Don’t Get Left Out in the Cold: Know How Long Your Engine Heat will Last

Seeing your Fuel Gauge Like a Timer

How long will your vehicle keep you warm before it runs out of gas? In Alberta winter weather conditions when driving around Calgary, or on getaway trips into the mountains, becoming stranded can quickly turn into a dire emergency if you don’t have heated shelter while awaiting help.

In times of harsh weather conditions and areas of poor cell reception, knowing how long your engine heat will last can give you some stress relief. Here’s a little math to figure turn your fuel gauge into a timer. All you need is an internet search, a calculator, and a place to record your numbers.

Engine Capacity

First look up your engine displacement. For example, a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan has a 3.6 L engine.

Now multiply that by 0.6, which will tell you many litres of gas your vehicle needs to keep you warm for one hour. So in my example, when you multiply a 3.6 L engine x 0.6, that tells me that my van uses 2.16 L of gas to idle for 1 hour.

Fuel Tank Capacity

Next, look up your fuel tank size, and divide it by the amount of gas used hourly, and you will know how long a full tank of gas would last you.

Since my van has a 75.7 L tank, when I plug that into the equation (75.7 ÷ 2.16), that tells me that a full tank in my van will last approximately 35 hours, and 1/2 tank of gas about 17.5 hrs, and 1/4 just over 8.5hrs, etc.

Different vehicles will differ in their results. If you drive a sports car, you may have a smaller tank, and a bigger engine, which means that your engine heat will have a shorter duration. Alternately, if your vehicle has a smaller engine and larger gas tank, it will keep you warm for longer.

An Ounce of Prevention

Hopefully this gives you a little peace of mind while driving this winter, but in the end, a full tank of gas, a well-charged battery, winter survival gear and an emergency kit are a must for winter driving conditions.