Reducing fuel consumption. Basic rules of economical driving

Technical condition of the car

If the car has malfunctions that directly affect the engine's appetite, then no driver's skill will help reduce fuel costs. For this reason, regular checks of key systems are a way to save quite a few liters, especially when fuel prices are constantly rising.

A clogged air filter that prevents the engine from getting the necessary amount of oxygen often becomes the main culprit of excessive fuel consumption. It is important to monitor its condition and replace it in a timely manner or clean it with compressed air. It is also worth paying attention to the fuel filter, which can also become clogged.

Carbonized injectors will definitely add 1–1.5 liters to consumption. And with spark plugs that have exhausted their service life, achieving savings will also not work.

Too large a gap between the electrodes or a dense layer of carbon deposits is an additional consumption of at least half a liter.

Monitor the tire pressure: underinflated tires do not contribute to savings in any way. This problem is especially common in winter, when due to temperature fluctuations the air in the tires compresses more often. Disturbed wheel alignment angles and worn suspension elements also worsen fuel efficiency, so it is useful to visit a stand for checking camber and toe at least once a year.

Those who have installed spoilers and wings should understand: such accessories significantly increase fuel consumption.

Especially if the aerodynamic parts were installed "for beauty" in a makeshift way, for example, in garage conditions. This applies not only to spoilers, but also to various overlays, body kits, deflectors, fake air intakes and other similar elements.

Economical driving

Do not warm up the power unit at idle for longer than 2–3 minutes — it will reach operating temperature much faster when moving at low speeds (up to 2–2.5 thousand). If you stand for a long time and warm up the engine in place, the fuel will burn without any benefit. Plus, a fully warmed-up engine emits fewer harmful substances, so many automakers generally do not recommend prolonged warming up in the parking lot.

In the city bustle, try not to drive in the "acceleration-braking" mode. The more often you have to gain speed and immediately drop it, the more fuel will be required. It is useful to predict the situation on the road in advance so as not to brake sharply before every traffic light.

However, this does not mean that you need to accelerate extremely slowly. Firstly, this way you will interfere with other road users, and secondly, consumption is affected more by the frequency of accelerations than by their intensity.

Do not constantly drive at low speeds (about 1.5 thousand), engaging higher gears. This manner will not benefit either efficiency or engine life — it will operate in an unfavorable range for itself. The optimal speed is considered to be in the range from 2 to 3.5 thousand.

There is a common opinion that driving in "neutral" helps save fuel, but in practice this is not the case. When the gearbox is shifted to neutral, gasoline continues to burn so that the engine runs at idle. A more reasonable technique is to release the gas pedal with the gear engaged: then the fuel supply is completely cut off, and the car rolls by coasting.

The main enemy of savings is traffic jams in cities. If there is an opportunity to bypass a congestion along a longer but free road, it is better to choose exactly such a route.

The absence of traffic jams is more beneficial both for the wallet and for the nervous system.

It is worth turning off the engine in a traffic jam only when you have to stand for more than 5 minutes. Constant starts will only increase consumption, because starting the engine takes no less fuel than 2–3 minutes of idling, plus the load on the battery increases.

Owners of cars with automatic transmission should not move the selector to position N (neutral is intended exclusively for towing) or P (parking is needed only before turning off the ignition). You won't be able to save money this way, but the resource of an expensive gearbox can be significantly reduced.

Fuel consumption is affected not only by driving style, but also by the number of electrical devices in the car. A powerful audio system, heaters, optics, air conditioning — all this puts additional load on the generator, which in turn loads the engine.

On the highway, aerodynamics come into play. The benefits of tuning body kits have already been mentioned above, but no less serious air resistance is created by an open window or sunroof. At speeds above 80 km/h, even a slightly open window leads to overconsumption no less (and sometimes more) than a working air conditioner — about 1–1.5 liters.

Those who are used to carrying a lot of things with them should know: an extra 70–80 kilograms in the trunk adds about half a liter to consumption. It is also better to remove crossbars from the roof if they are not needed constantly. When driving at a speed of 100 km/h, such mounts increase fuel costs by almost a liter.

Finally, it is worth reminding about the importance of fuel quality. Do not chase cheapness and fill in low-grade gasoline or diesel — the difference in price will still be compensated by increased consumption and possible engine problems that will require expensive repairs.

Briefly about the main thing

This material considered only the simplest and most affordable ways to reduce fuel consumption, which do not require a long payback period. Therefore, chip tuning and installation of gas equipment were not considered here.

Top 10 factors that "eat up" fuel: