Does starting and stopping the engine use a lot more fuel????

[roperteacher]

Just curious... I drive my truck back and forth to work daily. 15 miles each way. Very little freeway, mostly stop light town driving. A 15 minute drive no matter what route I take. Just for curiosity, I drove with a full tank the other day exactly 60 miles. Filled back up..... 3. 1 Gallons. Hand calculated 19. 35MPG. Then I drove for 220 miles, same route, same driving habits, etc. and it took 12 gallons= 18. 33 MPG. Why would it drop? THe only thing I can think of is I had made a lot more "Stops" where I turned the truck off etc. Grocery store, mail, other stops etc. When I drive down the freeway, my truck will go 90-95 miles before it starts to leave the peg on the fuel guage. Going back and forth to work, leaves the peg around 70-80 miles. Just curious. I think my mileasge is doing quite well and I am not interested in the flash yet. THanks!

 

[swexlin]

15 miles each way. Very little freeway, mostly stop light town driving. A 15 minute drive no matter what route I take.

You're doing much better than me. Takes me 20-25 minutes to do an 11 mile commute - hence, my 12 miles per gallon. As to starting and stopping, it would seem that it would use more fuel?

 

[Boonieman]

I wonder if the outside temperature changed? I have noticed my milage drops in colder weather and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the extra initial load from the grid heaters, the drive train being "stiffer" in colder weather, or maybe the winter fuel mix... . or just a combination of things. I do log all my fuel use, but I don't track the air temperature. Maybe I'll do that too just for the heck of it.

 

[NIsaacs]

It's not the engine stopping and starting so much as it is the truck it'self stopping and starting. It takes more fuel to go from stop to cruise speed, (no mater what the speed is), than it takes to maintain that speed.





"NICK"

 

[BSkinner]

A small sample, i. e. 60 miles and 3. 1 gallons, perhaps? If you would have put in 3. 2 gallons, the milage would have dropped to 18. 75. 3. 3 gallons would net 18. 18. Considering that folks have been able to fit in an additional 3+ gallons after "click off", milage figures could be all over the place unless the fuel level in the tank when done filling was at the exact place on every fill.



Bob

 

[time1]

A small sample, i. e. 60 miles and 3. 1 gallons, perhaps? If you would have put in 3. 2 gallons, the milage would have dropped to 18. 75. 3. 3 gallons would net 18. 18. Considering that folks have been able to fit in an additional 3+ gallons after "click off", milage figures could be all over the place unless the fuel level in the tank when done filling was at the exact place on every fill.



Bob

I had a 2002 Dodge that had the instant fuel mileage feature in the trip computer and it was painful to watch the mileage no matter how carefully you accelerated. The mileage was in the 2 to 6 mpg range until you reached cruse speed. A small sample will give you unreliable data.

Also, it seems that I am able to add an about additional 6 gal. of fuel after the pump shuts off the first time. This is based 970 miles and three fill-ups. I fill untill the liquid level (not the foam level) is just below the return port in the filler neck. I am averaging 16. 8 mpg had calculated.

 

[bmoeller]

A small sample, i. e. 60 miles and 3. 1 gallons, perhaps? If you would have put in 3. 2 gallons, the milage would have dropped to 18. 75. 3. 3 gallons would net 18. 18. Considering that folks have been able to fit in an additional 3+ gallons after "click off", milage figures could be all over the place unless the fuel level in the tank when done filling was at the exact place on every fill.



Bob

This is why I haven't kept track of my mileage since I put the flatbed on. Need to make it easier to fill up. No consistantcy.

 

[lcrawford]

I drive my truck as a appliance service truck on week days about 10 calls a day and to tow my jeeps on the weekend avg 17mpg and I have seen as high as 18. 5 and as low as 13. 5 towing my sons mud truck

 

[roperteacher]

Thanks! I bet you are all correct! The weight of the truck taking off and stopping uses more! THanks!!