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The last tankful has yielded just over 21 mpg compared to the long term average of 24.42, and a best of over 26 - the second most recent tankful.
Could the really cold weather cause a drop? I was on free flowing motorways, usual speed and no wind what so ever. Seems strange to be 20% down on last journey. Using Tesco fuel as always.
Russell
______________________________________________________________ Our long trip around Europe - blog now online at www.swift-kontiki.co.uk
The cold weather should actually make anything run better as there air is much more dense, however the extra use of heaters, and wipers will most likely negate any savings.
I don't use the motorhome much in winter so I cannot make a direct comparison, but my Honda car goes from 41mpg in the summer months to 35mpg in the winter. It's just the length of time that the engine oil takes to warm up and the extra drag this causes. My impression - very unscientific, I know - is that winter traffic also tends to be more stop-and-start.
I agree with Dr Roy - I have always found this with my cars. In addition, as far as diesel is concerned, it has additive - up to 3% I believe - to stop it freezing in low temperatures, so your getting less actual diesel per gallon than you get in the summer for each gallon you buy.
our scudo returns 33-34mpg. Checked on a fill to fill basis not the computer.
Usualy fill up every 10 days. Son in law drives out and i drive return journey.
Weather and load do not seem to make much difference.
Dave p
______________________________________________________________ I never wish anyone dead, but I do take pleasure in reading some obituaries
The cold weather should actually make anything run better as there air is much more dense ...
Not anything.
Firstly, the increase of air density when going from +20 to -10 degrees Centigrade is only about 10%, not more. Secondly, the only thing that might run better is the engine's internal combustion cycle itself. Everything else will run worse:
The increase in air density will also lead to an increase in air drag, which will probably already overcompensate the increase in thermodynamic engine efficiency.
As framptoncottrell has already mentioned, oil and grease will have a higher viscosity at low temperatures, leading to an increase in friction. Admittedly this is - thanks to modern multi-grade engine oils - not so much of a problem in the engine itself. But think of all the other moving, lubricated parts, like gearbox, drive shaft, wheel bearings etc.
Days are shorter in winter, and periods of low visibility due to precipitation, fog etc. are more common. Which leads to increased use of lights, especially head and fog lights. Therefore the alternator demands more energy from the engine, thus less MPG.
Starting the colder engine demands more energy from the battery, which has later to be replenished by the alternator.
Last but not least, the increased use of electric heaters (rear window, mirrors, seats etc.) and heating fans will also have an impact on MPG.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
I'm not one to argue, , but if all this is true, then the motor/van/truck manufacturers have waisted millions designing and fitting intercoolers to almost all of the quality diesel engines, who's sole purpose is to cool the incoming air to make it more dense before it goes into the turbo, anyone who has had a diesel turbo but no intercooler will say it lacks the power of intercooled versions.
My Mondeo 2.0 TDCI returns an average of 52mpg in the summer.
In winter this drops to around 44mpg. I put it down to running with the electric heated seats, front and rear heated windscreen, lights on etc, on most of the time.
______________________________________________________________ Breathe in, breathe out, move on
Your diesel gets thicker - especially cheap supermarket fuel which lacks much of the additives that the large fuel companies have. Just uses more energy to pull it through, thus less to the gallon.
(more technical than that - it's just the simple version!)
I'm not one to argue, , but if all this is true, then the motor/van/truck manufacturers have waisted millions designing and fitting intercoolers to almost all of the quality diesel engines ...
Sorry, this was my insufficient command of the English language. I should have said: Not everything!
It is certainly true that an increase in (intake) air density leads to an increase in engine efficiency. As I have said. So the money for developing intercoolers for turbocharged engines has not at all been wasted.
However: Firstly, I would assume that a modern intercooler achieves a significantly steeper drop in air temperature than 30 degrees C. And secondly, the intercooler only affects the intake air, not the air flow around the vehicle. So with an intercooler you benefit from increased air density inside the engine, while leaving the air density outside of the vehicle, and thus the air drag, unchanged.
And when increasing ambient air density, the increase in air drag will be directly proportional to the density increase, while the increase in engine efficiency will be less than that.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
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France
I should have said: Not everything!
