Does anybody else's mpg drop when it gets cold?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 10-11-2009
Posts: 149
From: PA
Does anybody else's mpg drop when it gets cold?
First winter with my HHR and I have been getting 33-37 mpg all summer. Now it's stuck on 32.5 mpg ever since it got cold. Does anyone else experience this? A friend of mine says his Nissan does the same thing in the winter.
Senior Member
Joined: 08-06-2008
Posts: 1,761
From: Grand Haven, MI
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Joined: 11-15-2007
Posts: 282
From: Yorkville, IL
It's unavoidable, in any car. The colder, therefore denser air requires more fuel to maintain correct air-fuel ratios.
On turbo cars, this effect can also be exacerbated by the fact that the turbo will boost harder, sooner, thus using more fuel.
A more subtle aspect is that the car itself becomes harder to "push around" in cold weather. This is a twofold effect:
1. Aerodynamic drag increases with the denser air.
2. Wheel Bearing and transmission assemblies, as well as drive axles, induce more parasitic drag when cold. In many cases, save for trips of an hour or more, some of these parts never even get to optimal operating temperature in very cold weather.
On turbo cars, this effect can also be exacerbated by the fact that the turbo will boost harder, sooner, thus using more fuel.
A more subtle aspect is that the car itself becomes harder to "push around" in cold weather. This is a twofold effect:
1. Aerodynamic drag increases with the denser air.
2. Wheel Bearing and transmission assemblies, as well as drive axles, induce more parasitic drag when cold. In many cases, save for trips of an hour or more, some of these parts never even get to optimal operating temperature in very cold weather.
Last edited by EcoBoost; Dec 11, 2009 at 05:19 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: 06-09-2009
Posts: 2,953
From: Clinton, Mass
My mechanic told me they add something to the fuel in winter to keep it dry and that knocks a few percent off your mileage also.
Last year it happened to my truck in 1 tankfull even though it had been cold for weeks. ---> about 3.5MPG
Last year it happened to my truck in 1 tankfull even though it had been cold for weeks. ---> about 3.5MPG
Senior Member
Joined: 06-21-2006
Posts: 939
From: Calgary
Winter fuel blends have a negative effect on fuel economy. Be happy that you are getting 32 mpg though because I'm lucky to get 21 mpg right now during my winter drives.
Senior Member
Joined: 09-11-2007
Posts: 1,379
From: Palm Bay, Florida
In the cold winters, my mileage would drop dramatically. More time ideling and getting the car up to temperature for "proper" engine running. Also I was driving in slush and snow, slow and go. That was why I moved south. I haven't had the HHR into the snow belt in the winter in about three years..
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Joined: 04-11-2008
Posts: 663
From: Eastpointe,MI.
It simply takes longer for an engine to reach operating temperature in colder weather so the engine spends more time in richer fuel modes.Toss in the other factors(blended gas,increased driveline friction,etc.) and there's your loss of mileage.
