13 Ways to Save Fuel: Tips for Newbies
Contents:
• The ever-increasing cost of fuel has brought some motorists not only to white heat, but also to a healthy lifestyle. The car is in the garage or in the parking lot, and its owner walks or rides a bicycle to work.
However, if this way of life categorically does not suit you, but you need to go, we suggest using practical fuel saving tips. They are very short and simple, but they will help you save as much gasoline or diesel fuel as possible.
• If you are an experienced driver, then you probably already know most of these tips, or you can even share new ones. But for novice drivers, they are especially useful.
13. Less fuel = more fuel
If you often drive around the city with its eternal traffic jams, fill only half the tank. Less weight will help save fuel.
12. Plan your itinerary in advance
Consider taking one round trip rather than several short trips. Once your car's engine has warmed up, it will run at peak efficiency while multiple cold starts increase fuel consumption, although the total mileage may be the same. Try using one of the many route planners (for example, on Yandex.Maps) to help you plan your trip in a more economical way.
11. Don't forget maintenance
• Due to some vehicle malfunctions, the consumption of gasoline or diesel can greatly increase. These issues include:
- Clogged air or oil filter.
- Faulty spark plugs.
- Timing belt stretch.
- Faulty idle sensors.
- Flickering lambda probe.
• In addition, automakers recommend wheel alignment and wheel balancing once a year. Due to increased and / or uneven tire wear, the car starts to eat fuel "as if in itself."
10. Energy saving rubber
• Energy-saving or simply "eco" rubber has the right to be called products that meet several conditions:
- Minimal rolling resistance resulting in reduced emissions
- High wear resistance so that the environment is less polluted by rubber microparticles.
- The parts from which “eco” tires are made, their production itself, as well as processing and disposal, must be environmentally friendly.
• And fuel economy is not just beautiful assurances from automakers. According to the test results of the magazine "Behind the Rulem", Continental EcoContact 6 tires can save the driver up to 8% of fuel compared to a conventional average tire.
• Energy-saving tires also have disadvantages: they are expensive, stiff and because of this they are prone to hydroplaning and long braking on wet pavement.
• Experts recommend maintaining the correct tire pressure to reduce fuel consumption. But at the same time, it is important not to pump over the tires, otherwise their central part will wear out more and the car will sensitively (for the fifth point of the driver) overcome road bumps.
9. Quality fuel without additives
• It is not known how a variety of additives (they mainly serve to clean the nozzles and engine valves) will affect the condition of your “swallow”.
• There are permitted and prohibited additives, the former being methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and monomethylaniline (MMA). The second is tetraethyl lead, which increases the toxicity of exhaust gases, manganese-based additives that accelerate engine wear and ferrocene, which leaves a reddish conductive coating on spark plugs, which leads to breakdown of the insulator of these parts. And you are unlikely to know exactly what kind of additive is contained in the gasoline that was poured into your car.
• It is also possible that the filters and hoses of the fuel system are clogged with crystallized particles of additives.
• Therefore, if possible, fill the car with only fuel without additives, which matches the octane number of the engine.
8. Quality engine oil
• The powertrain of your car is made up of many parts. And each of them is subjected to high loads. And motor oil allows the engine to avoid accelerated wear by lubricating and cooling all rotating and rubbing parts.
• For uneconomical mineral oils, experts advise to immediately wave the pen, and use semi-synthetic and synthetic oils with reduced viscosity. Ideally, this will reduce gasoline consumption by 5-10%.
7. Cruise control is both good and bad
Cruise control is an automatic speed control system designed for safety and maximum fuel efficiency. Can such a system lead to excessive consumption of gasoline? Actually, yes, if you use it all the time. Cruise control helps save fuel when driving on level roads, so it's usually good for motorway driving.
• One of the keys to saving fuel is driving at a constant speed. Therefore, cruise control can work effectively on flat surfaces, making your driving as economical as possible by removing unnecessary acceleration.
• However, if you use cruise control on a bumpy, rough road, you will run into problems where gasoline "leaks like water." This is because the cruise control will respond more slowly to changes in terrain.
6. Down with excess cargo
A car is like your body: it requires more fuel to move more weight. Do not leave unnecessary items in the trunk, as they add weight to your "swallow", which affects fuel economy.
The average every 50 kg will increase fuel consumption by 2%. This is based on the percentage of overweight relative to the vehicle's weight, so overweight affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
5. Influence of aerodynamics
Even minor vehicle modifications, such as door vents, can degrade aerodynamics. And the deterioration of aerodynamics, in turn, leads to an increase in fuel consumption (on average, by 1 l / 100 km).
• To ensure the flow of fresh air into the cabin and not worsen aerodynamic resistance, I recommend turning on air recirculation and not opening windows. This will not save you from extreme heat, but it will reduce fuel consumption compared to a running air conditioner.
4. When those who are blown win
You can endlessly look at three things: how fire burns, how water flows, and how those who are hot and who are blowing argue. Here are the supporters of fuel economy on the side of those who are blowing. Do not use the air conditioner if you can only open the window, as it uses engine power and therefore increases fuel consumption.
• However, at 80 km/h, using the air conditioner is better for your car than opening the windows.
3. Keep the air filter clean
most popular crossovers in the world, check the condition of the air filter regularly.
A clogged air filter increases fuel consumption by an average of 10%. It needs to be changed once a year. No need to try to wash it, after such manipulations the filter becomes clogged even faster and stronger.
2. Economic driving style
• According to experts, the optimal speed for fuel economy is 90-110 km/h on the highway. The harder you press the gas, the higher the fuel consumption.
• In addition, the following factors negatively affect the readings of the flowmeter:
- Long warm up of the engine. A couple of minutes of idling is enough.
- A sharp start from a place.
- Driving in low gears, which leads to an increase in engine speed.
1. Electronics
• The operation of the air conditioner and DVR, heated seats, recharging a smartphone are features without which many car owners cannot imagine their trip, and all of them affect the increase in fuel consumption.
• In addition, during daylight hours it is better not to turn on the headlights, but to limit yourself to foglights or daytime running lights. The operation of the headlights "eats" 0,5 l / 100 km of fuel.
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