Whenever winter comes around, vehicle owners or drivers find themselves concerned about the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. There’s no denying that winter poses fuel efficiency challenges. In winter, there’s not only temperature that drops down, but vehicles’ fuel efficiency drops down as well. The majority of cars powered by gasoline experience decreased fuel efficiency up to 12%, especially when the temperature reaches 20 degrees.
It isn’t easy to single out a reason that disrupts the fuel economy because several reasons contribute to it. Let’s look at some of the reasons that disrupt the fuel economy of vehicles:
- When you start the engine, it takes time to reach the temperature that promotes better fuel efficiency. It takes longer than usual for your engine to reach that temperature during winter because of the cold weather. If your driving occurs on shorter routes, it adds to the lowered fuel efficiency.
- During winter, the pressure reduces in tires that affect the traction. As a result, the resistance between tires and road enhancements eventually leads to poor fuel efficiency.
Another reason is the lesser power/gallon of the gasoline supplied by pumps, which is better in other seasons than winter. - Aerodynamics is one of the major factors causing a poor fuel economy. Cold air causes drag when you drive at high speeds.
- Vehicles have features like heated seats and defrosters, which pull more power from the engine and contribute to lower fuel economy.
Fortunately, you can achieve a higher better fuel economy if you adopt some practices. To help you achieve better fuel economy, follow the below-given practices.
Avoid Short Trips
Since the temperature drops down in winter and the engine takes longer to achieve the temperature that promotes a better fuel economy, avoid shorter trips. The shorter trips you make, the more will be the fuel consumption. You’ll be spending more time warming up the engine.
Check Tire Pressure
Keeping the pressure in tires at the right temperature helps achieve better fuel economy. Yes, you may require to keep a pressure gauge in your car and check the tire pressure each morning.
Even if you don’t own a pressure gauge, check the tire pressure whenever you fill up your vehicle’s gasoline tank at the fuel pump station. Keeping the right tire temperature provides better traction.
Minimize the Idling Time
Another big factor that adds to poor fuel efficiency is idling the engine for long. When you drive your car, the engine achieves a higher temperature quickly than when you keep the car idle. The recommended idling time is a maximum of 30 seconds.
We hope that now you are aware of the factors that cause a decrease in your vehicle’s fuel economy. Pay attention to the things listed above and you may improve the fuel economy of your vehicle in winter. Keep up on your routine maintenance as always. So this all may need to keep the fuel up, especially in the winter, and enjoy the perfect ride!