How to make your car more fuel efficient?

Tuning, regular revisions, routine maintenance, personal driving style…

How often have we been exposed to these definitions? Numerous times. But how many times have we chosen to disregard their requests? Also, quite frequently.

Therefore, we will not grow tired of repeating that, in this scenario, not only does the rate of fuel consumption of our car depend on the mechanical characteristics of the car itself, but that maintenance, tuning, and driving habits also play a significant role.

It should come as no surprise that no formula or secret trick can reduce consumption to zero; the vehicle, whether it is electric or not, is required to burn fuel to move.

Look in the vehicle’s technical data sheet for the average consumption figure that the manufacturer declares for our truck.

This is an excellent place to begin, and it is a piece of information that is very important to a large number of prospective purchasers.

After we have determined the value (X L/100 km), we need to consider something frequently ignored by a significant number of drivers.

On average, we spend 1 L / 100 km more than indicated on the datasheet.

Why? Quite simply, the tests used to determine consumption are vastly different from the particularities drivers are typically exposed to while on the road.

Based on this reference, we can now investigate which strategies and techniques can assist us in growing our economy.

How can I save money on gas? Ten easy strategies for reducing your overall consumption

Because of the new regulations imposed on manufacturers, cars indeed have a significantly lower consumption rate than they did in the past: If we look back ten years, the engine is smaller, the displacement is smaller, and both diesel and gasoline offer consumption figures that are unimaginable at that time.

All of this is so that we can be by the anticipated regulations concerning emissions of pollutants.

However, as we have already established, the official figures for average fuel consumption are slightly inflated, which increases average consumption and a more significant burden on our pockets.

Because of this, the amount of fuel we use and the overall cost of maintaining our vehicle can be reduced with careful planning, regardless of whether our trips are regular (such as our commute to work) or infrequent (such as our vacations).

Here are ten essential things you can do to make your car use less fuel. You will be thankful for this from a financial standpoint!

1. The air pressure in your tires significantly impacts the amount of fuel you use.

Indeed, regardless of the topic, the tires will invariably have something to comment on.

In the case of fuel, tires with pressure deficiencies are also known as tires with a pressure that is 0.5 bar lower than the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

They affect (and how) the amount of fuel consumed; more specifically, they raise the amount consumed by 2% in urban areas and 4% in interurban areas.

We recommend that you go to the gas station that is closest to you.

There, you will find a board that lists the pressures of different car models and brands, and you will also be able to measure the tension in your tires and compare them.

2. If you drive 100 kilograms more than you usually do, you will notice a difference in fuel consumption.

Because our wheels will experience more wear and tear than is strictly necessary if our vehicle is heavily loaded, we must remember to consider the need to increase the pressure for them to support the weight.

As a result, it is recommended that when going on lengthy journeys, the volume should be reduced and distributed evenly throughout the passenger compartment (not all in the trunk).

Driving with more than 100 kilograms of weight on board directly affects fuel consumption; for example, the average consumption of a compact can skyrocket by 6% if the weight is more than 100 kilograms.

Therefore, you shouldn’t use your vehicle as a storage space because doing so will cause you to use more fuel than is required and will be hard on your tires.

Remember that the tire pressure needs to be increased proportionately to the vehicle’s total weight because, if it isn’t, the rolling resistance will be more excellent, and the fuel consumption will increase dramatically.

3. When starting, use only first gear (this is especially important for diesel vehicles)

If your vehicle has a diesel engine, starting the gear immediately after turning the ignition on and moving the car will strain the fuel pump unnecessarily.

We recommend that you remain still for a brief period before beginning to move (a short period, it’s not that long!).

Then, when shifting into first gear, there must be a testimonial, which means that we must change into second gear after two seconds have passed after engaging first gear.

Then you should take it easy, accelerate gradually, and avoid sudden accelerations while driving. If you follow these suggestions, you could save as much as 11% on your fuel costs.

4. Running smoothly while maintaining a constant speed

Following on from the previous point, it is recommended to keep a speed as consistent and uniform as possible throughout the journey. When the car started, it was given a few seconds to warm up, and the second gear was immediately put into motion (in the case of diesel). We need to find that point of fluidity that allows us to drive without braking, accelerating, or changing gears as much as possible, provided that the circumstances and the route permit it.

What are some of our options? Very straightforward: to slow down, we need only remove our foot from the accelerator and downshift, making use of the engine brake.

