The cost of purchasing gasoline or diesel fuel is a significant part of the cost of operating a car. Naturally, every car owner would like to reduce them. And one of the real ways to do this without interfering with the design of the car and investing large amounts of money in equipping it with a gas fuel system is to reduce the consumption of standard fuel. This issue is relevant not only for car owners, but also for those who rent a car. How to reduce fuel consumption will be discussed in our article. We hope that advice from NarsCars car rental specialists will help you spend less on gasoline.
The relevance of saving fuel for car owners and in case of renting
The relevance of reducing the consumption of diesel fuel or gasoline for car owners and car rental customers lies, first of all, in the opportunity to save the family budget. After all, prices for liquid hydrocarbons are constantly growing - even in prosperous Europe in 2023 they increased by 10%. Gasoline prices have also increased in Ukraine, and due to the increase in excise taxes, they will become even higher. In such conditions, a car can very quickly turn from a means of transportation into a luxury item. Reducing fuel consumption will help solve this problem.
In addition, lower gasoline consumption by the engine reduces emissions of harmful substances contained in exhaust gases into the atmosphere. And this is extremely important for preserving the environment.
By listening to the advice of our specialists, owners of their own car will be able to extend its service life by reducing the load on the engine and taking timely measures to eliminate technical malfunctions, which are most often the cause of increased fuel consumption.
The impact of the technical condition of the car on fuel consumption
Excessive fuel consumption can be caused by the following technical problems in the car:
- Low tire pressure - in this case, increased gasoline consumption is due to increased frictional resistance. It increases due to a larger contact area with the road. The car requires additional energy to overcome this force, and therefore more fuel. When the pressure decreases by 0.6 bar (from 2.2 to 1.6), the engine consumes 4% more fuel. The increase is small, but such a situation threatens traffic safety, and tire wear increases, and their service life is reduced by 30-40%;
- Thermostat malfunction - this device in the engine cooling system shuts off the supply of coolant to the radiator to warm up the engine before starting in the cold season. To reduce fuel consumption in this case, the thermostat needs to be repaired, because its malfunction can increase gasoline consumption by up to 30%;
- Damage or wear of fuel injectors, which can lead to fuel overflow and overconsumption. Injectors are extremely sensitive to fuel quality, so to prevent their breakdown, refuel only at branded gas stations! In addition, every 10 thousand km of run, you need to clean the injectors from deposits using a special fuel additive;
- Damage to the lambda probe, as a result of which it provides incorrect information about the composition of the exhaust gases to the on-board computer, and the engine ECU increases the fuel supply. This leads to the constant operation of the power plant in emergency mode. Repair (restoration) or replacement of the lambda probe will help reduce diesel or gasoline consumption;
- Failure of sensors, the readings of which are used to adjust the metered fuel injection - these are the air intake temperature sensors, the fuel level in the tank and the vacuum on the intake manifold (MAP sensor);
- Malfunction of spark plugs, which leads to incomplete combustion of the fuel-air mixture in the cylinders and significantly (up to 15%) increases fuel consumption. To save gasoline, we recommend changing the spark plugs every 30-50 thousand kilometers. The system of measures to save fuel by maintaining the proper technical condition of the car should also include timely replacement of engine oil, as well as fuel (after 40 thousand km) and air (after 20 thousand km) filters. This will reduce the load on the engine and reduce fuel consumption.
An economical driving style as a way to reduce fuel consumption
If you want to save fuel on your car, you will have to master a new driving style, which includes:
- Smooth acceleration and braking - with sharp maneuvers, the engine's fuel consumption increases by 40%. In addition, aggressive driving contributes to faster wear of brake pads, tires, suspension and transmission parts;
- Driving at an optimal speed of 80-90 km / h on sections of the road where it is permitted by traffic rules and signs. It is better to forget about a sporty driving style, since increasing the speed to 100 km / h leads to fuel consumption of 15-20% more;
- Turning off the engine during long stops in a traffic jam or at a traffic light, since a continuously running engine consumes excess fuel. This measure must be used in safe conditions, observing traffic rules;
- Planning a route using navigation systems and information from various sources about road conditions. Choosing the right route with fewer traffic lights and taking into account traffic congestion will help save fuel by avoiding unnecessary braking, acceleration and standing in traffic jams.
Correct operation of the car to reduce fuel consumption
You can also reduce fuel consumption by following simple rules for operating the vehicle:
- Use engine oil of the required class and viscosity, as specified in the vehicle operation and maintenance manual. It is important that the viscosity level is maintained throughout the entire service interval, which will save up to 5% of gasoline or diesel fuel on the car. This can only be achieved by using synthetic oils that are not subject to thermal degradation. And in this case, you can even use oil of lower viscosity, for example, 5W instead of 15W;
- Do not carry extra weight with you, remove things from the trunk or interior that are not needed on the trip. An additional 50 kg increases fuel consumption by 2-3%;
- Do not interfere with the aerodynamics of the car - even installing a roof rack increases the aerodynamic drag coefficient by 2 times (for example, on a Mazda 3, before installing a roof rack, it is 0.26, and after installation - 0.55). Overcoming additional air resistance will require energy, which leads to increased fuel consumption;
- Use tires that match the season, which will ensure good traction, safety and optimal fuel consumption. Thus, when driving on winter tires in the summer, gasoline consumption can increase by up to 10%;
- Regularly undergo vehicle maintenance and monitor tire pressure.
Methods for saving fuel in a car include monitoring the use of the air conditioner. It is clear that it provides a comfortable microclimate in the cabin, and in hot weather you cannot do without it. At the same time, you should remember that your comfort is worth the additional costs. In the urban driving cycle, the air conditioner increases fuel consumption by 0.5-1 l per 100 km, and on the highway – by 0.1-0.3 l.
Fuel economy with automatic transmission
Gasoline economy with automatic transmission is achieved by:
- Smooth acceleration and gentle braking in the standard Drive (D) driving mode;
- Limited use of special driving modes, such as 4-3-2-L, in which the engine can accelerate to maximum speed without shifting to a higher gear. Such modes should be used only in extreme cases: on a steep climb, in a traffic jam or on icy roads;
- Using the E or Econom mode, which is available in some automatic transmission models and provides the maximum reduction in fuel consumption;
- Using the Winter or Snow mode - in these modes, the engine shifts to a higher gear at lower speeds. But it should be taken into account that in this mode, the load on the transmission increases, so car manufacturers do not recommend turning it on unless necessary. This mode is ideal for icy roads;
- Switching the automatic transmission to manual mode in difficult driving conditions, for example, when the car is slipping, or on long climbs.
Saving gasoline and diesel fuel on a manual transmission
When driving a car with a manual transmission, you can reduce fuel consumption in the following ways:
- Shift from first to second gear already at a speed of 20 km/h, since the engine consumes more fuel at low gears;
- Smoothly operate the clutch pedal when starting;
- Avoid sudden acceleration and high engine speeds (over 5000-6000 per minute), changing gears in time. Remember that at high speeds - fuel consumption increases;
- Follow the rule of timely braking, releasing the gas pedal away from the intended stopping place and rolling up to it with the gear engaged, which allows you to use engine braking;
- Do not overuse neutral, and during a long descent, leave the car in gear and release the gas pedal so that the electronics stop supplying fuel.
By using our recommendations on how to reduce your car's petrol or diesel consumption, you can reduce your expenses when renting a car from NarsCars or using your own car.
