Owning a car is convenient and practical. There is no need to experience inconvenience when traveling in public transport, you can get to your destination quickly, and besides, it is very prestigious to have your own transport, especially premium class. But taking into account how prices for fuel, in particular gasoline, are rising, a car will soon become a real luxury, which is why we decided to tell you how it is quite possible to save gasoline.
Imagine: even in such a technical issue there is a place for popular advice on fuel economy. Of course, no one advises adding herbs or making lotions, but we can definitely call the really practice-tested tips folk, since people use them.
This is terribly banal, but there are so many malfunctions that can significantly affect fuel consumption that it’s probably impossible to remember them all. For example, an oxygen content sensor in the exhaust that is not working or is not working correctly can very “qualitatively” misinform the control unit, which begins to inject a large amount of fuel. And this is absolutely unnecessary. Pay attention to the amount of oil and its timely replacement. If this is not done, there will also be excessive use of fuel.
The lower the engine speed and the higher the gear, the less fuel will be consumed. You won’t be able to achieve much savings in urban conditions, but when you leave the city, feel free to switch to fifth, or if you have it, then sixth, and a stable 80 km per hour is guaranteed to please your wallet. The scheme of how this advice works is very simple; we will try to explain it using the example of another transport – a mountain bike.
Remember when you move on it? When the front gear is the smallest and the rear gear is larger. The same principle applies to the car’s transmission if the gear is in low gear, but then you will have to turn it with double force, which means increasing the speed. Greater comfort can be obtained if the situation is the opposite: then the movement will be coasting - this will already be a higher gear, that is, 5 (6). At a speed of 80 km per hour, the car does not have to fight against air resistance, and that is why fuel consumption does not increase.
This advice is somewhat ambiguous, so let’s look at it in more detail. The fuel has a certain dosage for each cylinder, the soldering is determined by the computer, or more precisely, by the engine control unit. No “magic pill” can change the way a computer works. It has a guide to the amount of air supplied to the cylinders and how efficiently the mixture of gasoline and air can burn.
It follows from this that when purchasing high-quality gasoline that undergoes thorough quality control, you will not need additives. If the engine has already been spoiled by underground fuel from the “corner shop,” then such substances can to some extent eliminate uneven combustion in the cylinders. If the operating conditions were adequate, then the use of additives is pointless.
Cold engine = additional consumption - this is an axiom. Oil thickens greatly in cold weather, and the temperature in the cylinder is low. For this reason, a higher concentration of gasoline-air mixture is required. This is a prerequisite for smooth operation of the motor. If it is not preheated, the flow rate can increase up to 1 liter per hour. Daily warm-ups add 200 g per day to your consumption. What if you have to leave your car in the cold several times a day?
If you think that the common recommendation from automakers to “start it and go” should become the rule, we will disappoint you: this is only so that you buy cars more often, or at least carry out engine overhauls. This is due to the fact that in older models, oil injection was carried out through the “choke” tension, but now in most models this happens automatically. By neglecting warming up, you are tormenting the engine with oil starvation, since even synthetic oil thickens at subzero temperatures. Of course, it will be short-lived, but it will be enough to destroy parts that rub without lubrication.
Remember we mentioned about fuel dosage for the cylinders? You can “pour” a new program into the operating mechanism by setting economical consumption for the motor, a kind of diet. It is possible to buy similar firmware, they are sold, and similar services are provided in many car services. Their price is up to $500, which depends on the cost of the car. The main goal is to make the engine run on a starvation diet. This will be difficult, but generally possible. The result is a slower response to pressing the gas.
Such economical firmware can save up to 10%; over time it will pay for itself, but only if the speed limit is correct. In purely colloquial language it sounds like vegetable mode. These are smooth starts, engine braking and low speed; overtaking is also highly discouraged in this case.
The lower the weight, the lower the consumption. Look, maybe there is a child seat left in the back seat or winter tires in the summer - these are the things that you may be used to, but you absolutely don’t need them and only make the vehicle heavier. If you decide to additionally soundproof your vehicle, this will increase the weight by 50-100 kg and fuel consumption by at least 0.4 liters. This means that for such pleasure you will have to pay for the entire service life.
In order not to warm up the car for so long, you can insulate the garage - this saves money, and you will need to use less than 200 g of gasoline to warm it up. There is also the option of insulating the engine with felt, blankets and other materials. Today there are already modern materials, blankets, that allow you to retain heat for a long time, and are also safe for the engine - they do not burn. This is especially helpful during short stops. For example, when going to the store, it is better to cover the engine - it will not have time to cool down.
