Diesel On Winter Season

[nyko46]

I noticed that during the summer season my 2008 E320 Bluetec makes much more MPG than during the winter season.
I drive the same roads, same traffic, same driving style and the same gas station.
Is this change in efficiency normal for Diesels ?
Thanks

[Sugar Bear]

I believe the change is normaly as the winter blend fuel is formulated differently to prevent fuel gelling.

[barry12345]

Seems fairly common to me. Difference seems to hinge on engine design factors involved as a small component.

Also winter grade fuel does not help the situation if used in your area. I have noticed up here in eastern Canada my millage has dropped off reciently. The diesel fuel producers no longer use a fixed amount of anti gelling agents.. Instead altering it as various parts of the winter season evolve. About now the seasonal additive will be at about the maximum.

If this system is used in your area. You never want to purchase fuel in the winter from low volume suppliers. It may have too little or too much additive component .For the temperatures prevailing at the time.

I do not think the issue is as bad as it was years ago. Where for the total winter season. The fuel was equally diluted. Kerrosene was favored but is expensive now. Our Volkswagon 1.6 liter diesel engines seemed to drop about ten miles a gallon all winter.

The newer engines seem to do better on premium diesel. Unfortunatly it is still not sold in America to the best of my knowledge. I was in a hurry one morning to get away on a trip with the wives diesel. Filled with normal diesel. It proved that the premium diesel is cheaper at about eight cents an American gallon more. When we purchased the wives diesel. The volkswagon service manager suggested strongly that we should use the premium fuel. He said it is loaded with detergents and a healthy amount of celane booster. European diesel is superior to our normal diesel fuel. Premium diesel is sold in a lot of countries but harder to get. Locally there are about six vendors of diesel fuel. Only one has the premium fuel.

A visiting American site member was up here for a month or some amount of reasonable time. . He tried the premium diesl and was very impressed. I even use it in my old diesel but never check the millage now. I figure it is worth the differance based only on the detergents that are included. As for the wives car the injectors are probably not rebuildable. I think I saw a price to replace them that was disturbing.

[moon161]

82 300TD, NA. My winter MPG's down by a couple on winter diesel. 25-29 summer, 23-25 winter. No long trips in the winter either. Apple to apple probably 25-27 commuting 23-25 winter.

[dieselbenz1]

https://youtu.be/TjhdUhkberU

Coop sells premium out west

[Felching]

I average 29 in the summer and 22 in winter.

[pawoSD]

My GLK goes down about 1-2mpg in the winter, (~28 city/32-34 hwy) though in winter its also using the aux heater (massive electrical consumption) defrost....heated seats, heated rear glass....idling more....etc, all which likely contribute to most of it.