The best tips to save fuel
It's no secret what I'm going to say next, in fact, all or many of us already know it, but I'm almost sure that most of us don't do it, we continue with the bad habits. Oh, I'm sure I'm forgetting some advice!
Let's do a test. Get started and try it in your car, or in a client's vehicle. You'll see that after the experience, the client will call you and thank you for your good advice.
Let's imagine a customer's car, truck, or tractor arrives and wants fuel savings, or we offer them that.
Regardless of whether we reprogram it to save on consumption (I recommend doing the reprogramming for greater savings), these tricks will help you consume less.
The client arrives and:
- We check the tire pressure
Driving with the tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer will not only help prevent punctures and blowouts, but will also help reduce fuel consumption. Using an underinflated tire can increase fuel consumption by 3%.
- We check and change the filter and oil if necessary.
Taking this action on time can keep your car in its most efficient condition. Changing your filters alone can save you up to 5% of your fuel, as clogged filters affect, among other things, fuel consumption and engine power. Plus, in the long run, you'll pay less for repairs and reduce your likelihood of having costly accidents. It's one of the basics for making your car last longer... but you shouldn't neglect maintenance.
- We clean or change the air filter
Cleaning the air filter helps improve performance. By enriching the air during engine combustion, this helps increase power and, at the same time, reduce fuel consumption. If instead of cleaning the original filter, we replace it with a high-performance one, we'll improve performance even further. The cost varies between approximately €50 and €100.
- As always, we perform a diagnosis and check that everything is working properly.
- Then we do a reprogramming for + reduction of consumption.
- We deliver the vehicle to the customer and give them the following advice:
4. Do not accelerate unnecessarily
One of the main tips when it comes to saving fuel is to avoid sudden acceleration.
On highways or roads, to maintain a balanced fuel consumption, avoid sudden changes in speed.
Try to move the vehicle with inertia and try to maintain a constant speed , without accelerating or braking, seeking to achieve the most fluid circulation possible.
Don't wait until the last minute to brake. If you want to save fuel, anticipate your braking moments by lifting your foot off the accelerator and letting the car coast in the selected gear, then brake gently. This will not only save fuel, but also extend the life of your brake pads.
5. Use long gears
To travel at a specific speed, the lower the gear, the higher the revs, which means higher fuel consumption at the same time. Therefore, use high gears whenever possible to keep the engine revs low. Ideally, for gasoline cars, you should aim for between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm, and for diesel cars, between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm, but this varies depending on the vehicle and whether you're driving on a flat, uphill, or downhill road. Try to keep the revs low, but at the same time, don't press the accelerator pedal, if possible, even a quarter of the way down.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:
- Beware of overcharging: + load = + consumption
- Air conditioning or windows: Both air conditioning and driving with the windows open on the highway increase fuel consumption.
- Filling up completely: This prevents you from having to refuel more often. Truck drivers already know this perfectly well. Average fuel consumption increases if we stop more often to refuel. The extra fuel in a half-full tank isn't enough to generate more fuel than if you stop and resume driving with the same momentum you had before. (This isn't always the case; it depends on the vehicle and the route.)
- Tire brand and tread: There are brands and treads that help reduce fuel consumption, such as low rolling resistance tires.
- Catalytic converter/exhaust: It's very important that these components are clean and in good condition. This significantly affects fuel consumption.
- Aerodynamics: Roof boxes, bicycles, trailers... Anything that affects aerodynamics and weight negatively affects fuel consumption.
- High octane: A higher octane rating positively helps power and consumption.