big drop in fuel economy....winter blend already?

larrydk

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Location
Brookfield
TDI
Sportwagen
In the last two weeks my fuel mileage has dropped into what I normally expect in the winter (Chicago)....I assume this is due to winter blend? When do the stations normally switch over?
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
In Chicagoland? I would think they would have been changing a month ago.

Keep in mind, the engine management is going to make the engine get up to temp as quickly as possible. The only way it can do that is to burn more fuel. Colder engines take longer to get up to temp. So they will use more fuel. Which is why it is important to drive off right away, not let them sit and idle. The faster the engine gets up to temp, the less fuel it will use, and a warm engine is a happy engine.
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
If you are driving mostly highway, then it could also be due to the air resistance going up with air density, which is going up with the colder temps we are having recently. Going from 60F (~285K) to 30F (~270K) makes a (285-270)/285 = 5% difference in drag.
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
A winter front will help your engine warm up faster and stay warmer longer. It’s all about the heat of the engine.
 

pdq import repair

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Location
idaho
TDI
09 Jetta
Every year about this time fuel economy drops. Don't worry it will come back in spring. Drop is a relative amount anyway. My TDI at it's absolute worst is 10+ mpg better than my wife's car at it's absolute best.
 

narongc73

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
VA/OH
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Every year about this time fuel economy drops. Don't worry it will come back in spring. Drop is a relative amount anyway. My TDI at it's absolute worst is 10+ mpg better than my wife's car at it's absolute best.
my mpg gets better in the winter, since I'm not using the ac. Long trips do help though. Your mpg suffers when your trips are short, and even worse when it's cold out.
 
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