How's the Cold Weather affecting your Fuel Economy?

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Retread Tom

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I use my 2019 Laramie Longhorn for running around and light loads. Generally I hang in the 18-20 mpg range. Long trips I've gotten as high as 23-24. With these winter fuel blends I've dropped to 16-17 mpg. That's with the 3.21 gears.
 

Dgriffi2

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Oswego NY
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I think I average about 13 mpg in the winter, I don’t pay close attention. I’m in upstate NY, Oswego, about 30 miles northwest of Syracuse, on Lake Ontario. We average about 150-180 inches of snow per year and so far have gotten maybe 15”? It’s all melted so most days we’re staring at dirt and gray skies. Never thought I’d miss the snow so much!
 

Doug Ram

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I think I average about 13 mpg in the winter, I don’t pay close attention. I’m in upstate NY, Oswego, about 30 miles northwest of Syracuse, on Lake Ontario. We average about 150-180 inches of snow per year and so far have gotten maybe 15”? It’s all melted so most days we’re staring at dirt and gray skies. Never thought I’d miss the snow so much!

Same here. I am sick and tired of clouds and NO snow. Its booooooorrrrring.
 

farout75

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Laurie, MO
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Here's my input from Wisconsin....

Mine's a '14 Crew Cab with a Hemi and 3.92s and stock size mud tires (20s). Lots of idle time (pizza delivery guy) and remote starting. Holding a solid 15.5 average. Summer months, that number is normally in the high 16s to low 17s with the same kind of driving. Our fuel is "reformulated" with 10% ethanol.

Temperatures have been warm, mostly in the 20s outside with a couple nights dipping into the teens and even single digits.


Diller
'14 Outdoorsman CC

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In Missouri they change the gas in the winter months and no matter what I have drive mpg does go down slightly. On my 17 RAM bighorn 5.7 with the 3:92 gear ratio I get typically in warmer days 18 to 19.5 mpg but in the winter i's 17 to 18, and when its below 32 F it goes to 16.

If one keeps the foot under control it sure helps. I have tried 89, 91 and 93 octane gas and it never has been worth the extra $ for the very few mpg change which has been 1 to 1.5 mpg better. 87 octane works just fine no knock, pinging at all even towing a 6,000 lb trailer.
 

HEMIMANN

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In my gassers I lose 2-3 mpg. Used to lose more with carbureted engines.

Today it's a bit different in that fuel injected engines don't flood, in general (anybody remember sticking screwdrivers down carb choke plates to hold em open?), so don't waste as much uncombusted fuel. But some of that has been offset by EPA-mandated low RVP summer gas, which means summer gas is denser and yields more mpg than winter gas. Further, we didn't have farm lobby-mandated alcohol gas before, which has low BTU energy density. Gasoline has become a real witch's brew today.

Diesel Fuel has it's own political and pollution issues. Stripped of sulfur and heavy ends in 1994, sulfur replacement lubricity additives, farm lobby-mandated soybean oil added, biocides for biodiesel storage, all contributed to much higher cost and lower energy density. At least it burns cleaner, I guess.
 

HEMIMANN

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'Fuel economy' and 'Hemi' are two terms I've never put together.

FWIW since I did the muffler-delete I'm pretty sure mileage has gone down but 'smileage' is WAY up!
:D

Why would mileage decrease with lower engine exhaust backpressure? Not disputing your experience - it just doesn't make physics sense to me. Any insight?
 

HEMIMANN

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Here's my input from Wisconsin....

Mine's a '14 Crew Cab with a Hemi and 3.92s and stock size mud tires (20s). Lots of idle time (pizza delivery guy) and remote starting. Holding a solid 15.5 average. Summer months, that number is normally in the high 16s to low 17s with the same kind of driving. Our fuel is "reformulated" with 10% ethanol.

Temperatures have been warm, mostly in the 20s outside with a couple nights dipping into the teens and even single digits.


Diller
'14 Outdoorsman CC

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A bit off topic - how many miles on your machine? Any hemi tick sounds? We've pretty well established hemi valve lifters are sensitive to idle time, due to insufficient lubrication (hemi lifter and cam failures). Watch out for this.

I'm formerly from Wisconsin, fyi.
 

HEMIMANN

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Winter blends + remote starting and a 3-4 min warm up = -3mpgs on average.
FYI- OEM diff fluid is super thick in the cold too.
When it gets below 20F it feels like I'm pulling extra weight.
After switching over to full synthetic fluid I noticed a big improvement.

Same experience - I just changed diff & trans oils @ 36k miles and my mileage ticked up and gear noise went down. I don't know what they put in these during factory fill, but now I'm suspecting the diffs don't have synthetic gear oil.

I put Mobil Delvac 1 75W-90 gear oil in my AAM 11.5" Trac-Rite (all gear) anti-spin differential, along with a Banks cool cover. Smooth and quiet as silk.
 

