I know mpg gets worse in winter because of the blend of gas and cold weather. I have a supercab 4x4 3.7 V6 with 3.73 gearing. In october I was getting 16 mpg city and 24 mpg hwy. Now I'm getting 10 mpg city. But my commute has changed to a 4 min drive each way to and from work. Before I was driving 20+ mins each trip. I let it warm up in the morning for about 3 to 5 mins while I scrape the windows.

This is my first truck so I'm not sure if my mpg is normal. I've gone from getting 950 kms per tank of gas to 720. If I use the engine block heater and connect it to a timer so it warms the engine 2 hours before I leave, will this improve my mileage?

 

I think the winter blend is worse for gas mileage... mine definitely drops vs. summer, with the same commute.

I'd be willing to bet that the bulk of your difference is your commute though. Probably all city now vs. some cruising before?

I'd have to think that using the block heater would reduce the need for extended idling... this sure seems like it would save gas.

I can't say about the mileage... but i'd sure think you'd get better mileage than I do ('10 5.4L)... I drive about 2.5 miles each way to work and am getting about 13.6 right now. We've probably switched over to the winter blend by now (in VT), but temps haven't been very cold yet.

10mpg seems pretty low, however. Is that hand-calculated? I imagine averaging a bunch of 0's (while you're idling) in with your normal mileage on the computer could cause this, but you're reporting quite a drop in km/tank as well. However the simple ratio of the ranges would suggest that even 10mpg is low. I guess at first pass I'd be thinking slightly better than 12mpg based on the range you report per tank...?

Good luck,
-Matt

 

Either with the computer or by hand after a fillup... there are still a bunch of zeroes in the average.... Idling affect gas mileage, period.

I normally get about 10mpg with my 09 5.4L when doing all city driving in the winter going 5 miles each way to work. In the summer it will be 16-17...

 

20% or more loss of mpg is not unheard of. Its winter blend gas plus longer for warm up.... NO need to let your truck idle 3-5 minutes - just burns gas....

 

Any stations in your area that sell 100% gas???

 

Thanks for the replies. Yes we have %100 gas here but it is 94 octane. No 87. Before my commute did involve some cruising. Now I don't hit higher than 40 km/h. I don't even leave my neighborhood as I work in construction and my site is just a few blocks away. Engine is still cold when I get to work which is why I let it idle for 3 to 5 mins. But even with these driving conditions I feel I should be getting better mileage. Talked to my coworker today. He has a 2011 ram 3500 lifted on 35x12.5 tires. He has the same commute as me. He is getting 14 mpg.

Even with my bad mpg my tank still lasts me 5 weeks so I'm not really complaining, just wondering if this is normal. If not I'll have to take it in to the dealer.

 

Here in Alaska, we don't do those ethonol blends. I got 24 mpg at 65mph on cruise control this am to work (40 miles). I have an 11 F150 with 5.0L only 500 miles on it, so I am hoping the mileage will get better later down the road.

 

We're using our craptastic, legislated and subsidized ethanol winter blend here in Minnesota. My mpgs dropped but so too did my idling time since I never shut off my truck today.

 

I calculated it by hand today and turns out I am getting around 13 mpg. I think my display gives me such a bad reading because I spend more time idling on my driveway than on the road.

But then why does my coworker with his ram 3500 on 35's and a 4 inch lift getting better mpg? His commute is even shorter than mine.

 

Other (though not all inclusive) factors that contribute to a decrease in winter MPG ...

• more time spent in warm-up loop after start-up.
• takes longer for the dif' fluid to get to operating temperature.
• increased rolling resistance until the tires get up to operating temperature.
• in general ... increased rolling resistance. i.e U-joints (driveshaft, axle), transfer case, etc., etc., etc..
• (probably) more weight due to the traction ballast that's carried in the bed.
  etc., etc., etc..