Tips To Reduce The Fuel Consumption Of The Car

The cars nowadays are very economical compared to five years ago, for example. Only Inovar-Auto promoted a mandatory reduction of 12% in the average consumption of the car, but some brands reached 15%, and others even exceeded this level of reduction.

With this, technologies like indicator of change of gear, electric direction, CVT or automatic transmission of up to nine gears, alternator with energy recovery, lighter and rigid bodies, manual transmission of six gears, Start & Stop, new bearings, tires of low resistance rolling, tire pressure monitor, active grille, turbocharger, direct fuel injection, less viscous lubricants, aerodynamic improvements, among others, were introduced in national cars in the period, seeking this economy.

In any case, although automobiles are more frugal today, it is still important to know how to save more. After all, the greater the savings in consumption of the car, the more money the owner will save, thus being able to revert the difference to more important uses. But how to reduce the consumption of the car without the need to introduce technologies as advanced and complex as those mentioned above?

A common driver can get better performance from his car if he follows some economy tips that will help him achieve better averages without, however, harming driving, comfort, performance or safety. One of the first points is to keep the house in order, or rather, the car. But before that, however, a car with a more economical profile will naturally get a better average, but if that is not your case, you can do better with what you have in the garage.

Maintenance

Before you start to get that better average of consumption of the car, it is necessary that the car is able to do it satisfactorily. So, maintenance comes first. If the car is new, properly and recommended by the owner’s manual the engine break-in period. Usually, this occurs between 1,000 km and 3,000 km, but it depends on the make and model.

Even if the car is not new, it is recommended to keep the maintenance up to date. Therefore, make the revisions as ordered by the vehicle’s manual, whether or not the warranty is made by a dealer or specialized repair shops. Observe engine oil change periods, lubricant filter, spark plugs, air and air filters, belts and other fluids as required. Also ensure that the suspension has springs and shock absorbers in good condition, as well as the brake system and steering.

A revised all-mechanical vehicle is necessary to maintain the original design parameters of the car. If your intention is to save fuel, avoid changing the original characteristics. Avoid placing tires other than those specific to the model. If you change the tire, opt for a more efficient one in consumption, but that meets the measures established in the manual. The rolling stock now features Inmetro’s energy efficiency label with A to G rating, as well as a noise indicator.

Never put a larger wheel and try to compensate with a thinner tire, it will not do much good if the goal is to reduce consumption. Do not lower the suspension, no matter how logical it may seem in aerodynamic terms. Every car has its design and in it are defined the parameters of energy efficiency, so changes can compromise comfort, performance, and economy, depending on the case. Always check wheel alignment and balancing, another point that helps reduce fuel consumption of the car.

For efficient driving in terms of economy, tires need to be in the right pressure. Therefore it is recommended to check them frequently and change the calibration in case of extra weight, but in the mission to reduce consumption of the car, the less weight the better. Leaving heavy objects that are not being used is also another means of seeing consumption increase rather than decrease. Therefore, in addition to keeping the car clean, avoid leaving objects or luggage that are not being used.

Fuel

Owning a fully up-to-date car with maintenance … Another point that needs to be met in the quest for better average consumption is to fuel the car with good fuel, be it ethanol or gasoline. As there is “free will” in Brazil, in what concerns the choice of fuel, the owner must seek in each of the options quality and price, but the first comes in the front. Without this, it’s no use having a cheap fuel in the tank and a poor performance in the vehicle, which will end up generating more spending than economy.

Therefore, it is advisable to supply at stations with a quality track record and to avoid suspicious locations or prices that are too low for reality. Cheap can be expensive in such cases. Also note the amount of fuel placed by what is known of the level on the dashboard or check the autonomy in the on-board computer, if any. Suspect if you board the car more fuel than there was and the pump has not even caught. A quality fuel in the tank makes the engine render as it should.

Driving

It’s no use just to have a vehicle with proper maintenance and fueled with quality gasoline or ethanol. The driver is still the true scalesman in any case. If he drives the wrong way, he will not be able to get a lower consumption of the car. So, here are some tips for getting frugality in driving.

One of the first things to do is to use less air conditioning. On hot days, do not put it to “freeze” the environment, but only to maintain a pleasant climate in the cabin. The colder it gets, the worse it will be to leave the car, especially if the day is extremely hot. The chances of a heat shock are good.

Use dark films on the windows and park the car in a sheltered place or shade, so that the car does not overheat. If it is very hot inside, before leaving, open the windows and/or doors and let the air circulate. Then turn on the air conditioner at the most to eject the rest of the hot air, and then close the windows. The air conditioning is only efficient in consumption above 80 km / h, because below that it represents on average 20% of the expenditure.

When stopped in the traffic for more than 20 seconds or if it is known that the traffic will continue stopped, turn off the engine, because the consumption will be unnecessary. Keep it connected with the air-conditioning running, depending on the model, will entail in one or two liters of fuel per hour. Start & Stop on some models reduces air-conditioning only to ventilation. If there is no alternative, open the windows, but do it safely, which is unfortunately difficult nowadays.

While driving, high speeds do not combine with reduced fuel consumption of the car. So slow down, but keep your speed limits. Not in terms of overcoming it, but in order to avoid walking too slow, harming others. Many end up running too slow on routes that are fast moving, which is a problem.

Keep windows and sunroof closed due to aerodynamic drag. Change the gears according to the indicator on the dashboard or anticipate the changes, but keeping the pace and without letting the turn fall too much. Also anticipate the climbs, accelerating earlier to compensate in the slope, maintaining a suitable gear to avoid turning too high or too low, where the consumption of the car will be greater in the same way.

On slopes, let the car geared and maintain a constant speed. If necessary, reduce so that the engine brake operates more than the brakes. On the pedal, never sink your foot, just hold it lightly. Do not talk abrupt accelerations and avoid having to overtake, prefer the more fluid bearing ranges, if it is possible to do so. Reduce gradually before a semaphore is closed.

Avoid routes filled with traffic lights or heavy traffic, if possible. Use cruise control to maintain the steady speed or hold it using the throttle. Avoid autopilot on slopes with many slopes and slopes, because in the first the tendency of the device is to maintain the speed at any cost and this means high turns and greater consumption of the car. Dose your foot or slow down if necessary, but avoid dropping too much, requiring too many resumes.

And, finally, avoid triggering expendable electrical items such as daytime fog lights or connected entertainment display if there is no one using it in the back seat, for example.