How to reduce fuel consumption

Vital Shpakouski

Philologist with higher education, professional translator, former volunteer and teacher, entrepreneur, and salesperson with 13 years of experience. Now I’m a copywriter in Internet marketing, writing about everything that helps businesses grow and develop. In my free time, I create music and songs that no one hears and take photos and videos that no one sees.

A car is not a cheap pleasure. The biggest expense item is refueling the “iron horse” with fuel, so many motorists are wondering “How to reduce fuel consumption?”. To answer it, you need to know what affects this indicator.

Even if you go to a hiring salon and use a car rental, of course, they will give you a fueled car, but then you will bear all the costs yourself. Of course, you can fly to the UAE, where gasoline costs less than a dollar per liter, and use the services of local rental companies like https://evolve.ae/ and others, where you can hire some supercar (Ferrari, Lamba, etc.), but the fuel consumption of such hired cars will be higher than usual.

Reasons for high fuel consumption

Factors can be divided into two large groups. The first relates to the features of the vehicle itself, and often they lie in the malfunctions of any parts, assemblies, or mechanisms. The second group is defined by the “human factor”: the driver can make certain mistakes or deliberately subject the car to high loads and operate it in difficult conditions.

Technical malfunctions leading to increased fuel consumption:

• Depreciation of the engine or its parts and elements. Occurs as a result of high mileage or due to improper operation of the vehicle;
• Worn clutch disc. When the car starts, fuel consumption increases. If the disk is defective, gasoline is burned, and the car does not budge. The more often this happens, the more fuel is consumed;
• Malfunctions in the ignition system. When the engine is running poorly, gasoline from the faulty cylinder leaks into the exhaust system. In addition to the fact that its amount increases, there is a risk of rapid wear of the catalyst. If the ignition is set incorrectly, then the fuel does not burn out completely, since a spark appears even before gasoline enters the cylinder;
• Low tire pressure or camber detection.

Increased fuel consumption also occurs as a result of driver errors:

• Sharp acceleration. Driving a car is associated with the production and consumption of a large amount of energy. The sharper the “push”, the more energy is needed and the more fuel is needed;
• Poor quality fuel. Bad fuel burns worse and gives insufficient energy, therefore it is burned in large volumes;
• Permanent operation of the air conditioner, and heating system (including heating of windows, mirrors, and seats). For the operation of these devices, additional energy costs are required, which, in turn, require more fuel.

How to reduce fuel consumption

Knowing what affects fuel consumption, you can apply ways to reduce it. The simplest thing is to change your driving style: to accelerate and brake sharply less often. The best option is to move smoothly at a constant speed. No need to break right in front of a traffic light or a pedestrian crossing, it is better to smoothly roll up to them. The lowest consumption of gasoline is observed when driving in top gear at an average speed of 60-70 km/h.

When driving on a highway or highway, follow the truck and maintain a distance of 2-5 meters. Your car will have little to no air resistance, so it will need less power. In addition, you will adjust to the smooth speed of a large car, and you will not have to accelerate and brake hard. This method should be used with caution. It is more suitable for experienced drivers, as it is impossible to see the whole road because of the truck, and it can also suddenly stop. When driving between trucks, there is an increased risk of being overtaken by other vehicles, as they may not see you.

Always keep an eye on the technical condition of the car. By saving on service checks and maintenance, you risk spending money on gas stations. Check the candles for carbon deposits and change them in a timely manner, do not neglect the alignment adjustment – this will reduce fuel consumption by almost 60 liters per year. Keep fuel and air filters clean at all times and tire pressure correct (a pressure drop of just 1⁄2 atmosphere will result in overconsumption of 6 liters of fuel per year).

When choosing motor oil, give preference to semi-synthetic and synthetic formulations that have a low viscosity. These fluids reduce friction between moving engine parts, which can reduce fuel consumption by up to 80 liters per year. Today, the market offers special “energy-saving” oils that have a synthetic base and a set of additives. Such oils provide economical fuel consumption and are suitable for use in the cold season. But it is important to make sure that this type of oil is suitable for your engine according to the requirements of the automaker.

Close windows while driving. At high speed, they “work” like a parachute and reduce aerodynamics. It is better to turn on the air conditioner: fuel consumption will decrease because the car will not need additional energy to overcome air resistance.

You can save fuel by getting rid of everything superfluous. The heavier the car, the harder it is to drive and the more energy (read – fuel) it needs, so removes everything from the trunk that is not needed on this particular trip, and remove spoilers and air intakes in winter.