I hate winter

[JustaDriver]

OK, so winter has set in with a vengeance here in North East Ohio and my MPG has dropped like a stone.

Not only is it cold (we'll drop to 17 tonight! ), dark (both to and from work I have to run headlights and the heater fan, and that won't change for the next 2 months) and snowy (that won't change for at least 3 months), I've had a sharp increase in city driving to haul my two sons back and forth to basketball practice. That, and I think my station has changed to winter blend (how do you find out? )

So with all that, I didn't even make 19 MPG last tank, and I was seeing upwards of 24 just a couple of months ago. That's a 20% drop! This stinks, even with fuel back down to $1.75/gal.

What can I do to help my MPG? I keep my tires at sidewall max, coast in neutral when I can, DWL when I can't, and work hard at timing lights. I'm working with a 12-year old automatic with 200K+ miles, is there anything I can do or is this it? (Cardboard-and-duct-tape mods are not an option, for she-who-must-not-be-denied would not approve. )

[DRW]

A grill block will let the car warm up faster, which not only helps FE, but it also warms up the cabin faster too! That's a reason everyone in the household will approve.

A grill block attached to the backside of the grill is just as effective, so you don't have to harm the appearance of the car.

[VetteOwner]

lol tell me about it, managed 26 in a s-10 driving home from college (4.5 hours at 55-65) headwind/side wind whole way...not to mention was like a high of 32...

last time i went down i got 32 when it was warm sunny and no wind

filled up the chevette today to get 25mpg part of that is due to short trips/my dad driving it while i was away, now the cold isnt gonna help anything

i am very fond of being able to drive 250+ miles and fill up full for $20 lol

[theholycow]

Unfortunately, there's not much more you can do in the winter that you couldn't have done in the summer.

Grille blocking, as mentioned above, can be done stealth-style behind the grille or directly against the radiator (the latter I described as "radiator blocking" to differentiate since I did it mainly to test cooling in preparation for my grille block). WAI could help too.

Another thing that might help is to pre-heat the interior. I've been thinking of putting a space heater in the car and an extension cord going to the inside of my house. In the morning I'd plug it in and leat it heat the interior so that when I get in I won't need to use the fan and I won't be cold. Of course, that brings up huge fears of causing a fire.

Stealth aero mods include better hubcaps, removing the FM antenna (improves reception with an FM transmitter on your iPod and you can still pull in local or strong stations), and a belly pan.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I removed my FM antenna and installed an inline FM modulator on my radio for my MP3 player. The MP3 player works great through the radio, and stations transmitting within ~20 miles are listenable w/o too much objectionable static. There are about 3 or 4 stations that come in perfectly clear, even with no antenna on my truck.

-Jay

[GasSavers_BIBI]

block heater/ make me love winter

[Snax]

Originally Posted by BIBI

block heater/ make me love winter

Absolutely worth doing even in milder climates. My Escort and Tercel don't even get up to full operating temperature at this time of year for the work commute. A block heater in the Tercel however makes the morning trip downright toasty. I'm close to putting the Escort back into insurance suspense and driving the Tercel again for the winter for this very reason.

A space heater inside is a nice help too on frosty mornings, but I absolutely would NOT do that part without a timer that switches on AFTER you awaken. I setup mine at 750W coupled with the 1kW block heater to come on 45 minutes before I leave.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Snax

A space heater inside is a nice help too on frosty mornings, but I absolutely would NOT do that part without a timer that switches on AFTER you awaken. I setup mine at 750W coupled with the 1kW block heater to come on 45 minutes before I leave.

Tell me more. Where in the car do you place the heater, and how do you protect against burning the interior? I'm thinking if I fold down the back seats in the hatchback and put some firecode gypsum down...

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Do you have a plow for your truck, or a yard tractor w/ a plow?

I can't afford a plow for the truck. I have a cheesy plow for the tractor but I've never been able to figure out how to get the stupid chains on the tires. Anyway, I'm not too confident that it would work on my steep driveway, and the tractor isn't dependable. I'm really in a bind and I'll just have to deal with shoveling for a few more years until I pull out of this condition.

My dad had a plow for the dumptruck but sold it, and anyway it cost as much gas to drag that 8mpg truck up here as it does to pay someone to do the job.

[slurp812]

Originally Posted by BIBI

block heater/ make me love winter

I would like the better mileage, but still hate winter!!!!

[GasSavers_GasUser]

Not much you can do. Move to Florida for 3 months. Just get outa there before you have to have the a/c set on full blast all the time.

What I personally noticed is that if I park in the garage it usually doesn't get below 32 in there since I insulated it real good. The vehicle warms up quick. I don't let it sit around ideling as all that does is warm the motor. The rest of the drivetrain is stone cold. I just drive and that way the entire drivetrain warms up together and is more efficient faster thus useing less fuel.

If it is real bitter cold where you live you could get an engine block heater installed. You'll use more power off the grid but less fuel. Kind of a catch 22.

The sooner you can get your vehicle to normal operating temp the less fuel you will consume.

One other thing....don't use your defroster setting for longer than you need it. It runs your a/c to dehumidify. All vehicles do this. So if it's 30 degrees out and you have the defrosters on un-necessarily, you are running your a/c. Once your windows are defrosted switch it to floor or floor/vent. I also installed "in-channel" vent visors ao I can run with the windows cracked and not hamper my aerodynamics.

Just my personal experiences.