How to reduce gasoline consumption in a car with your own hands

Principles of gasoline consumption

Fuel consumption (the amount of gasoline that a car consumes per unit of time) is considered a relative value. This parameter depends on:

The volume of a vehicle's engine - the larger it is (in this case, we mean the total volume of the cylinders), the more gasoline is burned during 1 cycle of engine operation. Now there are special devices that help reduce fuel costs. Such devices include the injector and throttle valve.
The mass of the car (the ratio of the mass of the car and the engine power), acceleration, speed, and therefore fuel consumption depend on this. The heavier the car, the more difficult it is to make it move, which means that an increased supply of gasoline will be provided to the combustion chamber.
Aerodynamic qualities - the less the car resists the air flow, the less the engine needs to work, and therefore consume gasoline.

Magnets for motor efficiency

Immortal representatives of the army of scammers.
Immortal representatives of the army of scammers.

The most remarkable fuel savers known. There is no sense, but, as a rule, there is no harm either. We won’t discuss it: we’re tired of it. For those interested, read here.

What if you apply everything at once?

There is a well-known children's puzzle: someone heard about inventions that save 10, 30 and 60% of fuel, respectively, after which he decided to put everything together and save 100%. Like, what did he do?

Once we conducted a similar experiment on a standard VAZ engine, bringing together the winners of the examinations of recent years. The idea was simple: first we drove the engine in standard configuration on regular gasoline, and then slowly began to throw “candy” to the engine. We started with cleaning gasoline, then changed the spark plugs to iridium ones, then changed the air filter to a Bosch filter, and filled in Shell cool oil. And every time we monitored: is there a difference in the behavior of the motor?

There is a difference - and a significant one. The best components at the time of testing, installed on a conventional engine with the Cinderella package, gave a total effect on fuel consumption of about 9%. It is curious that the simple sum of the effects recorded from each product in “single skating” turned out to be higher. This is how it should have been - there is a complete analogy with the children's problem mentioned above. A simple addition of effects does not work - there is always a mutual influence of processes in the motor.

Why isn’t all this improved technology used on an assembly line? Because of the money, of course.

Ultimate Weapon

Reasons for increased fuel consumption

The main reason for increased gasoline consumption is the unsatisfactory technical condition of the car.

In this case, neither the presence of additives nor measured driving will help you save money. This applies to the following faults:

malfunction of the power unit (spark plug, stretched drive belt);
failure of the sensors that are responsible for monitoring the operation of the fuel injection system;
breakdown of the suspension, transmission or entire braking system;
clogged filters (air, fuel);
decrease in pressure in car tires, operation of tires whose type does not correspond to the season, tire wear;
Incorrectly set camber or toe angle.

Excessive fuel consumption can also be caused by prolonged warm-up (three minutes is enough to achieve the goal, after which you can start driving the car at low speeds).

Overloaded car

It's easier to do harm than to save
It's easier to do harm than to save

As you can see, there are relatively few ways to save fuel. But in return there are a whole bunch of options to waste it aimlessly. For those who are not afraid to recognize their own in one of these options, we invite you to look here.

Good luck to everyone on the roads... and at the gas station!

We have collected the best publications about fuel in the thematic collection “Fuel at gas stations: everything you need to know.”

How to save money at gas stations?

How to reduce fuel consumption in a car with an automatic transmission?

An automatic transmission does not allow you to independently regulate engine operation, so the methods described are not always suitable for such cars. In this case, you can adhere to the following recommendations:

when stopping, it is better to put the gearbox lever in neutral position, this will disconnect the transmission from the engine;
when driving on country roads, experts advise turning on cruise control;
If a car with an automatic transmission has a Winter mode, then you should use it as often as possible (this mode serves to significantly reduce the load on the engine, this happens by engaging a lower gear at low speeds).

Cars with an automatic transmission a priori consume 15% more gasoline than cars with a manual transmission. If these recommendations are followed, this difference can be reduced to almost zero, which will also increase the effectiveness of other saving methods.

Gasoline savings can be reasonable. It doesn't take much effort. You can refuse the air conditioner, put old dumbbells out of the trunk, and also contact specialists in a timely manner for technical inspection and repair of breakdowns. Knowing how to reduce gasoline consumption in a car, you can reduce your own financial costs, and therefore improve your quality of life.

The higher the better

But then you need to reach top gear as quickly as possible. At a speed of 30 km/h, you need to turn on the fourth stage, and at 60 km/h you need to put it in “sixth”. Then the engine will spin below 2000 rpm, fuel consumption will drop significantly. For example, at 3 thousand rpm, 3.5 times more fuel is consumed than at 1500 rpm.

Thus, driving at a speed of 50-60 km/h in top gear will reduce the consumption of the 1.6-liter engine to 4-5 liters per “hundred”. This technique is useful when the fuel level is zero, when you need to use your last strength to reach the nearest gas station.

In addition, modern cars use a Start-Stop system that automatically turns off the engine during forced stops. On the “old ladies” you can turn off the engine yourself. Standing in traffic jams and in front of traffic lights without a running power unit adds up to another 5% fuel savings. But here we must remember that frequent starts harm the mechanics, and it is better to turn off the engine at stops lasting more than one minute.

