For anyone living in colder areas, do you notice a drop in fuel economy if you warm up your car before driving? How much of a difference does it make?
Studies show warming up isn’t really needed and just burns extra gas. I stopped doing it and only use remote start while walking to my truck, so it’s ready to go when I get in. I’ve noticed a 1-3 mpg drop when I used to let it idle in the winter. The only thing idling warmed up for me was the steering wheel and seat heaters, not the engine or cabin air.
I only warm up my car for a minute or two if it’s really icy. Idling gas engines for long isn’t great. It doesn’t use much fuel overall though—maybe a gallon for 1-2 hours of idling.
Dallas said:
I only warm up my car for a minute or two if it’s really icy. Idling gas engines for long isn’t great. It doesn’t use much fuel overall though—maybe a gallon for 1-2 hours of idling.
So, about $1.50 an hour to idle. Not bad if it’s worth it to you.
Are you asking if warming up affects fuel economy while driving? I warm up my truck for 5 minutes in the cold, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference after I start driving. But idling does burn a lot of fuel.
@SophyGenesis
I’m mostly curious if it impacts the range you get per tank of gas.
Slurry said:
@SophyGenesis
I’m mostly curious if it impacts the range you get per tank of gas.
That depends on how long you idle. You could reset your mpg calculator and test it to see.
When I use remote start regularly, my dash shows a 2-3 mpg drop. I should probably stop because my truck warms up quickly once I start driving, but it’s nice to get in with the heat already running.
Letting your truck warm up does lower mpg. But not letting it warm up in cold climates can be rough on the engine. Why worry about a few extra bucks in gas each month?
Wren said:
Letting your truck warm up does lower mpg. But not letting it warm up in cold climates can be rough on the engine. Why worry about a few extra bucks in gas each month?
I’m not worried, just curious about the average drop. I always let it warm up too.
I always warm up my turbo engine. Letting the oil heat up first ensures proper lubrication for the turbos. Cold oil doesn’t protect the bearings as well, which can cause damage over time.
I lose about 0.2-0.4 mpg after idling for 5-10 minutes. For example, this morning my mpg dropped from 16.5 to 16.2 after warming up. Over a full tank, the impact is probably bigger, but I don’t care. I’d rather have the ice softened before scraping it off.
Warming up for 30 seconds before driving only drops my mpg by about 0.25 on average. Idling for longer, like during a quick store run, lowers it by around 2 mpg for the whole tank. It adds up if you’re idling often.
Going into winter, my mpg was 18.8, and now it’s down to 18.0. I use remote start about three times a week, usually for just a couple of minutes while getting ready. I’m not sure how much of the drop is from that versus the colder weather.