend gasoline) came. All I can say is that at some point my 51.4 MPG has now turned into more like 45-46MPG. But it's like you all have already stated - the winter gasoline alone sucks enough, then added to that is the fact that the idle is higher for a longer period on each startup of each colder day, thus robbing us of even more.

I only wonder what percentage of the decline is fuel related. I guess we would need someone from a warmer climate to help us out with that. But then, would that person from the warmer climate even be buying winter blend gas?? probably not in their warmer area.

[benfrogg]

I read somewhere on gassavers where a user had kept summer blend stored in gas tanks because of the hurricane in their area. He used it during the winter and kept his fuel log. I remember reading some of his entries in his fuel log where he noted when he was using summer blend and when he swapped to winter fuel. As I recall, the fuel made little difference compared with winter's other effects. I think it has more to do with air density, warm up time, driving in poor weather, etc.

You'd have to save winter fuel for summer and try the reverse.
B

[VX_Arky]

So if the blend makes no real difference, then why make two different blends?

[theholycow]

Its purpose is for emissions and easy starting, needs which differ by season.

[Brian D.]

Anyone have an idea as to when they stop selling winter-blend gas? I may actually do that - go out and buy some to save for the summer...just to cure my curiosity. I'd rather not go out and buy it NOW...but maybe just a few weeks before they stop selling it.