Tires. There are two options here - air pressure and tire choice. When you drive out and the tires are still cold, measure the tire pressure. The normal option would be if it is slightly more than normal by 0.3 bar. This may have a greater impact on the suspension and body, but will save fuel. There are tires on which travel is more economical; the difference in some places can reach 0.5 liters per 100 km. And this is not so little.
You can find out which tire will save and which tire will empty only through real tests from consumers; this data can be found in numerous specialized publications. Using wheels with a larger diameter than necessary will also result in higher costs. So, if you want to install 14, 16 on your car, you will have to add 1 liter on top of the standard consumption for every hundred kilometers.
A radical measure to save gasoline is to completely eliminate it, well, at least in such volumes. You can save a lot of money by installing LPG. Gas will be used up faster, but it is also cheaper - the family budget will only be happy.
Price control. Before going to the nearest gas station, monitor the prices of those located nearby or along the route.
If you often refuel at the same gas station, it makes sense to check whether they have bonus cards. This helps stations gain new customers or retain existing ones. And you can save. The first refill will add a bonus to the card; its size will depend on the amount spent. Thus, each subsequent refueling provides the opportunity to add additional grams to the current refueling.
If you're going on a trip with a certain number of friends, think about how it makes sense to save money by chipping in on fuel costs together. This option can also be used if you often drive colleagues to their place of work.
You may hear this advice: turn off electrical appliances and save gas. If you turn off the air conditioning in the heat, you can easily save up to 2 liters per 100 km, but is such savings worth the pain? And note: open windows are not an option. Since in this way the aerodynamics will deteriorate, which will negate all savings. The same dubious savings will be achieved by turning off the headlights, music and heated seats. If you refuse such benefits, then it is better to switch directly to a bicycle.
Hide and seek with a truck. This option, according to some “experts,” can save as much as 3% on fuel. Well, first of all, what do you think it will feel like to inhale gas exhaust from a moving KAMAZ? In addition, we doubt that the truck driver will tolerate such a fellow traveler for very long; you must admit, this is annoying. So, if you are a real freak, then go ahead and save money.
I suggest that you familiarize yourself with various ways to save gasoline in order to ultimately get the only way to truly save fuel in our car. Fuel economy worries everyone who drives cars, as fuel only gets more expensive every year.
This is not to say that additives are so useless. They actually save gas. It is only important to know on what principle their action is based. And this principle is quite simple - these are octane corrector additives, the task of which is to increase the octane number, and therefore change the fuel combustion algorithm. You poured 92 gasoline into the tank, added an octane corrector to it and voila, the gasoline became 95 or even 98 - in fact, it is not known what octane number the filled gasoline had and how much you increased it. Octane correctors can be based on metals, which will definitely harm your engine, or based on cheap ether mixtures that will evaporate from gasoline in 1-2 days.
Now, as for saving fuel with the help of additives, you can only save money on turbocharged cars, or cars with complex injection. Atmospheric engines with simple injection or a carburetor have almost the same consumption for both 92 and 95, and you should not pour 98 into them, unless otherwise specified by the car manufacturer.
The economics are simple: the cost of the additive today is approximately 100 rubles, the cost of 40 liters of AI-92 is 1280 rubles, the cost of 40 liters of AI-98 is 1360 rubles. The total difference between gasolines is 80 rubles, while the cost of the additive is 100 rubles. Pouring an additive is expensive and also risky.
I don't believe in miracle gadgets. If the device saves gasoline, it does so only by reducing the amount of injected fuel, which means that either the engine will respond worse to the gas pedal, preventing it from quickly increasing speed, or the engine will run on the wrong mixture, which will lead to engine failure, Moreover, breakdowns as a result of such experiments usually end in burnouts with engine replacement.
The very first thing to do is to repair the car, because it is possible that increased consumption is not the norm for your car and it may consume much less fuel. Here is an approximate list of reasons that can increase fuel consumption:
It is very easy to determine whether there is a malfunction in the fuel system that leads to increased fuel supply - just smell the exhaust. If the exhaust smells like gasoline, there is a problem. There should be no clear smell of gasoline in the exhaust of a properly warmed-up engine. With air leaks everything is a little more complicated. The only way to find a hole is to blow pressurized air into the air supply system and listen to where the hiss is - this procedure is called pressure testing. Ideally, the engine is virtually airtight and will release pressure slowly and without hissing.