Doug Ram

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Crap, I still drive with the window open a bit if I get too warm.

Thinking back about 8 years ago, I would get up in the morning and the outside temperature was -32. We live about 5 miles from Lake Michigan. Had to drive 25 miles inland for work. Temperatures were between -38 and -40 when I got to work. My car didn't have remote start, but did have heated seats.

20 above is almost shorts weather here in Wisconsin!


Diller
'14 Outdoorsman CC

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For me, today IS shorts weather in upstate NY. It's a balmy 43F on the water. There is even a gentle wind out of the south. This winter continues its ridiculous warm snowless pattern. I will probably take my 10 horse skiff out to troll for trout late this afternoon! Water temps haven't dropped below 40, and its only 10 feet down to the winter (warmer) thermocline. Even the littlest Finger Lakes are ice free. Which is insane. At this rate there will be no ice fishing this winter. Weird, weird, weird. And Boring.

SEND Snow Please!
 

dhiller123

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A bit off topic - how many miles on your machine? Any hemi tick sounds? We've pretty well established hemi valve lifters are sensitive to idle time, due to insufficient lubrication (hemi lifter and cam failures). Watch out for this.

I'm formerly from Wisconsin, fyi.
Truck has 142k on it and is just starting to develop the Hemi tick when cold.

I do run 5w20 Pennzoil High Mileage full synthetic, changed at 5k intervals.

Come spring time, I plan to change axle fluids. Having just purchased the truck in June with 128k on it and no knowledge of the previous owners maintenance, I want to get all fresh fluids into it.

Diller
'14 Outdoorsman CC

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Jvahey

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Erie, PA
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2019 5th gen Hemi E touqe 3.92. Highway mileage still at 18.5-19.5. City 12.5 and dropping, With the stock Goodyear Fortitude 18's I'm constatnly in 4wd in the snow. at 17k I replaced tires with Yokohama Geolandar, Huge improvement in traction and no noticeable decrease in mileage.
 

anchorsaweigh

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If I cared about fuel economy I would have bought a Prius...:happy175:
 

Willie Mosher

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EPA has summer an winter
Gas and diesel.
Winter gas an diesel has less (British thermal units). BTU,
Every few years the EPA adjusted of
Relations,
Any way, at the end of day it BTU they
Move any car /truck Down the road
Gasoline ~propane ~ electricity~ Diesel
or firewood.

2nd car heater used almost no extra Energy in a gas or diesel vehicle ,
Please be safe to all us keep your car warm inside an window clean,
 

TheEnder

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Texas is finally seeing snow, and the Ram does not like cold weather.

I average about 16-17mpg quite consistently with a predictable commute, but at half a tank so far its showing me 11-12mpg even though I had compensated with tire pressure for the weather. I have been blasting heat, defrost, heated steering wheel, heated seats, etc.

The little turbo 1.4L Fiat we have though is still averaging ~32mpg, same as always, and feels peppier in the cold weather once warmed up.

My 2013 RAM 4.7L manages 22-24MPG ever since i did the clutch fan delete.

My RAM loves the cold weather, she seems much faster.


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Steam Hogger

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EcoDiesel
2016 1500 with EcoDiesel 3.92s on 33" all terrains.

Summer time with out hardly any warm up. I get 27 mpgs easily. So long as I keep my speeds under 65. 28.5 with a stiff tailwind.

This time a year. With winter blend, cold morning warm-ups, & my commute is much shorter. I'm lucky to see 23-24.

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Dusty

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Rochester, New York
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My 2013 RAM 4.7L manages 22-24MPG ever since i did the clutch fan delete.

My RAM loves the cold weather, she seems much faster.


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I had the 4.7 in my '03 Dakota and absolutely loved that motor. Quiet, smooth, and very responsive. At 140K it still ran strong and never used any oil.

Unfortunately, gas mileage wasn't its strongest suit.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045404 miles.
 
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Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith

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Well as an update, I'm finishing the tank right at 15mpg after paying more attention to "chill" with throttle, but then again it warmed up quickly here. Who knows, maybe ice cold feet stomp harder and are too distracted by the cold to notice differences in driving behavior. ;)
 

Brett Knudson

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Rosemount, MN
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Hemi
Totally unscientific, but I have been spending the winter in AZ. I've been getting between 18-20 MPG with 2019 1500 5.7 3.92. After filling up my range is around 550-640 miles (33-gallon tank). That's higher than I got back in MN in the summertime, which was 15-17 MPG. I've put 89 in when it's available but have used 87 or 88 when I can't find it. I'm trying to figure out if AZ fuel is formulated differently or if driving at 2000 to 3500 ft above sea level helps. I even use a Petal-Max and love hitting the throttle! What do think it is?
 

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