I HATE Winter Blend Diesel

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 1:04 pm

I really hate my mileage drop on winter blend diesel this is my first winter with my lift and tires and i am really not enjoying this mileage drop with winter blend. :banghead:

I live in upstate south carolina where it might get into the lower teens maybe single digits once or twice a year. In other words i don't want or need winter blend i mean i could run Bio with the correct blend still. :banghead:

Has anyone found a way to keep your gas mileage in the winter short of making my own fuel?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 1:18 pm

It's not known to get as cold here in northern UT as SC but I haven't noticed a major drop from just the fuel alone but rather the bigger impact being the engine never seems to get warmer than just past the 1/4 mark. I "turn off" my snorkel and install my hard plastic grill cover for better performance.... your results may vary.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 3:04 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

It's not known to get as cold here in northern UT as SC but I haven't noticed a major drop from just the fuel alone but rather the bigger impact being the engine never seems to get warmer than just past the 1/4 mark. I "turn off" my snorkel and install my hard plastic grill cover for better performance.... your results may vary.

Do you make really short drives or is it possible your thermostat is out?

irollgen4s · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 6:54 pm

I've noticed temp differences, but cant speak for mileage as it was just lifted, and the battery was unplugged resetting all of my previous settings.

the temp guage stays halfway between the quarter and half in the winter, and a hair off of half in the warmer times of the year. its been as low as 7 degree's here at night with the jeep outside of a garage.

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 7:53 pm

The biggest drop in economy comes from the thickened fluids, not from the fuel itself, although the fuel certainly does make a difference. Thicker differential fluids, thicker oils, thicker tranny fluid and thicker bearing grease, but the biggest one is thicker air.

I've shamelessly ripped this chart from another forum for reposting here. It shows the change in air density from 68F degrees, which is is rendered 100% because it was once considered to be the most efficient temperature for naturally aspirated gasoline engines. As you can see, at 15F you are pushing through 15% more air mass than at 85F. There is some gain in engine performance to be had by pumping cooler, denser air into the intake but the gain is really not that much after the air is greatly heated by the compressor. Your newly lifted rig is also pushing a lot more air than before.

TempF TempC density_kg/m3 %_density
15 -9.4 1.34 111.7%
32 0 1.29 107.5%
68 20 1.20 100.0%
85 29 1.17 97.5%

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:04 pm

Winter fuel sux. My last tank was 20.2 MPG. Ouch.

striperman36 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:05 pm

ibedonc · **Joined:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:40 pm **Posts:** 236

must not be in central texas yet , because I am getting 27.6

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:58 pm

well - it'll take a couple of tanks to be sure - but the engine seems to be working a lot better with the new thermostat at ~170+ vs the old one that struggled to get the engine about 135.
So I think that's a part of the 'winter' problems

(FYI - that's the temp gauge from just over 1/4 to almost straight up at 1/2)

Duffner · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:04 pm

Its funny though because theoretically you get more fuel on colder days because fuel molecules become more dense hence you pump more fuel compared to a warmer day..

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:37 pm

From E-Zoil data: Kerosene has an average BTU content of approximately 133500 BTU per gallon and #2 diesel fuel has an average BTU content of approximately 139500 BTU per ..

50:50 would equal 136500 BTU per gallon.
That calculates to ~98% of the energy straight #2 diesel.

The rest of the fuel economy losses are covered in the other posts.

Winter fuel economy sucks.

dakotajeep · **Joined:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:46 am **Posts:** 3

warp2diesel wrote:

Winter fuel economy sucks.

I am glad you posted...I almost wrote the same thing (reference the BTU's per gallon)

That being said its way better than gelled fuel....ask someone who has had that happen. Not fun.

Thad

TJ2 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 5:46 am

JL Rockies wrote:

It's not known to get as cold here in northern UT as SC but I haven't noticed a major drop from just the fuel alone but rather the bigger impact being the engine never seems to get warmer than just past the 1/4 mark. I "turn off" my snorkel and install my hard plastic grill cover for better performance.... your results may vary.

Your t-stat is shot.

I put some summer use Powerservice in to see if the cetane boost would help get the mpg back up. I'll know when I fill next.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:35 am

JL Rockies wrote:

It's not known to get as cold here in northern UT as SC but I haven't noticed a major drop from just the fuel alone but rather the bigger impact being the engine never seems to get warmer than just past the 1/4 mark. I "turn off" my snorkel and install my hard plastic grill cover for better performance.... your results may vary.

I also think your thremostat may be going out like mine is as well. I can't get temp gauge above 1/4 unless I let it set and idle for over 10 minutes before I drive and then it never gets to half like it should.

My fuel economy is in the toilet too 19.5 lately with 3/4 town and 1/4 highway.

litton · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:40 am

Over the years with mine, I seem to get a 2 mpg drop every winter. We must not have the winter blend yet as I'm running 28.3 at 75 mph right now. The HOT tune has helped a lot but I still expect the winter blend to arrive any time.

jeepdan · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 11:31 am

Check out my latest, sad FUELLY numbers. This is with a new OEM thermostat, weather in Wheeling, WV has been in the mid 30,s in the day to in the low 20,s at night most of this month.

TennesseeCRD · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:01 am **Posts:** 181

I really wish my milage was as good as what you guys are saying is bad for you. I'm at 18 mpg even in the summer. But I live in the mountains so I gues that has something to do with it. I'm hoping to do the GDE tune soon so maybe that will help.

MissysCRD · **Posted:** Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:28 pm

tennessee,
I make a 3500 ft change in altitude from where I work to home, with the last 3 miles being 1000' climb and haven't noticed that my mpg is too affected from what others are getting (the ride back down on the round trip really helps as I coast some). I was at 27mpg for trip before Jeep went into shop (average 1/3 mtn, 1/3 hyway, 1/3 city and appears I'm running with the F37 recall also). We've been having some cold spells with town being in the 40's during the day, mtns in 30's and near 0 at night (I plug in block heater). On my trip my temp gauge is almost straight up, just below 1/2.

I'm still checking where I am now that I got my Jeep back out of the shop with all its replacement and the new Provent install, but last check after 2 round trips was ~25mpg. I'm not sure if we have winter blend here yet. I know prices rose substanially ($0.30/gln) when it got cold and hasn't come back down.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:01 pm

fuel prices went up a few weeks ago here to and have climbed up to now 3.399/ gallon at most filling stations. I can still find it at Royal Farms for 3.259 thats the cheapest I have found this week with gas buddy and there is a location along my commute to work.

87 unleaded is over $3 a gallon too.

I HATE Winter Blend Diesel

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