This will bring about the desired effect (if the situation allows it).

If you decide to use the brake pedal, you should only apply a light amount of pressure to it, and the downshift should be delayed as much as possible.

5. During extended stops, turn off the vehicle’s engine.

There are many instances where we wait for a person inside the vehicle while the engine is running and the radio is turned on.

When stopped for an extended period, you can reduce fuel consumption to 0.13 liters per one hundred kilometers by leaving the engine in the idling position, turning off the air conditioning, and opening the windows.

It is incredible to think that such a straightforward action is carried out so infrequently; however, one of our worst habits is to continue operating the vehicle while it is stopped for an extended period.

Do not be lazy! When you are waiting for someone, please turn off the engine and keep in mind that people, as a species, enjoy arriving late to their destinations.

6. Having air conditioning is preferable to having the windows open.

Should I use the air conditioner or leave the windows open? Which one will save you more money? It may come as a surprise to you.

Still, there are two distinct categories of responses: The first is that turning on the air conditioner is the most efficient way to reduce consumption when driving on the highway.

Why? Because if we keep the windows open while we are traveling at high speed, air will be allowed into the passenger compartment, increasing the resistance that the vehicle will need to overcome and increasing fuel consumption.

Second, when we are traveling through urban areas where the heat is pressing, the resistance caused by the air that enters if we have the windows down is much lower, which means that it is more economical to do so rather than using the air conditioning (in terms of fuel savings).

This is because when you turn on the air conditioning, the compressor kicks on.

The compressor is an expensive piece of equipment to repair, and its primary job is to keep us cool during the warm summer months.

In a nutshell, “we recommend you go with the windows down if it’s hot and we go around town,” says “if it’s hot and we go around town.”

On the other hand, to better overcome the effects of air resistance while driving, it is best to travel with the windows rolled down and the air conditioning turned on.

7. Using engine braking can cut fuel consumption by up to 2%.

After all of this discussion about engine braking, there was still no apparent benefit.

You don’t need to be concerned because engine braking is one of those tricks that, once you “get the hang of it,” can, in the long run, reduce consumption by a significant amount.

To set the stage for you, we can reduce our overall fuel consumption by up to 2% simply by lifting our foot off the accelerator sooner rather than later, slowing down with the engine brake, and using the brake pedal only occasionally.

This is an excellent practice to get into, so our advice is to “always drive with an adequate safety distance with the vehicle in front of us.”

This will give us a much wider field of vision, enabling us to see beyond the vehicle in front of us.

8. Use high gears and optimal revs (between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm)

It is essential to remember that shifting gears is directly related to a significant portion of the savings in fuel consumption.

We will be able to save more fuel if we optimize the change, which means that we will drive the car for the most extended amount of time possible while in high gears and avoid giving the engine very high revs (as a point of reference, listen to the sound the engine makes).

For instance, if we can drive in fourth gear while adhering to the posted speed limits in the city, our fuel consumption will be significantly reduced.

If you are driving a diesel vehicle, it is recommended that you change gears between 1,500 and 2,500 revolutions per minute (rpm).

If, on the other hand, the car in question has a gasoline engine, the optimal time to shift gears is between 2,000 and 2,500 revolutions per minute (rpm).

9. When traveling uphill, we try to downshift as quickly as possible.

This may be the most technical point, but if we can keep our car from stalling by avoiding over-revving it on inclines, we’ll be doing a lot to improve fuel consumption.

Climbs require additional engine revolutions than are necessary by their very nature; this is an undeniable fact.

However, if you have a good set of pedals, you can maximize the use of your long gears and reduce the time your vehicle has to be revved higher than is required to conquer the incline.

Additionally, you can save fuel by driving downhill.

How? Do not consider going downhill with the clutch pedal depressed because this will allow you to take advantage of the vehicle’s inertia and change gears later.

10. Failing to make travel preparations can result in a 14% increase in fuel consumption.

If you are interested in going on vacation or organizing a lengthy trip, planning the journey from beginning to end is essential.

Taking the route at once the quickest, easiest, and most secure will make for more efficient driving throughout the trip, leading to savings in fuel consumption as a direct result of this improvement.

How many times have we gotten lost when we’ve been trying to get somewhere? Those fifteen to twenty additional minutes can result in a fourteen percent increase in fuel used.

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