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Winter Strategies To Improve Gas Mileage

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.

Ensure that the oil in your car is the proper grade for winter. As temperatures get lower it causes your oil to become thicker. If the oil gets too thick it will not be able to lubricate your engine the way it was designed to. An engine that isn't properly lubricated will burn more gas. Additionally oil that is too thick can cause damage to your engine extreme enough to require the engine 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 prevent and correct the problem of low tire pressure you need to monitor your tire pressure on a regular basis. Measure the tire pressure every month at a minimum. Also measure them when there is an extreme change in temperatures.

These are just two of the gas robbing situations that winter causes. You can prevent the loss of fuel economy and in fact improve gas mileage by being aware of these conditions and take steps to avoid them.

Article Source: http://www.inpop.net

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

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