Can someone confirm a vehicle uses more fuel in wet and windy weather than in dry calm, conditions.?

Question

please someone settle this argument, I stated that I use more fuel when driving the same route and the same speeds, when it's wet and windy than in dry and calm conditions... it all being down to wind resistance (drag) and that the engine had to work harder to reach the speed I asked from it. I was told I didnt know what I was talking about. I argued that if I had the wind behind me all the way I wouldn't use as much .. a little like uphill and downhill.. I was in fact laughed at ..he apparently had studied for 4 years and stated a vehicle uses more fuel on a hot dry day with no wind ..according to him something to do with traction .. which hadn't anything to do with my initial statement. Come on you people in the know lay this one to rest please. Apologies to Antonio If I'm totally wrong ..I am but a mere woman.

Answer 1

Cutting through the wind takes effort. More wind, would equal more effort. More effort would take more fuel to do. Plus, driving through water on the road adds effort, at the same time that the water hitting the car or truck reduces the efficiency of the vehicle's aerodynamics, making a higher air drag.

Tell the person who argued with you about this, to put down his Starbucks coffee, and get away from you.

Answer 2

the answer my friend ,is blowing in the wind ,the answer is blowing in the wind

Answer 3

The answer is yes,at least for this year.  I drive a big truck, run on diesel, and my MPG has gone down .5 mpg since it got cold and wet. There is no other reason for the drop in my MPG.  I suspect that the difference may be the quality of the fuel, rather than the "winter" conditions I have been driving in but have no proof. If all other conditions are equal, if it is dry, with no wind, on the same route, then of course you will get better mileage than if you have a head wind and  wet pavement.  He is full of c**p  to tell you that your mileage will drop on a dry, windless day. As a Truck Driver, I pray for dry, windless days!  I wonder if him and AL Gore went to the same school? Who cares if you are a "mere woman"...You are right and he is full of Bull-$*** !  Antonio is the stupid one here!

Answer 4

Yep, it certainly does.  I used to drive lorries and the difference in mpg on a bad day was staggering, so presumably, it must also affect other vehicles but to a lesser degree.

Answer 5

basic physics - 'work'

the energy you use is the wight x distance moved shared by friction/resistance/force acteing against

if i walked the same stairs every day with the same bag of books i'd do the same work. if one one day though, someone was pushing against my shoulders while i tried to get upstairs, i'd burn more enrgy.

replace me with car. bag of books with load. energy = fuel. resistance = wind

therefre more energy used. The other person is right in saying that the more traction there is the more petrol is used, but in same manner - car is having to work harder. if your car is working harder to create effect than normal, you will use more energy.

though I m NOT an engineer - best to look up 'ork' and 'physics' and apply to your car...

good luck - hope this helps

Answer 6

Wind can work for of against you gas mileage wise, rain will lower your mileage as it takes energy to drive through water, even if the layer of water on the road is minuscule.

Answer 7

hi, i'm a vehicle mechanic/technician. i've also been a taxi driver for the last 10yrs. Alot of the answers are close, one thing that hasnt been mentioned and definately plays a part - in wet/windy conditions you will use the heater/wipers/heated screen/lights more than usual, these in turn place a load on the altenator which runs off the engine. increasing the load on the engine = worse mpg. modern cars altenators have a 'clutch' system and sensors in the altenator allowing it run on half-load when there is little demand and vice-versa. as far as ambient (outside) temperature is concerned, again modern cars have temperature and/or airflow sensors that measure the rate and/or 'density' of the air coming into the engine throughout the rev range. these sensors adjust the engines fuelling many thousands of times per second keeping optimum mpg and emissions at all times (they also help your car start and run on a freezing cold morning). Tyres and inflation does also play a part however the type of tyres also counts. some are designed to grip excellent in the dry or wet = less mpg and others that do not grip so good usually last alot longer (and are generally noisier) as the rubber compound is different. hope this helps in your quest for motoring perfection....