We are talking about a stove, headlights, powerful audio equipment, and heated seats. The more electricity a car consumes, the more load the generator creates when running the engine. You shouldn’t approach this issue with fanaticism, for example, drive without any lights at all, but replacing low-beam headlights with diode running lights is a very real solution. There will be some savings.
In this way you can save up to one and a half to two liters per hundred. It is enough to get rid of the habit of warming up the car for 30-40 minutes, or standing in the parking lot with the engine running. Before starting to drive, five minutes of engine operation is enough for the oil to warm up to a reasonable temperature, after which you can start driving in a gentle mode.
This method is good because it is cost-free. You need to learn how to drive economically. It seems complicated, but in fact I did an experiment that gave me a saving of 4 liters per hundred on one car with a 1.4 turbo engine. The consumption was 12 liters per 100 km, it became 8 liters, and you can achieve 7 liters. I travel at least 40-50 kilometers a day, that is, with such a ride you can save up to 60 rubles a day, or 1800 rubles a month, and this is already the amount of a full tank that I roll out in a week. That is, this is a whole gas station per month! Or 12 refills per year, which equals 21,600 rubles, and this is already the cost of a set of tires. Great savings.
The tactics are simple. Do not give the car sudden acceleration and keep the engine at the lowest possible comfortable speed - in other words, accelerate smoothly and shift early. If you have a manual transmission, you are incredibly lucky - when descending from a mountain, engage a higher gear and take your foot off the gas - the injection engine will stop supplying fuel and the car will roll with a real consumption of ZERO liters per hundred.
Travel time is also very important. A fast road will be more economical than a short one. If there are two alternative routes, choose the one that contains fewer starting operations. When starting, consumption reaches 20-40 liters per hundred.
The terrain also affects gas mileage, but not as fatally as it seems. Consumption on a steep hill can be reduced to 10 liters, instead of the standard 7.
It would seem that this is nonsense. But no. If you have a similar car, you are forced to spend money on its maintenance from time to time, and you are not happy with the consumption. By removing the cost of car repairs and buying a new car with low expenses, you can even stay in the black. And the most important thing, which many do not pay attention to, is that your car also costs money, and it is no longer a car for 200,000 rubles, but more expensive. Of course, you have to count, but by buying a new car it’s quite possible to save money.
It is especially worth paying attention to powerful cars. For example, the dynamics of a VolksWagen Jetta with a 1.4t engine are comparable to the dynamics of a two-liter naturally aspirated engine with 130-150 horses. Only a two-liter naturally aspirated engine will consume 18 liters per hundred, and the same Jetta or Golf or Skoda 12, that is, a difference of 6 liters per hundred, or 180 rubles per 100 kilometers.
Reducing gasoline consumption per kilometer is the dream of many drivers, especially lately, when the numbers at gas stations change frequently and only upward. Some techniques have been used for decades and do not lose their relevance, some become outdated, and with the advent of new cars, new options are being sought to reduce fuel costs.
In fact, there are quite a lot of techniques for saving fuel in a car. Some of them can be called global (for example, changing a car), and some require just a little attention to your “iron horse” (for example, pumping up the tires). We will try to consider the most effective and proven methods:
In addition, various accessories and devices can both help in using a vehicle and hit your pocket if they are used incorrectly.
It would seem that there can be some tricks when refueling a car at a gas station, but here too you should pay attention to certain nuances:
In addition to all that has been said, we should not forget about such well-known, but no less important ways to save fuel, such as:
Having this knowledge and controlling yourself and your car, it is quite possible to regularly use the car and at the same time save up to 20-30% of gasoline.
Do you want to go on a trip in your car? Then you just need to know how to reduce fuel consumption? Check out the ranking of the best. The topic of saving becomes especially relevant when traveling abroad, where sometimes the price of fuel causes considerable surprise.
The video explains how you can save fuel:
So. The surest and most useful way to save fuel, which took first place in the ranking, involves not driving too fast. The ideal speed at which you need to drive is about 80 km/h.
Some modern long-distance transportation companies use special driver training. They are introduced to a theoretical driving course designed to change the motorist's attitude towards speed.
Moreover, driving at a speed of 80 km/h compared to driving at a speed of 90 km/h will give a time difference of only four minutes.
