Economical driving style with mechanics. Seven principles of economical driving

In order to save fuel, you first need to figure out what driving style you prefer. If you love and prefer an aggressive driving style, then you can forget about what savings are. But if you still sacrifice this, you will get significantly lower fuel consumption of the car.

And all because even with the same car and with the same amount of luggage, you can get different consumption, and this difference will be measured in liters. And given the current situation, such savings will be significant. It all depends on how you press the gas pedal.

Economy and driving style

If you use certain rules when driving, it will not be difficult to reduce fuel consumption. We receive the main consumption at the moment when the car picks up speed, that is, accelerates.

From this we can conclude that in the city you should not pick up high speed if you see that you will have to stop at a traffic light and then accelerate again, “burning” gasoline in vain. At the same time, it’s a good idea to accustom yourself to approaching a prohibitory traffic light “coasting,” which will also save some fuel.

Video - how you can save fuel when operating a car:

You should also not get too carried away with over-throttle when changing gears: firstly, it damages the gearbox itself, and secondly, it burns excess fuel. In addition, you should not hold the car standing on a slope with the clutch and gas pedal. This habit leads to increased wear of the clutch discs and additional fuel consumption.

Now let's talk about how to shift the gearbox correctly (this does not apply to automatic transmissions). Thanks to this method you can also save a lot of money. It is worth changing gears in advance, without bringing the speed needle to 3 thousand revolutions. In fact, it is advisable to switch somewhere around 2.5 thousand. If you move at a speed of 70 km/h in third gear, although it is high time to engage fourth, then you will have a colossal excess consumption of gasoline.

Economical speed

Every car has an optimal speed at which it consumes the least amount of fuel. Usually it ranges from 90 to 110 kilometers per hour and depends, for the most part, on the car engine. When you are moving along the highway, you just need to pick up a certain speed and maintain it with light pressure on the pedal. in this case is reduced to the very minimum required for the operation of the power unit.

Of course, city traffic jams are a very serious obstacle to economical driving. If you get stuck in a traffic jam, there is no way you can reduce your fuel consumption. Therefore, it is always worth thinking about your movement around the city in order to avoid traffic jams and simply go around it and, thereby, save money. A car navigator can also help with this, which provides a function for plotting a route to avoid traffic jams.

Fuel quality

It should be noted that and has a significant impact on the vehicle’s fuel consumption. You shouldn’t refuel at different gas stations, it’s better to choose one, but... At the same time, during the selection process, it is worth trying to refuel the car at different gas stations and see how the car behaves.

Try driving with gasoline from different gas stations and choose the one where the car pulls best and the engine runs quieter. Thus, you can not only get additional savings on gasoline, but also protect yourself from counterfeit fuel, which is abundant in our country.

Some drivers claim that the use allows them to reduce fuel consumption when operating a car.

Among the 100 car emblems of the world (), there are many automakers that produce fuel-efficient vehicles.

When traveling long distances late, you can save on fuel if you plan the optimal route -

Video - how to drive a Renault Logan car 100 km on 3 liters of fuel:

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DELFI, Ilmar Saabas

Economical lifestyle in Last year became not only an urgent necessity, but also, so to speak, became fashionable. The state saves, residents and entrepreneurs save. Now car drivers are also being taught to save money.

In fact, the general principles of economical driving are more or less known to all car owners, but practice shows that in life this entire set of measures is used quite rarely. Something seems illogical (for example, keeping a distance in conditions of heavy city traffic, when in a stream everyone tries to take advantage of the interval in order to gain an extra ten meters), something (for example, planning a route not along the shortest, but along the least crowded route) requires changing old habits. However, knowing the basic principles of economical driving is useful in any case. Delfi.lv offers a short list of expert recommendations.

Keeping your distance

If the driver keeps his distance from the car in front, this gives him time to assess the situation and anticipate developments. By following your driving style, you can not only save fuel and avoid stress, but also increase your safety on the road. Instructor Aivis Dreimanis: “We carried out special tests when the driver first overcomes the route in a normal, aggressive mode, and in a calm mode - with timely maneuvers and analysis of the situation on the roads. There is virtually no time difference, or it is insignificant - measured in seconds.”

Driving style

Movement should be as smooth as possible, without sudden acceleration or braking. The more stops along the route, the higher the fuel consumption: every time the car starts moving, fuel consumption reaches its maximum. Depending on the situation on the road, you can brake with the engine (as a rule, this can be done if you keep your distance). Instructor Aivis Dreimanis: “Traffic jams cannot be avoided, but movement in a traffic jam should be smooth, no need to twitch or accelerate. You should also not try to save money by switching to neutral speed - this method worked in the era of Zhiguli, now injection engines consume more fuel when coasting than when braking the engine.”