Answer 8

Different conditions have different effects. Wind resistance will reduce efficiency, along with opening windows, carrying unnecessary cargo, using the air conditioning etc.

A tail wind may give you some assistance at 30,000 feet, but I can't see how a gentle breeze will help push a 3 ton car up a hill at 60mph, though the effects of a head on wind will increase consumption, as the resistance effect is higher.

Answer 9

That is so,  most of the time.

Wind from the side and quarters can cause the most penalty in fuel economy,  the aerodynamics of the car at higher speeds is not designed for that.    Wind from the front  causes a penalty,  but usually not as much as crosswinds.   Wind from the rear can increase fuel mileage.

Wet weather also causes a fuel penalty,  as the water vapor in the air makes it heavier.  

This said,  you will not recognize any real difference except on longer trips at higher speeds.  This is because driving habits around town are the most costly for economy,   and because aerodynamics on vehicles really make no real difference until you exceed 55-60 mph.

Answer 10

You will use more fuel if the conditions are wet and there are winds. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Increase Resistance and you have to overcome it. That is where the fuel comes in.

Answer 11

If you are driving into the wind, you consume more fuel. If you are driving through heavy rain and there is a lot of water on the highway, you consume more fuel. Some cars run better in the rain because the moisture in the air helps cool the intake air and helps the fuel burn more efficiently, but the increase in drag from the rain and standing water negates this increase to some degree. I seriously doubt there has been any definitive study done on fuel economy based on the weather, but the fact is, driving into a headwind is the most substantial enemy of fuel economy, and driving the same direction as a strong wind will help fuel economy. Crosswinds tend to reduce fuel economy because the vehicle needs to be steered into the wind a bit to stay on the road, which increases drag. Overall, the people who are laughing at you don't know what they are talking about, they just feel smarter laughing at a girl. s***w'em. I say you're right, but it's not really provable because conditions change all the time. You couldn't do an accurate study on it. And there's nothing mere about being a woman. Ask a man to give birth to a baby and procreation among humans would stop.

Answer 12

the only time you use more fuel in very still dry weather is!

when you are sailing a boat with sails, no wind, NO GO. so you have to now to use the boat engine.

AND SORRY TO SAY YOUR MATE IS FULL OF WIND, SO HIS BLOODY BOAT WILL FLOAT IN ALL WEATHERS DRY OR WET, BECAUSE OF THE WIND HE PRODUCES.

Answer 13

As long as you have solid traction, traction is irrelevant. I suppose you could have better mileage on a hot day then a cold day because the air is thinner on a hot day, thus creating less drag. However the problem to this argument is that colder gasoline is denser, thus containing more energy per gallon than hotter gasoline, negating the hot/cold air effect. I would say the energy gained from a cooler gallon of gasoline more than offsets the thicker air on a cooler day. So in conclusion, mileage is probably better when it is cold. As far as the resistance goes, the drag from a wet road and water hitting the car would definitely have a negative impact on mileage, and if their is a head, or cross-wind that would hurt your mileage as well, but a tail wind would improve it. Hope this helps!

Answer 14

Woah!  If it is wet and windy, is it also cold?  In cold weather, you have denser air entering the engine, so you can get better combustion and a little more power.  Which direction is the wind blowing in?  Straight at the car?  Or behind it, helping it a little. What you cannot factor in is that even though you aredriving the same route, traffic conditions will NEVER be the same, exactly.  You may be held up and drive slower, by longer traffic lines at junctions, and be sat wasting fuel.  One day you may drive a little faster, one day a little slower,  you may go straight through all the traffic lights, on a lucky streak.  These factors will make the most profound difference to your fuel economy.

Answer 15

Obviously you use more fuel when it is windy as the wind resistance is greater. Also cars are less efficient when it is cold as the oil is thicker. Therefore one would tend to use less fuel on a hot day as the engine is already at (almost) working temperature before you even start it up. Traction would play as very small pert in the equation as for example, you use more fuel when your tyres are a bit flat - but I do not believe that there would be a measurable difference between a wet or dry day.