For those who deal with cold weather, do you notice a difference in your gas mileage when you let your truck warm up before driving? I’ve been curious about how much of an impact it really has.
Letting it warm up does use more gas. I’ve stopped doing it except for a few seconds to let the RPMs settle. I’ve noticed about a 1-3 MPG drop when I used to idle a lot during the winter. I live in the Rockies, and honestly, letting it idle doesn’t really warm up the engine or air much. The seat and steering wheel heaters are about the only things that feel warm.
I only let my car warm up for a couple of minutes if it’s icy out. I don’t like idling for too long, but I’ve never really tracked how much gas it uses. If I had to guess, it’s probably around 1-2 hours of idling to burn a gallon of gas.
@GregoryMesh3
So, about $1.50 an hour in gas?
Are you asking if warming up the truck changes fuel efficiency later on? I usually warm mine up for about 5 minutes when it’s cold, and I haven’t noticed much difference when I start driving. Idling does burn a good amount of gas, though.
@Wynne
I was mostly wondering how much it drops the overall range. Does it make a big difference?
Jane said:
@Wynne
I was mostly wondering how much it drops the overall range. Does it make a big difference?
Tundras burn about 0.8 gallons per hour while idling to warm up. Once it’s at operating temperature, it drops to about 0.5 gallons an hour. That breaks down to about 0.0135 gallons a minute when warming up and 0.008 gallons a minute after that. So if you let it idle for 20 minutes, you’re looking at roughly 1/4 gallon burned.
@Fox
Are those numbers for the V8? Thanks for breaking it down!
Jane said:
@Wynne
I was mostly wondering how much it drops the overall range. Does it make a big difference?
It really depends on how long you idle. You could try resetting your MPG tracker after warming up and see how it looks.
My dash shows a 2-3 MPG drop when I use the remote start every day versus not. The truck warms up quickly when you start driving, so I should probably stop. But it’s nice to get in with the heat already going.
Any time I leave it idling, I feel like I can see the MPG drop on the dash display. Whether it’s a stoplight, warming up, or just sitting parked, it all seems to add up. It’s hard to say if it’s a big deal, but if being warm is worth it, then go for it.
@Vinnie
That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Is it all in my head? Plus, winter gas seems like it doesn’t last as long.
Jane said:
@Vinnie
That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Is it all in my head? Plus, winter gas seems like it doesn’t last as long.
Some states use different gas blends in the winter, which can affect mileage. I think you’re right about winter MPG being worse.
I usually warm it up for 5-10 minutes on cold mornings. My ‘05 gets around 15 MPG normally but drops to 14.5 in the winter with the warm-ups. I don’t have heated seats, so I think it’s worth it to have a warm truck at 5:30 AM.
@Zoran
The only time cold seats are good is during the summer lol.
Jane said:
@Zoran
The only time cold seats are good is during the summer lol.
Exactly! When it’s 22°F outside, I’ll gladly pay an extra $2 per tank to stay warm. Or I could just go broke buying a car with heated seats and a heated steering wheel… someday!
Idling to warm up isn’t great for MPG, but driving without warming up in cold weather isn’t great for the engine. Why worry about a few extra bucks for fuel?
mary said:
Idling to warm up isn’t great for MPG, but driving without warming up in cold weather isn’t great for the engine. Why worry about a few extra bucks for fuel?
I’m not too worried, just curious about how much it drops. I always let it warm up, though.
I always warm mine up. It’s a turbo engine, and letting the oil get to temp ensures the turbos are properly lubricated. Asking for power with cold oil can damage the bearings over time. I looked into it a lot because this is my first turbo truck.
For every 5-10 minutes of idling, I see about a 0.2-0.4 MPG drop. This morning I went from 16.5 to 16.2 MPG after warming up. These newer trucks warm up fast, which is nice. I just bought mine, so I’m excited to see how the mileage improves in the summer with better gas blends.