Choosing the right gear and engine speed

Economical driving with automatic transmission - forming habits

As you know, fuel consumption is determined by the intensity of engine use. This is why it is believed that a car with a manual transmission consumes less gasoline or diesel. In fact, everything is relative. Firstly, the driving style of each driver makes adjustments to the consumption characteristics, and secondly, the current robotic gearboxes control the transmission much more efficiently than even the most experienced driver. But for classic automatic transmissions, there are several practical tips for saving fuel:

keep an eye on the tachometer needle - in city mode it should not exceed 2000 rpm for an economical trip;
on the highway, it is most advantageous to put the speed arrow in the 1500-1600 position, but this depends on the size and power of the engine;
when overtaking, prepare in advance, do not press the accelerator pedal sharply, all movements should be smooth;
Start from traffic lights slowly and steadily - this will help to avoid spinning up the engine in first gear.

The highest fuel consumption on an automatic is at the moment of acceleration, so you need to pay a lot of attention to honing the skill of acceleration without spinning up speeds above 2000. This will help save fuel in the tank and money in your wallet, and this operating mode is also perfect for the power unit. True, sometimes it is still necessary to raise the tachometer needle to large values, because otherwise the unit will choke in slag and various fuel impurities that accumulate in the fuel system.

Actions that may damage the automatic transmission

If you like to show off all the capabilities of your car, as well as your driving skills by performing aerobatic maneuvers, it is better to buy a car with a manual transmission. The machine was designed for comfort. It must be used smoothly and carefully. Any form of automatic drifting will be disastrous for the car. Wheel slip is generally not recommended for many automatic transmissions, so there are many situations that can negatively affect the performance of your automatic transmission:

an attempt to get out of the mud captivity into which you accidentally found yourself;
a sharp start with wheel slipping often simply breaks the belts in CVTs;
abrupt gear shift to D while the car is still moving backwards;
activating R or P modes while driving breaks most gearboxes;
an attempt to start the car using a pushrod ends in the need to replace the gearbox;
Constantly driving in manual gear shift mode quickly damages the unit.

Also, improper towing of a car with an automatic transmission often becomes a real problem. It is not recommended to tow such cars. If the need arises, it is better to call a tow truck and pay a little extra, leaving the gearbox intact. Towing on some types of automatic vehicles is possible at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour and over distances of no more than 40 kilometers. When towing, you need to turn on the ignition and put the gearshift lever in N mode.

Using manual gear shift modes in automatic transmissions

On many boxes (except different types stepless variators) there is the possibility of manual gear shifting. Today, many manufacturers equip cars with paddle shifters to make this kind of switching faster, but you should not use these functions. The machine is configured with its own operating modes, which are ideal for the engine; when you interfere with these settings, the unit and gearbox become uncomfortable. You need to use manual modes in the following cases:

when driving off-road - such movement requires the precise engagement of one low gear (often designated L or 1);
on too slippery roads, when forced engagement of a specific gear is necessary (2, 3);
on a mountain road, if engine braking is necessary to preserve the brake pads;
If the generator breaks down on the road and you continue driving only on battery charge, it is better to use manual mode.

In other situations, it is better not to touch the paddles and manual gear shift modes. And if you cannot do without forcibly engaging lower gearbox stages, buy a car with a manual transmission and use the necessary functionality. This will save your money not only when buying a car, but also during its operation and repair. When choosing a package for your purchase, be careful and prudent.

If you drive an automatic like the hero in the following video, be sure to make friends with a mechanic from a good service center:

Let's sum it up

Among most modern cars with automatic transmissions, you can find hundreds of devices and functions that are designed to protect the engine and the gearbox itself from rash actions of the driver. But all these functions turn out to be useless if the owner continues to do things that are not recommended by the manufacturer.

Follow the instructions in your vehicle owner's manual, as well as the laws of logic, and your vehicle will always work perfectly. If repairs to the box are required, it will only be in the form of maintenance and replacement of consumables. Have you ever had any serious problems with automatic transmissions in your driving life?

Driving economically can help you improve your fuel consumption and save money. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your fuel consumption.

Lighten your pressure on the accelerator pedal

Accelerate evenly, no more than necessary to smoothly merge with the flow of traffic. Acceleration to the limit of possible maximum speed may make you feel like a Formula 1 driver, but the money will flow out of your wallet at the same speed.

