Winter Gas Mileage is it normal to drop this much?

hondapreludeg · #1 (**permalink**) 12-05-2007, 11:23 PM

I have a 2001 Tacoma Double Cab 4 Wheel Drive with an automatic transmission and the 3.4 v-6. My gas mileage has gone downhill in the winter weather. I know that all vehicles generally drop a mpg or two in winter. Before it got cold i was gettin between 19-20mpg range of city and highway. Now I am getting between high 13 and low 15 mpg. Is it normal to drop that much its city and highway mix. This is with not using 4 wheel drive. What is every one else getting with similar trucks

EnolaGaia · #2 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 05:08 PM

Between winter conditions and winter-formula gasoline, I usually see an mpg decrease of around 10% (certainly no more than 15%) during the winter months.

Your recent mpg decline sounds too severe to be 'normal', IMHO.

Bakemono · #3 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 07:04 PM

Id say its pretty normal. Not only do you have the fact the it takes longer for the engine to warm up, you also have the fact that because cold air is more dense than warm air, the computer has to feed more fuel to the engine to get the correct air/fuel mixture.
All in all, your winter gas milage is going to suck.

ddnail · #4 (**permalink**) 12-06-2007, 08:06 PM

Hey man, you been getting 19 - 20 mpg?! That's alot better than I ever got with mine! On average I've been getting around 15 at best. So with my experience, I'd say your about right.

I don't remember, but what size tires you running?
I'm running 285's now, which is a big part of why I don't get the mileage.

hondapreludeg · #5 (**permalink**) 12-07-2007, 02:31 AM

I am running stock tire size. Gas mileage is going down and gas prices up thats a great combo isnt it

Rod in Smiths Falls, · #6 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 06:05 PM

Winter gas is a much different formula than the summer stuff. I seem to remember reading that 20% of it will vaporize quickly, the main reason that vehicles start well in cold weather nowadays. The article seemed to infer that mileage would be reduced commensurate with the increased volatility of the fuel.

Drivers apparently will sit still for low mileage in return for reliable starts when the mercury drops. As well, over the last decade I don't remember a vehicle stalled because of icing in the carburetor or fuel lines. Icing used to be so common that you'd put in one or two little jugs of alcohol at every fill-up.

All in all, I guess it's an improvement.