These are not just words, but calculations made by Mercedes-Benz experts.
The fourth method will help you learn how to reduce fuel consumption using your own engine. In other words, you need to learn not to “turn” the engine. If you want to really save on fuel, it is not recommended to increase engine speed above 2000 rpm. Also, you should change gears as early as possible. For example, so that 5th gear on a VAZ 2112 car falls at a speed of 50 km/h. A car of this brand has a 16-valve engine, which allows the use of this mode.
Fifth place is occupied by a not so common, but effective method. This is to ensure the correct tire pressure. Even automobile scientists estimate that lowering pressure increases fuel consumption by 2%. But tires that do not leak over time have not yet been invented. Therefore, it is important to monitor this matter and inflate tires not only for safe driving, but also to save fuel. And if you notice that your tires are low, then they are necessary.
Sixth place in the ranking is occupied by a saving method based on adjusting the gap in. This refers to the gap between the central and side electrodes of the spark plug. It is advisable to increase it to one millimeter to ensure better combustion of the mixture in the cylinders.
To be precise, there is no need to immediately start increasing the gap. A simple check is often sufficient. And on many cars the gap between the spark plugs is already one millimeter. But if it is smaller, then it should be increased.
Cargo in the trunk and on the roof also affects fuel consumption. Therefore, it is advisable to tidy up the trunk and not carry unnecessary things with you. The more weight, the more gasoline is consumed. Do you need it?
The air bag method ranks eighth in the ranking. It's a little adventurous, but the effect is good. In this case, the air bag method involves following some other vehicle, trying to drive as close to it as possible. You thus find yourself in a zone of rarefied air or in the so-called “bag”. It is clear that the air here will not put pressure on the car, and there will be a minimum of resistance. And the less resistance, the less fuel consumption will be.
As you know, an injector is much more economical than a carburetor engine. But even in such engines the problem of increased fuel consumption is observed. And the ninth place in the ranking is occupied by a method associated specifically with an injection engine. It implies a simple method. As they say, everything ingenious is simple. If on a conventional carburetor engine 10% of fuel economy depends on the quality of the fuel, then on an injection engine it is all 50%. Therefore, you should always use such cars as those recommended by the manufacturer itself.
In addition, you should not adjust the fuel system of your car yourself. Visit car service centers more often, where you promptly replace or clean all filters that become dirty over time. This is especially true for filters installed in the catalyst. Fuel consumption most often increases due to a faulty catalyst. Remember this.
Another way to save fuel involves checking the operation of the sensors. As is known, incorrect operation of these components leads to disruption of proper mixture formation and overheating of the engine. And this, in turn, contributes to excessive consumption of gasoline.
Most often, the intake manifold and coolant temperature sensors fail. As a result, the air-fuel mixture is either too rich or too lean. And in both cases, this leads not only to excessive fuel consumption, but also to loss of power.
Throttle position sensors also often fail. As a result, engine control in acceleration mode is impaired. The idle mode also does not work correctly, as there is incorrect data about the perceived load.
Special attention should be paid to incoming air sensors and flow rate sensors. Also in this case, an incorrect amount of air or incorrect data leads to increased fuel consumption.
And, of course, oxygen sensors. They need to be given special attention. If the lambda probe, as this sensor is also called, fails, this will lead to incorrect mixture formation.
Timely diagnosis of the gearbox locking unit will help reduce gasoline consumption on cars with automatic transmission. If it malfunctions, the automatic transmission control unit does not allow shifting to higher gears. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that this leads to increased consumption. In other words, under such circumstances, the emergency operation mode of the automatic transmission is activated. It is he who does not allow the inclusion of gears higher than second or third.
Closed windows reduce fuel consumption
The next place in the ranking is occupied by a method that involves driving with the windows up. How might this affect fuel economy? It's simple. Rolling down the windows creates air turbulence, which increases the vehicle's rolling resistance. As a result, gasoline consumption increases. Although these are just some grams, if such driving is practiced day after day, then a negative result will not be long in coming.
The video explains how to clean a car carburetor:
Which car part is most responsible for gas mileage? That's right, of course, the carburetor. If it has served its purpose, then it is better to replace it with a new one or clean it more often. Often a large amount of impurities and dirt are retained in the carburetor. and jets will help restore its normal operation. And this will lead to real fuel savings.
OK it's all over Now! Is it possible to reduce the fuel consumption of a car if you know all the methods described above and use them, depending on the situation? Of course you can.
