Is anyone else really affected by winter blend?

Deleted member 1634

my neighbors kid...kind of a prodigy and way smarter than I could ever dream to be, has been contracted by me to build a small nuclear reactor to power my ranger. I'll no longer be worried about my fuel consumption in the cold.
Better hope you don't get in an accident then. Cause that could be bad for people within a 20 mile range.
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DMK45

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Hey guys, ever since it got cold here in MI and we (presumbly) switched to winter blend, my MPG's have tanked and power seems to be down as well. I know that some engines are more affected by winter blend than others, but it seems pretty severe.

I usually averaged about 21 mpg or so per tank this summer, I'm now averaging about 16-17 mpg per tank. I remember when I first got my Ranger in January, fuel economy wasn't stellar (about 19-20 mpg), but I assumed it was because of engine break in. Come March and 3000 miles on the odometer, I stabilized in the low 20s. Since then, I have gone up a tire size so I lost about 1-2 mpg there, but the mpg drop now seems pretty severe. Anyone else have any experience with Ecoboost engines on winter blend?
Hey, I'm in NW Ohio currently ..but lived in SE MI 12yrs thus I'm frequently there visiting etc. I run only 89-93 octane tier 1 fuel in my new Ranger since day1. Have 6k mis now. Average low of 19.3 to high of 21.1 mpgs. Maybe just slightly higher in non winter mos. U def should not see that big a difference I would say even with bigger tires. How big? 32s /33s? Try 2 consecutive tanks of any good <tier 1> premium 93 octane fuel an keep close eye on MPGs. 1 bottle Chevron Techron never hurts an could help clean up any remnants of a not too good quality fill up somewhere perhaps? I keep my tire PSI @ 36-37lbs. Never lower. Check on ur dash display when weather fluctuates wildly. These 2.3L TGDI motors love premium fuel & u will notice a difference.
 

Jeffrey Babb

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Hey, I'm in NW Ohio currently ..but lived in SE MI 12yrs thus I'm frequently there visiting etc. I run only 89-93 octane tier 1 fuel in my new Ranger since day1. Have 6k mis now. Average low of 19.3 to high of 21.1 mpgs. Maybe just slightly higher in non winter mos. U def should not see that big a difference I would say even with bigger tires. How big? 32s /33s? Try 2 consecutive tanks of any good <tier 1> premium 93 octane fuel an keep close eye on MPGs. 1 bottle Chevron Techron never hurts an could help clean up any remnants of a not too good quality fill up somewhere perhaps? I keep my tire PSI @ 36-37lbs. Never lower. Check on ur dash display when weather fluctuates wildly. These 2.3L TGDI motors love premium fuel & u will notice a difference.
 


EcoRanger

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Winter blend has finally got me my last fill up showed 18.64 mpg my worst mileage yet.
 

Deleted member 1634

I'll throw this update in here. We recently traveled about 2000 miles over the last 5 days for holiday stuff. And the mileage wasn't that bad. We got anywhere between 20 to 26 mpg depending on the speed, which is only slightly below (~2mpg) what we would usually be getting in the summer. The 20mpg was when we were cruising on the freeway at 75-78mph, so not surprising there. The 26mpg came with multiple tanks, when we were trucking along at 45-55mph on county roads through an ice storm in Northern Wisconsin, and again down the freeway through a snow storm at the same speed in 4WD in Northern Lower Michigan.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the winter trip mileage. Now back to short trips back and forth to work and getting bad mileage because of that.
 

Hounddog409

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I'll throw this update in here. We recently traveled about 2000 miles over the last 5 days for holiday stuff. And the mileage wasn't that bad. We got anywhere between 20 to 26 mpg depending on the speed, which is only slightly below (~2mpg) what we would usually be getting in the summer. The 20mpg was when we were cruising on the freeway at 75-78mph, so not surprising there. The 26mpg came with multiple tanks, when we were trucking along at 45-55mph on county roads through an ice storm in Northern Wisconsin, and again down the freeway through a snow storm at the same speed in 4WD in Northern Lower Michigan.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the winter trip mileage. Now back to short trips back and forth to work and getting bad mileage because of that.
2 mpg is huge change, at least lMO
 

Traneman

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Went to my in-laws on Sunday for Christmas, and was nice to see an increase in my mpg. Lately I've been avg 16mpg on my last 3 tanks, that is mostly short drive to work and back. On this trip, I was at 23 mpg, and the weather has warmed up too, in the lower 40's. This was mostly 68 mph, and then 58 on back roads.
 

Deleted member 1634

2 mpg is huge change, at least lMO
Huge is relative. Over the last 16,500 miles I've driven with this truck so far, I've found that a swing of +/-2mpg is not that hard to achieve. Sometimes even the difference between going with the wind or going into the wind, at least when you get up into the higher mileage. I'll get 28mpg going east, and 26mpg going west (with winds being typically west to east). Same road each way, same speed changes, same traffic, same relative elevation.
 

Hounddog409

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Huge is relative. Over the last 16,500 miles I've driven with this truck so far, I've found that a swing of +/-2mpg is not that hard to achieve. Sometimes even the difference between going with the wind or going into the wind, at least when you get up into the higher mileage. I'll get 28mpg going east, and 26mpg going west (with winds being typically west to east). Same road each way, same speed changes, same traffic, same relative elevation.
Well, huge as in instead of 28 and 26 mpg, that would be 26 and 24 mpg. 10% adds up during the 4 or so months.
 

Deleted member 1634

Well, huge as in instead of 28 and 26 mpg, that would be 26 and 24 mpg. 10% adds up during the 4 or so months.
I won't argue that it's disappointing, cause it is. I'm more saying that winter blend doesn't seem to be as big of an affect as I had originally thought (or as people seem to think) and mileage loss is probably more due to the increased fuel consumption to compensate for air density and ambient temperature that seems to almost have the same, if not more of an affect. Heck, I lost an additional 2mpg on the tank from when it was well below zero early last month (usually ~18mpg on my work commute in the winter, and I got ~16mpg during the cold snap), whereas this holiday trip I took the temps where largely around freezing if not up around 40F during portions. So it seems like the cold has a fairly large affect as well.

My point was just that different mixed fuel isn't the end all bad guy for poor winter mileage, and it may not even be the biggest factor.
 

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I don't know about everyone else on here, but I'm running 87. Always have, will continue to do so. The price difference for higher octane doesn't make it worth it for me given the type of driving I do.
The only time I use higher octane fuel is when towing. I can tell the difference then (MPG and power).
 

Deleted member 1634

The only time I use higher octane fuel is when towing. I can tell the difference then (MPG and power).
I don't tow anything heavier than 2000lbs (except one time), and at altitudes any higher than 2500ft (so far), so I don't really have a use for it. I do obviously believe that there are benefits to higher octanes, otherwise it wouldn't exist. I just have never had any reason to go that route.
 

DMK45

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What's your reply brother? Was hoping get a few questions answered.
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