All cars use more fuel in colder weather. Engine takes longer to warm up, diesels take ages to warm up when it's below 0c

More electrics on, more load on alternator which is driven by the engine, so more fuel needed to drive the alternator. It appears worse with a diesel, as any percentage reduction looks high as a diesel gives excellent MPG in decent weather.

Example 10% reduction in MPG

Petrol car that normally returns 30 MPG will return 27 MPG

Diesel car that normally returns 55 MPG will return 49.5 MPG

Im also down about 5 mpg, travelling London to Sheffield last night I averaged (according to computer) 45mpg - I am definately blaming the weather it was -5 degrees outside. I also saw an interview on the news with a highways agency guy and he commented on the extreme cold weather affecting diesel.

John

Also changing the subject ever so slightly :wonder:

Does anyone elses Fabia take absolutely take ages to warm up, whatever the weather (worse i know in cold weather)?

I have had the car from new three Years now, but the temp guage does not move for about 5 miles, and during this time of the Year it takes about 10 Miles before it gets to normal operating temp.

Because of this, the heater inside the car does not blow the slightest bit of warm air until about 6 miles / 10 Minutes!!!

Is this quite normal for a eastern bloc car which is i guess in reality is made for a very cold weather market.

No other car i have owned (6) have ever had slow warming heaters.

For example my old petrol Fiesta starts blowing warm air within 3 Minutes / 1 Mile of starting it, and is at operating temp within 10 Minutes.

Just seems strange thats all :|

Also changing the subject ever so slightly :wonder:

Does anyone elses Fabia take absolutely take ages to warm up, whatever the weather (worse i know in cold weather)?

I have had the car from new three Years now, but the temp guage does not move for about 5 miles, and during this time of the Year it takes about 10 Miles before it gets to normal operating temp.

Because of this, the heater inside the car does not blow the slightest bit of warm air until about 6 miles / 10 Minutes!!!

Is this quite normal for a eastern bloc car which is i guess in reality is made for a very cold weather market.

No other car i have owned (6) have ever had slow warming heaters.

For example my old petrol Fiesta starts blowing warm air within 3 Minutes / 1 Mile of starting it, and is at operating temp within 10 Minutes.

Just seems strange thats all :|

Normal, mines the very same. Warms up a bit quicker if I go onto the motorway one mile from my house, but if it's B road driving it takes 10 miles to get to normal temp.

It's the cast iron engine block - it ain't very thermally efficient, which is why leaving the car running for 10 mins in the morning hoping it'll warm up is just wasting valuable fuel! My economy is well down in this weather too - fuel light came on last night at 320 miles - I normally get 400 from an unvented tank. I've vented that fu*ker to the maximum now though. At colder temperatures I believe diesel turns from liquid to gel so it's harder to combust - it's why a lot of truckers mix a bit of petrol in with the diesel in the cold weather - stops it from happening as much apparently.

I wonder if it's worth adding a Diesel additive to the tank,

Looking at other countrys especially Canada, they add a anti-gelling product to thier tank of fuel.

Apparently Diesel waxes up in cold weather, which causes poor consumption & difficult starting etc.

http://www.filtercouncil.org/techdata/tsbs/91-1R3.pdf

http://www.kamco.co.uk/diesel.htm

http://www.powerservice.com/dfs/