Have you noticed that your gas mileage is compromised and somewhat lower during the winter months? At Toy Doctor, we thought you may find it interesting to learn why and also what you can do about it.
The Temperature Effects Your Toyota’s Fuel Efficiency
Do you know how you need more calories in your body to help keep you warm? Your Toyota is similar. It needs a fuel-rich diet as well. The engine has a different temperature obviously in the winter versus the summer. In winter it simply means your engine takes much longer to reach optimal temperatures, therefore consuming a lot more fuel.
More Things To Know About Fuel Economy
The winter weather has snow and frost. We all know we need to defrost the windows as to not have an obstructed view. When the engine idles, remember there are 0 miles achieved per gallon. It still needs fuel and air to work but is not delivering any gas economy during this sitting spell.
When we want to stay warm, we turn up the heat, use heated steering wheels and seats. These all require additional power. The battery also has decreased performance in the winter too. Beyond the engine causing this, your tire pressure also decreases. This will increase the resistance when they move on the road, causing additional fuel use. Next, the colder air is denser and it causes more lag on your Toyota. This requires your engine to work harder.
What Can I Do To Improve Fuel Economy In The Colder Weather?
Although we cannot just skip over cold weather there are several things you can do to help your Toyota get much better gas mileage. Let’s look into these now.
- Try to keep your car in a garage to help with differing temperatures. It is better to start a warmer car than cold. When you start a car out in the very cold weather, it is much harder on your engine and uses a lot more gasoline.
- Always manually clean your windows to avoid extra power needed from your air system for that.
- Try to minimize shorter trips. Combine trips if possible.
We at Toy Doctor know how important it is to you to keep your Toyota in tip-top shape. With one of the highest resell values, we can help you with all your maintenance needs.
