What Causes a Sudden Increase in Fuel Consumption in Winter?
1 Answers
The reasons for a sudden increase in fuel consumption in winter are as follows: Longer warm-up time compared to summer: Many car owners have the good habit of warming up their cars in the morning. In most regions of China, drivers can shift into first gear and start driving after about half a minute of idling. However, in colder northern areas, it is necessary to appropriately extend the warm-up time. Proper warm-up is beneficial for maintaining the vehicle's condition. If the warm-up time is excessively long each time, it can lead to incomplete combustion of gasoline, resulting in increased carbon deposits inside the engine and higher fuel consumption. Decreased thermal efficiency: Due to the higher viscosity of engine oil in winter and the lower temperature of the engine block, fuel atomization is poor. A significant portion of the fuel is expelled without being fully burned, failing to convert into effective work. To maintain the original output power, the engine must increase fuel injection. Using the heater increases fuel consumption: In theory, the heater does not activate the air conditioning compressor; it only directs the heat from the engine's radiator into the cabin to warm it up. On the surface, it seems that the heat is generated regardless of whether it is used, so it should not consume extra fuel. In reality, the heat from the engine radiator can indeed warm the cabin. However, if the heat is insufficient to reach the set temperature, the engine must work harder to produce more thermal energy to meet the cabin's temperature requirements, leading to additional fuel consumption.
