Tips to Improve Gas Mileage in the Winter

Winter doesn't just bring cold weather and snow, it also brings it's own particular problems to maintaining and improving gas mileage. Here are two specific things you should to do in the winter to sustain good fuel economy.

Make sure your oil is the proper grade for winter. As temperatures drop it causes the oil in your car to become thicker. If it gets too thick it will not be able to properly lubricate your engine. Not only will an engine that isn't properly lubricated use more gas but it can also sustain considerable damage. It could even cause damage to the point where the engine would need to be replaced.

Check your owners manual to determine the proper grade of oil for the winter. Generally cold temperatures require a thinner oil then you would use during warm weather. If you are using a multi-grade oil it might work just fine in the winter. Again, check your manual or ask your car dealer what the proper grade for your car is.

Another challenge that winter weather brings is a change in tire pressure. In the winter the tire pressure drops. It is one of the laws of gasses you learned about in chemistry class. A gas compresses as temperature drops. As it compresses, the pressure in your tires drops. If your tires were at the proper pressure at 70 degrees, those same tires will be 5 to 10 pounds too low at 20 degrees and will be 7 to 14 pounds too low at zero degrees.

The most common gas robbing condition drivers face is low tire pressure. It is estimated that at least 25 per cent of all cars on the road have at least one tire that is too low. At 5 to 10 pounds under inflated you will be decreasing your miles per gallon by 2 to 4 percent.

Every 10-degree drop in ambient temperature results in a one to two pound reduction in tire pressure. If you set your pressures in November, they'll be too low in February.

To maintain proper tire pressure and avoid losing fuel economy, you need to check your tire pressure at least once every month at a minimum. You should also make sure they are properly inflated when there is an extreme change in temperature.

Winter conditions bring unique fuel robbing conditions. You can stop the detrimental affect of winter on your fuel economy cold! Knowing about these conditions and knowing how to avoid them will keep your fuel economy at it's peak.

Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/

Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of industry insider information on saving gas and dollars at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to discover how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to improve gas mileage.

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