Change to Winterized Fuel

How much of a decrease in MPG occurs when the stations change to winterized fuel? Is it still D2 in MN? Anybody know the mix from the Flint Hills refinery?

Thanks!

I don't see much of a difference;2-3 mpg about 5%. I'm sure someone will chime in with real results. Usually the fuel gets blended in stages in this area. February fuel is different than November. Maybe it's just purging the system but, there's a difference.

I don't have any hard numbers, remember that most of us experience colder weather at the same time and my driving habits also change. What I do notice is maybe 2-3 mpg decrease during the winter.

I believe at the Holiday stations, they used two winter mixes. I believe it starts Nov. 15. It's hard to say how much the decrease is. Since for me last winter I saw 3-4MPG but most my trips were 8 miles or under which didn't fully warm the engine. Gasser's show a decrease in the winter due to the cold, it's hard to say how much of an effect the cold is and how much is the fuel.

Here some info on winterized fuel.

http://tdiclub.com/TDIFAQ/TDiFAQ-10.html


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Not A Big Change in MPG

My average MPG in Winter (November-April) during 2003-2007 is 38.8 compared to my average MPG in Summer (May-October) during the same period is 38.9. Not a big difference. The only difference I noticed is the engine running louder in winter.

M.

that's kind of old-do they still blend fuel with kero or is it done with additives now?

Thunderstruck said:

that's kind of old-do they still blend fuel with kero or is it done with additives now?

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Both.

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bmclean said:

How much of a decrease in MPG occurs when the stations change to winterized fuel?

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Other factors influence fuel economy in the winter besides the winterized fuel.

The biggest one is outside air temperature. TDIs take longer to warm up, and until they reach normal operating temperature they use more fuel.

If you make many short trips during very cold weather -- let's say +10° or below -- then the engine may never reach normal temperature. So average fuel economy could be 10 mpg less than during the summer.

But if you make only one or two longish trips a day, perhaps 50-100 miles, and the engine has warmed up by Mile 5, then the good mileage during the remainder of the trip will result in only a slight decrease compared to summer driving.

In very cold areas like Brainerd MN, blocking the front vents can help the engine warm up faster and stay hotter on the highway.

Welcome to the TDI world, nice to see another from the north.
As posted the fuel is "Blended" and additized (is that a word) and your mileage will be less than straight D2. How much depends on your driving routine and length of trips. It is a neccasary evil because of the temps we MAY drive in between fill-ups to be prepared for the worst case scenario. I have had it happen, fuel up in warmer (more southern) area only to have -20F at home a week later and still have nonblended fuel on board, to be reminded of it as the engine sputtered and quit. Fuel "gelling" at these temps is no fun. Addditive like Power Service (white bottle) is your friend-add some each tank, add a bit extra when it's really cold just in case the fuel you bought isn't what it should have been. I highly recommend the mod to the fuel pickup device inside the tank, also . It's quick, easy and good preventive maintainance as well as peace of mind.

I had been noticing that my mpg seemed to be getting worse over the last month, it dropped from my usual 45-48 down to 43. I wondered whether that was already a fuel effect or whether my foot has been getting progressively heavier over the last couple of months. To test it, I drove the last tank as conservatively as I drove through the summer, and voila I am back to 49mpg !

Diesel in MN is actually B2. A couple of years ago, their main supplier released a batch with high levels of glycerin leaving a good number of trucks stranded. Last I heard, they have tightened up on their QA and haven't had a problem since.

The stuff from Flint Hills (Koch) as per their advertising is NOT a blend of D1/D2 but rather specifically refined to exclude the long-chain waxy stuff that is responsible for most of the gelling. If you want their story: http://www.premiumdiesel.com/

The Flint Hills Arctic is great stuff -- high cetane, low smoke (before ULSD),... My understanding is that winterized fuel starts hitting the tanks in the Twin Cities area around mid-October. Of course, at that point, it's just mildly diluting the standard B2 already in the tanks. But depending on the station you go to, it can be just a few weeks until it's all winterized diesel. I estimate that I take a 5-6 mpg hit in the winter because I don't drive my TDI enough.