Along with cold weather and snow, winter brings it's own particular challenges to maintaining and improving gas mileage. There are a few specific things you need to do in the winter to maintain good fuel economy.
Ensure that the oil in your car is the proper grade for winter. As temperatures get lower it causes your oil to become thicker. If the oil gets too thick it will not be able to lubricate your engine the way it was designed to. An engine that isn't properly lubricated will burn more gas. Additionally oil that is too thick can cause damage to your engine extreme enough to require the engine to be replaced.
To find the correct grade for your car, check your owners manual or ask your car dealer. Winter temperatures require an oil that is considerably thinner than the oil used during warmer times. Your car, like many cars, could use multi grade oil. Multi grade oil is an oil that changes it's thickness or viscosity at different temperatures. The multi grade oil might already be the proper oil for winter. Again it is recommended you check with an expert to determine the proper grade.
Winter weather brings a second common obstacle to improving gas mileage, a change in tire pressure. In the winter the air pressure in your tires drops. It is one of those things you studied in chemistry class but may have forgotten. One of laws of gasses is gas compresses as temperature drops. When the air in your tires compresses, the air pressure in your tires is reduced. If your tires were inflated to the proper pressure at 75 degrees, those tires will be 5 to 10 pounds too low at 25 degrees and will be 7 to 14 pounds too low at five degrees.
Tire pressure that is too low is one of the most common gas robbing conditions. It is estimated that more than 25 per cent of all drivers are riding on at least one tire with low pressure. Your fuel economy will be decreasind by 4 percent if your tires are 5 to 10 pounds under inflated.
Your tires will experience a one to two pound reduction in tire pressure for every 10-degree drop in air temperature. If you tested your tire pressure in November, chances are they'll be too low in February.
To prevent and correct the problem of low tire pressure you need to monitor your tire pressure on a regular basis. Measure the tire pressure every month at a minimum. Also measure them when there is an extreme change in temperatures.
These are just two of the gas robbing situations that winter causes. You can prevent the loss of fuel economy and in fact improve gas mileage by being aware of these conditions and take steps to avoid them.
Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of automotive industry insider secrets on saving gas and dollars at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to improve gas mileage.
