xgman Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 anyone else noticed a larger drop in mileage lately? Mine is a 13' hybrid version, but as soon as the winter gas mixture kicked in it dropped and then when the weather turned real cold here in the east, it dive bombed. Running anything to do with heat, (heater, seats, steering wheel) just like running the AC, seems to make it hurt worse too. I'm talking several ,pg compared to spring/summer/fall. Ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Did you adjust tire pressure after the temp drop? Mine were 8 lbs too low a few weeks ago. That only makes it worse on top of the winter fuel and having to run the ICE more for heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT90SC Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Hybrids are especially prone to MPG loss due to variance in temperature. Cold batteries are inefficient, as akirby said, the ICE runs more for heat as well. Not only does the Atkinson cycle dislike cruddy fuel, the lower BTU of winter fuels hurts not only power but lower BTU=lower overall engine heat. IF you can, don't burn ethanol either as it further acerbates these issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serraph Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 anyone else noticed a larger drop in mileage lately? Mine is a 13' hybrid version, but as soon as the winter gas mixture kicked in it dropped and then when the weather turned real cold here in the east, it dive bombed. Running anything to do with heat, (heater, seats, steering wheel) just like running the AC, seems to make it hurt worse too. I'm talking several ,pg compared to spring/summer/fall. Ouch! Yes, mine went down to 36-38mpg according to fuelly but again I use the remote start up to warm the car since we have a new baby. So losing about 5mpg and don't forget the winter blend fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timf Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Lower hybrid mileage in winter is just a fact of life. The best thing you can do is take longer trips as on short trips the car is running the engine to warm up most of the time. If you are taking any very short trips, turning off the heat is a good idea because by the time the engine runs long enough for the blower to come on, you will already be at or near your destination having wasted gas for nothing. Likewise, if you are nearing your destination and the car isn't going into EV mode, switching the heat off is a good idea as the car won't cool that much by the time you stop and you'll make the most of your battery charge. I just remind myself that I'm still using far less gas than I would be with a conventional engine, and look forward to warmer months where the car truly shines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgman Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 I just remind myself that I'm still using far less gas than I would be with a conventional engine, and look forward to warmer months where the car truly shines. Yes, same here. Just hate to see my lifetime drop. 42.9-8-7-6-5-4-3 . . . . argghhh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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