Lifehacks for cars. 10 ways to save on its maintenance Read more

We don’t interfere with aerodynamics

When driving, the car must resist the air flow. To do this, designers are trying to give it the most aerodynamic shape possible. Even an open window can increase the resistance coefficient by 4–5%. This is why excessive tuning can lead to increased fuel consumption. Even such familiar body kit elements as overhead sills can negatively affect fuel consumption. The installation also leads to an increase in the aerodynamic drag coefficient:

roof rack, which will add 10%;
“fly swatters” – 3%;
antennas – 2%.

Choosing the right oil

Motor oil can change the friction force of engine parts. If it is of poor quality, it is not able to perform its functions. This leads to excessive consumption of fuel. Modern compounds, such as ROLF ENERGY 10W-40 SL/CF, form a stable lubricating film during cold starts and high operating temperatures. They also contribute to easy engine starting and reduce waste consumption to a minimum. When choosing oil, you should take into account the manufacturer’s recommendations, the age of the car, operating characteristics, etc.

Excessive driving dynamics significantly increases fuel consumption

To reduce gasoline consumption, it is not recommended to accelerate too sharply; during a dynamic start from a traffic light, your car’s consumption may increase by 2 or more times as you pick up speed. Try driving for a week in a more relaxed mode than usual, not starting at a traffic light, but accelerating more slowly.

You will see really lower gas mileage
You will notice that you are calmer and less irritated.
You will get more done, you will have time to “think”

Tricks

I’ll tell you about little-known but effective methods for reducing fuel consumption for any car.

Air duct modification

How to reduce fuel consumption in winter? It is necessary to ensure that the air intake is warm. To do this, you need to remove the air duct. The air will arrive already heated (it collects at the top under the hood). Or remove the pipe at the air intake point and lower it as close to the engine as possible, where it is even warmer.

Air duct modification

Here the power drops slightly, so in the summer everything needs to be returned to its place. Fuel savings here will be as much as 20%!

Savings when refueling

Periodically monitor prices at gas stations so as not to overpay. Also now at each gas station there are different bonus programs where you are awarded bonuses. Therefore, be sure to use them and regularly write off points (otherwise the accrual rules may change or the bonuses will simply “burn out”). Some gas stations offer some discounts when refueling at night.

Pay for fuel with cards that provide cashback - this means returning part of the money spent back to your account. Call your bank and clarify your conditions.

Refuel only at more or less well-known gas stations. Low-quality fuel leads to increased fuel consumption (up to 15%).

There are so-called cleaning gasolines on sale that will help save 10% of fuel. Yes, this is true, but this only applies to very dirty engines. In practice, there is not much difference, especially when the cleaning gasoline washes away all the dirt.

Gas equipment

Real savings when installing LPG exist only with an annual mileage of more than 15 thousand km. The payback in this case will be 2 years.

What is gas equipment

Read more about this interesting method of reducing fuel consumption: What is LPG in a car: explanation, types, device, is it worth installing gas equipment

Parking

Always turn off the ignition when parked, even if you stop for 5 minutes. When idling, the car will waste fuel and the engine will also wear out.

Webasto

In winter, starting the engine affects fuel consumption. Until the engine warms up, more fuel will be wasted. Some people use special warm blankets and insulation. This will help retain heat and speed up the warm-up of the engine.

There is a more effective method for warming up the interior and engine. This is Webasto - an autonomous heater that warms up the engine before starting it.

What does Webasto look like?

It is important that this device consumes little gasoline, and it can warm up not only the engine, but also the interior and windows. Webasto will also help reduce wear on the engine and other components of the car. The downside is that this device can be quite expensive.

Read useful information about this device in this article: EVERYTHING about Webasto: what it is in the car, how it works, principle of operation, types, prices, photos + video

Warming up the car

First of all, you need to make sure that the car warms up for the optimal amount of time without wasting gasoline, because most cars are quite “gluttonous” at idle. The optimal warm-up time for a manual car is: 1-2 minutes in summer, 4-5 minutes in winter. The main thing is not to accelerate to maximum speeds during the first kilometers of the journey.

Some drivers have the habit of warming up their car for 15-20 minutes, especially in winter, while the average gasoline consumption is a liter per hour. This means that just warming up the car takes more than 10 liters of gasoline per month. At the same time, most auto experts agreed that long warm-up does not benefit the car, but only reduces its service life.

Using a credit card that allows refunds

Various banks offer a range of services related to lending. Home-Credit is no exception, offering credit cards with a grace period on attractive terms. Compared to Alfa Bank, the grace period is 2 times shorter. But the main advantage of this credit card is the accrual of an additional three percent after each financial transaction, including refueling gasoline. It is advisable to use such a card even if you use cash. Without limiting yourself in purchases, filling in the required amount of fuel, you can cover the accumulated debt with the same cash, but in smaller volumes, taking into account a 3 percent return.

Credit cards