Diesel consumption

Are you using your headlights, demister, etc. any more during this cold winter weather than you were before?

Cold weather causing the car to take longer warming up? Also use of the heater and headlamps will cause fuel consumption to increase.

sponix

As well as the advice given, check tyre pressures.

Maybe winter diesel fuel additive- anti waxing agent. The trusty Xantia drops about 10% in winter. 48 to 44 mpg. Plus cold starts, strong head winds, heavy loads on electrical systems. DaveK.

Thanks for the responses, the factors mentioned are just the same as previously (even the wife's over-use of the heated seat!). I generally keep the read-out on average consumption per journey and monitor it on my trips to and from work (anorak or what!). The consumption is up immediately and doesn't level out to that previously. I can only think its increaded rolling friction or the use of the long-life oil which has a reduced viscosity 0-40 compared to that used previously. I presume the standard service would not alter engine management or fuel flow in any way? The Fabia is the standard 1.9 turbo diesel and is just three years old. Previously the consumption had been the same for some time, now its worse.

davek ( snipped-for-privacy@brentmere53.fsnet.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

You might find the new tyres are slightly larger than the old ones & hence the guage is confused as it measures revolutions not distance.

I'm an anorak as well - have recorded all fuel purchased for a few years now

And I can happily report that since records began, as they say, winter consumption -its 8 - 10% higher than summer

Last week the outside temperatures plummeted - and my consumption went up about 10% at the same time. - i.e. quite suddenly, from one week to the next, between fillups

MB when the temperatures do go down - so do my tyre pressures, by 2 - 3 psi. measure cold - of course cold now (0 - 3 deg (is not the same as cold in, say, the middle of summer temp of around 20 - 25deg)

T'is warmer today but increased consumption remains. Interesting point about tyre diameter. just how does the odometer measure distance? Is it somehow based around a set tyre diameter and a lower-profile (reduced dia) tyre would give a different result. I've not compared diameters yet between old and new.

It counts the nuber of revolutions of the final drive in the gear box

Yes

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