Winter Fuel Economy

[lts1ow]

Other than losing 2-3mpg since the onset of winter fuel blends I know have a commute to work that has highways in it (used to be a 5 min back road drive, no OD)

So, as I am zinging along at 65mph at 2100rpm waiting for trans temps to warm up for lock up OD, I started thinking..

Whats more fuel efficient, let the truck warm itself up (ATF to 87*) at a idle before leaving, or just deal with the cold trans with no OD lockup for the few miles?

Truck is plugged in at night, but temps have been ranging from 5-25* F lately in the nights/mornings.

 

[MACKIN]

I don't think idling will heat the transmission very quickly if much at all. It's just circulating no load IMO. You have to drive it

 

[Andrew]

shouldnt the truck kick into high idle doesnt that warm the trans as well from putting load on the motor

 

[MAXX IT OUT]

I just filled up today and got 9.6 MPG so i am hating winter fuel. I usually get 14 to 15 MPG around town. Lately I have been using tow/hual mode when driving to help warm things up.

 

[andy-stevenson]

With my high idle on the trans warms up pretty fast. 15 minutes and the trucks up to operating temp and trans is well above 87* and locks up good.

 

[andy-stevenson]

I just filled up today and got 9.6 MPG so i am hating winter fuel. I usually get 14 to 15 MPG around town. Lately I have been using tow/hual mode when driving to help warm things up.

My mileage has gone to shit aswell, getting half the distance I would with a tank in the summer, but is understandable considering the truck is high idling for 30minutes a day. I've also been driving around in tow/haul to keep the rpm up and engine warmer.

 

[lts1ow]

I went from 19-20mpg in the summer to now maybe 17-18mpg, its no fun.

 

[MACKIN]

With my high idle on the trans warms up pretty fast. 15 minutes and the trucks up to operating temp and trans is well above 87* and locks up good.

What is the ambient temperature? Seems fast from what I've witnessed ,lucky you.

 

[andy-stevenson]

-20 to -30. That's the highest setting on the high idle, roughly 1800 rpm. I let it just idle normal for a minute, then kick it up to 1200 for a couple minutes, then 1800 until I'm ready to leave for work.

 

[duramaxdiesel]

Yeah the high idle works really fast I find. When it's -30C, I hit the remote start and after 10 minutes the truck is nice and toasty This is on my LMM.


Nick

 

[Combine Pilot]

I just filled up today and got 9.6 MPG so i am hating winter fuel. I usually get 14 to 15 MPG around town. Lately I have been using tow/hual mode when driving to help warm things up.

I was thinking about my terrible mileage on winter fuel the other day too. Got me to wondering if there is anything that can be changed through EFI Live to improve winter mileage? Sure would be nice if you could have a winter fuel tune on your DSP5 switch.

 

[MAXX IT OUT]

I was thinking about my terrible mileage on winter fuel the other day too. Got me to wondering if there is anything that can be changed through EFI Live to improve winter mileage? Sure would be nice if you could have a winter fuel tune on your DSP5 switch.

I would love it to, also it has been playing havoc with my injectors from the fuel waxing

 

[PureHybrid]

Just took a highway trip to Indiana, 237 miles and still a half tank on the gauge. Seems to be doing fine Howe's diesel treat.

 

[adeso]

I would be happy to have the truck just stay running on winter blend....

Get one of those cheap magnetic heaters (like what TSC sells) and throw one on the trans and engine oil pan. I would have a timer kick off all 3 heaters (trans, oil, and block) heater 3 hours prior to me leaving and have 0 issues until my fuel started jelling at -19

 

[Dozerboy]

The LBZs and up I would guess where changed to place a little bit of a load on the engine to aid in the trans warm up.

I've never had my truck not shift into 5th/6th if it wasn't warm. I also have a remote start and don't live in a cold climate, so I never really takeoff in a cold truck.

A 2mpg drop in MPG in the minimum you can expect from what I have seen when going to winter fuel. When I head north its like someone flips a switch and my MPG drops.

 

[lts1ow]

The LBZs and up I would guess where changed to place a little bit of a load on the engine to aid in the trans warm up.

I've never had my truck not shift into 5th/6th if it wasn't warm. I also have a remote start and don't live in a cold climate, so I never really takeoff in a cold truck.

A 2mpg drop in MPG in the minimum you can expect from what I have seen when going to winter fuel. When I head north its like someone flips a switch and my MPG drops.

It will grab 5th, just not lock up in 5th, so it spins away at 2000-2200rpm area until it gets to 87* and trans locks up.

I will look into a trans pan heater element, I have a TSC down the road from me. :thumb:

 

[zf>allison]

I have a zf and the cold had an effect still. Slower to shift before its warmed up. I read somewhere guys were putting the t case in neutral and putting the trannys in gear to help it warm up but I dont know how much heat that would actually make with no no load.

 

[coldLBZ]

I would be happy to have the truck just stay running on winter blend....

Get one of those cheap magnetic heaters (like what TSC sells) and throw one on the trans and engine oil pan. I would have a timer kick off all 3 heaters (trans, oil, and block) heater 3 hours prior to me leaving and have 0 issues until my fuel started jelling at -19

Are you still running the fuel sump? And what kind of additive are you running? I have had the winter fuel up here gel on me at about -20f. I now run Stanadyne Perf and have been gel free to -60f.
I usually lose about 2-3 mpg in the winter from the fuel and the longer warm ups. I usually let the truck run for 5 min. at low idle, then kick the high on for another 10 min. or so before I go anywhere.

 

[adeso]

I had mine gel with the "winter blend" with Stanadyne. I think the sump really hurts me

 

[AKlowriderZ71]

My converter won't lock up until 95*. Is there a way to change this lockup temp setting that I don't know about?