rec.autos.simulators

by **Ian Riche** » Sat, 23 Jun 2001 17:39:40

How much variation in fuel consumption with the weather is considered
"normal"?

My car is used pretty exclusivley for commuting. This involves a 23
each-way mile trip that normally takes around 45mins, being a crawl out of
one town, fast-ish A-road to another, and then a crawl through that town.

I've now had the car over two winters and two summers, and have noticed that
winter fuel consumption is pretty steady at 39-40mpg, while summer fuel
consuption is also steady at 42-43mpg.

The car is always filled up at the same garage (Tesco). There also seems a
step-change between these two fuel consumption values, rather than a gradual
shift.

Is this because petrol is different summer to winter? Is there some
"setting" on the car that trips once a season? Am I imagining it?

The car, if it matters, is a 1997 1.3MPI Skoda Felicia estate (no s***s -
very cheap motoring), with around 60K on the clock.

Thanks for anyone who can shed any light on this conundrum.

Ian

by **Ian Riche** » Sat, 23 Jun 2001 17:40:50

Doh! - Wrong newsgroup - Message cancelled.

Ian

by **Dave Henri** » Sat, 23 Jun 2001 22:37:33

I'm sure you are in the right place. I'm sure you were going to ask if
today's modern sims that include weather effects also saw increases or
decreases in fuel consumption when racing in inclement weather. At first
blush you might have thought the extra wheel spin would consume more fuel,
but then you got to thinking that the lower demands on the engine, due to
moderating the gas pedal to maintain traction, would produce higher miles
per gallon. And so...you were curious if any sim did indeed show changes in
fuel mileage. A proper and intriguing question, one that I have no answer
for...anyone?
dave henrie

by **Ian Riche** » Sat, 23 Jun 2001 22:41:48

Oh yes - that was what I meant.

Honest :-)

Ian

by **Rick Fis** » Sat, 23 Jun 2001 22:51:14

I live in the state of Michigan, US and I know that we have different
gasoline formulations for the different seasons. We have "winter gas" which
is blended for easier starting in cold weather and "summer gas" which is
supposedly lower in pollutants. I have no clue about any difference in
mileage though <g>. The people I work for buy most of the gas I use.

Rick

> I'm sure you are in the right place. I'm sure you were going to ask if
> today's modern sims that include weather effects also saw increases or
> decreases in fuel consumption when racing in inclement weather. At first
> blush you might have thought the extra wheel spin would consume more
fuel,
> but then you got to thinking that the lower demands on the engine, due to
> moderating the gas pedal to maintain traction, would produce higher miles
> per gallon. And so...you were curious if any sim did indeed show changes
in
> fuel mileage. A proper and intriguing question, one that I have no answer
> for...anyone?
> dave henrie

> > Doh! - Wrong newsgroup - Message cancelled.

> > Ian

by **J4MI** » Sun, 24 Jun 2001 06:42:22

"Winter" fuel has lengthened chains of molecules in the fuel* - making
it harder to freeze, hence more useful to the motorist in colder
periods. It's more expensive to make, so it is not added in summer, when
it isn't needed.

* = or something like that!

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by **bernie eccl** » Sun, 24 Jun 2001 18:46:55

Ian,

I noticed something similar with my own cars fuel consuption. I put it down
to fact that during winter the ***will be on for longer giving a richer
mixture and using more fuel. Not sure if this is the reason or not but it
put my mind at rest - at least until I read some of the replys here about
winter fuel :-)

J4MIE wrote

rec.autos.simulators

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather

Fuel consumption & weather