Cold weather really kills mileage

peterson1604

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We've had a pretty wicked cold snap here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the past couple weeks and I've noticed it's really dropped my Rangers average miles per gallon. I'm talking -20 windchills with the high during the day being about 5 to 10 degrees max.
I've been tracking mileage since day one and in the summer I get between 19 and 21 miles per gallon, during the cold season I've been running 17 to 19 but with this cold snap I'm seeing 15 to 17. I'm sure part of this is due to me starting it and let it warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before taking off when it's this cold, but when I watch the dash while driving it's definitely less. Not really bothered by it as it's part of living in the great White North. ?
I'm running an Fx4 with the Livernois tune and have been running Meijer 93 octane. Living in a small town of 13,000 doesn't help. Takes me 5 minutes to get to work with a couple stop lights on the way so I never really get a highway run in unless I travel south to Green Bay or north to Marquette.
Anybody else who lives in colder frigid areas seeing the same results?
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I live in the NE and not as cold as you but even still mileage suffers from a few different factors all rolled up. First and biggest contribution is winter blend gas. That’s an easy 1 to 2 mpg hit. Warmups, you bet! I let mine in the weather idle for 10 minutes and even then not at full operational temps but I don’t drive away bucking if I do it. Lastly cold air is denser. So a little more drag than normal to deal with. Oh! The other important factor! Gettin on it for the thrills ?
 

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I’m with you on the decreased fuel mileage. I haven’t had my truck very long so don’t know what its like in the warm weather. I got it just before Christmas and the weather was warmer. But in the last week and a half or so with the cold snap it’s definitely gotten worse. I haven’t actually checked to see what it was on the readout (too depressing as the prices have been going up at the pumps lately too). But the fuel gauge has been dropping a lot faster .... I live about 4 hours north of Thunder Bay
 

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We've had a pretty wicked cold snap here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the past couple ouweeks and I've noticed it's really dropped my Rangers average miles per gallon. I'm talking -20 windchills with the high during the day being about 5 to 10 degrees max.
I've been tracking mileage since day one and in the summer I get between 19 and 21 miles per gallon, during the cold season I've been running 17 to 19 but with this cold snap I'm seeing 15 to 17. I'm sure part of this is due to me starting it and let it warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before taking off when it's this cold, but when I watch the dash while driving it's definitely less. Not really bothered by it as it's part of living in the great White North. ?
I'm running an Fx4 with the Livernois tune and have been running Meijer 93 octane. Living in a small town of 13,000 doesn't help. Takes me 5 minutes to get to work with a couple stop lights on the way so I never really get a highway run in unless I travel south to Green Bay or north to Marquette.
Anybody else who lives in colder frigid areas seeing the same results?
I feel your anguish :lipssealed:
 


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peterson1604

peterson1604

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AzScorpion

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Great info, but they liost me at heated seats. No way I'm turning off my heated seats to save a few gallons when it's 20 below! ?
Heck I use mine here and love them! We'll have a few cold nights in the 30's but even in the summer when it's 100 out I'll turn them on after work, they're like a build in heating pad for my back.

As far as loss in mpg I had the same when I lived back in MA. It wasn't uncommon the sub zero nights and single digit days and I would see a good 3-4 mpg hit in my F150.
 

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Heck I use mine here and love them! We'll have a few cold nights in the 30's but even in the summer when it's 100 out I'll turn them on after work, they're like a build in heating pad for my back.
Interesting therapeutic perspective.
 

AzScorpion

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Interesting therapeutic perspective.
When I first got my Ranger I was like "seat warmers in AZ"? One day after work my back was sore and I put them on as I never tried them yet. I'm not saying they're as good as a heating pad but darn close when you're back aches. I just wish you could switch the seat part off as that gets a little "uncomfortable" when it's hot out here. :wink:
 

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We've had a pretty wicked cold snap here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the past couple weeks and I've noticed it's really dropped my Rangers average miles per gallon. I'm talking -20 windchills with the high during the day being about 5 to 10 degrees max.
I've been tracking mileage since day one and in the summer I get between 19 and 21 miles per gallon, during the cold season I've been running 17 to 19 but with this cold snap I'm seeing 15 to 17. I'm sure part of this is due to me starting it and let it warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before taking off when it's this cold, but when I watch the dash while driving it's definitely less. Not really bothered by it as it's part of living in the great White North. ?
I'm running an Fx4 with the Livernois tune and have been running Meijer 93 octane. Living in a small town of 13,000 doesn't help. Takes me 5 minutes to get to work with a couple stop lights on the way so I never really get a highway run in unless I travel south to Green Bay or north to Marquette.
Anybody else who lives in colder frigid areas seeing the same results?
im
We've had a pretty wicked cold snap here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the past couple weeks and I've noticed it's really dropped my Rangers average miles per gallon. I'm talking -20 windchills with the high during the day being about 5 to 10 degrees max.
I've been tracking mileage since day one and in the summer I get between 19 and 21 miles per gallon, during the cold season I've been running 17 to 19 but with this cold snap I'm seeing 15 to 17. I'm sure part of this is due to me starting it and let it warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before taking off when it's this cold, but when I watch the dash while driving it's definitely less. Not really bothered by it as it's part of living in the great White North. ?
I'm running an Fx4 with the Livernois tune and have been running Meijer 93 octane. Living in a small town of 13,000 doesn't help. Takes me 5 minutes to get to work with a couple stop lights on the way so I never really get a highway run in unless I travel south to Green Bay or north to Marquette.
Anybody else who lives in colder frigid areas seeing the same results?
We've had a pretty wicked cold snap here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the past couple weeks and I've noticed it's really dropped my Rangers average miles per gallon. I'm talking -20 windchills with the high during the day being about 5 to 10 degrees max.
I've been tracking mileage since day one and in the summer I get between 19 and 21 miles per gallon, during the cold season I've been running 17 to 19 but with this cold snap I'm seeing 15 to 17. I'm sure part of this is due to me starting it and let it warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before taking off when it's this cold, but when I watch the dash while driving it's definitely less. Not really bothered by it as it's part of living in the great White North. ?
I'm running an Fx4 with the Livernois tune and have been running Meijer 93 octane. Living in a small town of 13,000 doesn't help. Takes me 5 minutes to get to work with a couple stop lights on the way so I never really get a highway run in unless I travel south to Green Bay or north to Marquette.
Anybody else who lives in colder frigid areas seeing the same results?
We've had a pretty wicked cold snap here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the past couple weeks and I've noticed it's really dropped my Rangers average miles per gallon. I'm talking -20 windchills with the high during the day being about 5 to 10 degrees max.
I've been tracking mileage since day one and in the summer I get between 19 and 21 miles per gallon, during the cold season I've been running 17 to 19 but with this cold snap I'm seeing 15 to 17. I'm sure part of this is due to me starting it and let it warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before taking off when it's this cold, but when I watch the dash while driving it's definitely less. Not really bothered by it as it's part of living in the great White North. ?
I'm running an Fx4 with the Livernois tune and have been running Meijer 93 octane. Living in a small town of 13,000 doesn't help. Takes me 5 minutes to get to work with a couple stop lights on the way so I never really get a highway run in unless I travel south to Green Bay or north to Marquette.
Anybody else who lives in colder frigid areas seeing the same results?

I'm in Marquette and seeing the same thing.
 
 



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