The Weather is HOT and the MPGs are UP!

[Pacquiao]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Its been nearly or over 100 degrees the past few weeks here. At night its not getting much below 80. My cool engine lights is going out after driving two blocks in the morning on the way to work. In winter it takes a mile or more to go out. Im getting 70-75 miles before the first gas tank segment goes out. In cooler weather it might only be 60-65 miles.

I bought a block heater and plan to use it this winter in an attempt to improve mileage. I imagine others have tried this and I wonder what results you got? How long do you tuen it on for? There must be a point at which the engine doesnt get any warmer so leaving it on all night would waste $. Last winter my mileage was down to 28 at times.

My first bar disappears after around 110 miles...

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Pacquiao

My first bar disappears after around 110 miles...

If the first segment goes at 75 miles Im getting 40 mpg or thereabouts.

Anything like 60 miles and its probably around 30-32.

I know its not linear but thats how it is in my car.

[Kal-El]

Using electricity (block heater) all night to save pennies on gas the next morning probably isn't a sound investment. Never mind the cost of the block heater itself. It's just money lost.

Like driving 5 miles to a gas station that is .03 cents cheaper per gallon than the one close by.

[bronsin]

Heres my figgers:

If the mileage goes from 28 to 34 with the heater thats a savings of $2 (half gallon) per 100 miles. So in 5000 miles thats a $1000 savings.

Block heater is $80.

Is that right?

No its 50 x $2 which is $100.

Pays for itself in a year.

Electricty is 12 cents kwhr x 1 = 12 cents per day to heat. .12 x 180 days = ~$20? per year for electric.

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Heres my figgers:

If the mileage goes from 28 to 34 with the heater thats a savings of $2 (half gallon) per 100 miles. So in 5000 miles thats a $1000 savings.

Block heater is $80.

Is that right?

You're missing the cost of electricity. So you save $2 per 9 days or $0.22 per day. Block heater is probably 1,000watts (1kWh) so if you leave it on all night for 6 hours that is 6kWh. Around here, electricity is about $0.13/kWh so it will cost you $0.78 per day. Even if you have Time-of-Use rates (cheaper at night) that will probably be $0.06/kWH or $0.36 per day. So, as others have said, you won't save any money really...