The best prices and conditions for the purchase of new cars
Credit 6.5% / Installments / Trade-in / 98% approval / Gifts in the salonMas Motors
The operation of the internal combustion engine of every car is based on the law of the transition of thermal energy into mechanical energy. That is, thermal energy, like any other, cannot arise from anywhere. This means that in order to drive a car, you must regularly fill the fuel tank with gasoline or diesel fuel. Usually, when choosing a car, savings come in second place. What driver doesn’t love a comfortable and fast ride, especially if you save gas. Gasoline economy is considered one of the most important characteristics of absolutely any car. The presented characteristic is as important as another characteristic that is no less relevant today - environmental friendliness.
Injector - fuel injection
Cars that are produced today are much more powerful and more economical compared to those cars that were produced about 20 or even 30 years ago. But, despite this, the developers do not want to stop and continue to work on improving cars, trying to make them even more economical and environmentally friendly. Many car enthusiasts have at least once thought about this question: How can you save gasoline, and is saving gasoline even real? In this article we present, we will tell you several ways that will allow you to save gasoline consumed by your car.
Analysts say that today almost every family or every fourth Russian has their own car. For most families, car costs are almost the largest expense in the family budget. In Russia, the rise in gasoline prices only increases every year and then there is a need to learn how to save gasoline. For absolutely every car enthusiast, saving on gasoline comes first, and they are constantly looking for new, more effective ways to save gasoline.
Gasoline consumption is the amount of gasoline that is burned as part of the warm-air mixture during engine operation. An absolutely obvious fact is that gasoline does not appear out of nowhere and does not disappear without a trace, but burns in the internal combustion engine.
Exceptional cases are considered to be cases when gasoline or diesel fuel is not topped up at gas stations, the second is drained in parking lots or when fuel leaks from the fuel system.
It is absolutely obvious that the amount of fuel-air mixture that an engine needs for its operation is directly proportional to the volume of the engine itself. That is, the larger the engine size, the more gasoline will be needed. Many modern cars are equipped with on-board computers that quite accurately calculate and display gasoline costs.
The fuel-air mixture is not close to stoichiometric in all engine operating modes. There are exceptions: the mixture combines during engine braking. During a sharp increase in speed, the mixture is briefly enriched. This enrichment is clearly visible on the carburetor by the operation of the accelerating pump. The enrichment process also takes place while the engine is operating under load. The engine warms up with a rich mixture, as well as at increased speeds. The gasoline injection system or carburetor is responsible for creating the optimal fuel-air mixture for all engine operating modes.
In the injector, control and preparation of the mixture composition is carried out by an electronic control unit. Modern cars are equipped with a fairly advanced and reliable engine management system, and this ensures optimal fuel consumption in all modes with minimal exhaust toxicity and high power.
Naturally, you can stop using the car for a while or sell it altogether, but this is not the best option, since public transport does not always run on schedule and this will lead to certain inconveniences of movement. It’s up to you to decide, but one way or another you should try to learn how to save. Consequently, the question arises: How to properly save gasoline consumption in a car, and is saving real in general?
An injection engine is much more economical compared to a carburetor engine, but the problem of increased fuel costs in such engines also exists. Although the main secret is quite simple, you need to fill the tank only with the gasoline that the manufacturer recommends and not try to regulate the car’s fuel system yourself. Savings can also be achieved by replacing all filters in a timely manner. These include those located in the catalyst.
In most cases, due to a breakdown of the catalyst, fuel costs for motorists increase. In order to check this, it is necessary to check the exhaust frequency. Another reason for increased fuel costs may be the breakdown of electronic control elements.
Sensors If the sensors do not function correctly, proper mixture formation is disrupted, the engine overheats, and the control of different vehicle power modes becomes ineffective. To reduce fuel costs, it is necessary to clean the injector in the engine itself.
Which sensors fail most often?
Catalyst. The following factors can lead to catalyst failure:
Typically, in the winter season, fuel costs increase several times. The basic rule in this case is the complete technical serviceability of the entire car, including the engine, transmission and brake system. Therefore, it is very important to have time to correct all car faults before the onset of winter. Use special, more viscous oil for the winter season. The ideal option would be viscous synthetic oil. Check your tire pressure regularly, as failure to use it correctly can lead to increased fuel consumption. During short stops, do not stop the engine.
Not really