Fuel consumption is proportional to the load with which the engine operates. Every time, take off when it turns green and see how often you have to visit the gas station. You are guaranteed to have unpleasant sensations from such an experiment.

Every time you press the accelerator pedal when making maneuvers or changing lanes, your fuel consumption is affected. Driving on the highway in a manner of accelerating as quickly as possible and then braking suddenly as soon as your bumper hits the car in front is a waste of fuel and a sure sign of an impatient driver. The best drivers move smoothly and make every move efficiently. Remember, the most economical manner is continuous uniform motion at a constant speed, and, if necessary, acceleration and braking should be carried out as smoothly as possible. This is not only economical, but above all safe.

Loss of traction - loss of fuel

Even if you don't pull away from a stop, you may sometimes notice your tires slipping, especially on wet surfaces or gravel. Any time a tire slips, no matter the reason, you are wasting fuel and also creating a safety hazard. Be careful when driving on slippery or unpaved roads. Slow down on uneven pavement.

Consider engine speed

Engine load is determined by how fast the crankshaft rotates. The crankshaft transmits the engine's power to the transmission and then to the wheels. Engine speed is measured in revolutions per minute, as indicated on the tachometer.

A manual transmission gives the driver complete control over the revs because the driver can force the engine to speed up or slow down by shifting gears. The lower the gear, the more revolutions per minute. The higher the rpm, the more torque the engine produces and the more fuel it uses. Automatic transmissions have taken some of this control out of the driver's hands, but they too can be manipulated to maximize fuel efficiency.

Shift gears clearly and quickly

On a manual transmission vehicle, quickly shift up through the gears. Optimal shift points vary depending on the engine combination and gearbox type, but for best economy, shift into second at around 25 km/h and into top gear by the time the car has reached 50 to 60 km/h.

Basic rule: If the engine speed is higher than necessary to maintain constant speed, change to the next higher gear. Shifting to lower gears is done in the same way, but in the reverse order. If you have to press down on the gas pedal to maintain speed, you probably need to shift to a lower gear. Dragging in too high a gear is bad for the engine or your finances.

Take advantage of the upshift indicator

If your manual transmission vehicle has an upshift indicator, follow its recommendations. The indicator analyzes data from the engine, transmission, and accelerator pedal and tells you exactly when to shift into a higher gear to maintain maximum efficiency, and thus maximum economy.

When the engine speed is high relative to the accelerator pedal position, the indicator signals that by shifting to a higher gear you can get the same performance with less fuel consumption and no loss of power.

Saab and the European Commission for Protection environment conducted testing to compare the performance of vehicles equipped with and without an upshift indicator. Test results, when driving in city mode, showed that on average, cars equipped with an indicator consume more than 9 percent more less fuel. Even without such an indicator, to reduce fuel consumption you simply need to change into a higher gear earlier than usual, and use fifth gear as much as possible.

Watch the tachometer

Since tachometers are no longer limited to high-performance models, drivers now have the ability to monitor engine speed as easily as they monitor road speed. This allows you to find the point of the most efficient engine speed and stay as close to it as possible. At what speed does this happen?

The exact figure depends on the engine, but generally it is the speed at which it produces the most torque. To improve economy, it's generally best to stay below 3,000 rpm most of the time and shift into the next gear before the engine goes significantly beyond its optimal rev level. Too much low frequency engine speed has no impact on your finances, so keeping it below 1500 usually doesn't make any sense.

Sometimes miss the next gear

There is no rule that requires you to use every gear in a manual transmission, going through the entire 1-2-3-4-5 sequence each time. Try switching directly from first to third (skipping second), or going from second to fourth without using third. This technique is especially useful if heavy traffic finds you in too low a gear.

Get the most from your automatic transmission

An automatic transmission frees you from changing gears, but nothing is free, the engine must work a little harder and use a little more fuel to transfer power to the automatic transmission. To make sure, look specifications, the declared fuel consumption for models with a manual transmission is invariably lower than for similar ones with an automatic transmission. However, there are some things you can do to maximize the fuel efficiency of an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle.

Listen during acceleration as the engine note rises and then falls to get an idea of when the transmission reaches the "top" of one ratio and changes to the next lower ratio. Also, watch how the tachometer needle rises and falls as the rpm changes. Remember, the higher the rpm, the more fuel you use.

Some automatic transmissions tend to stay in low gears too long to achieve maximum efficiency. Sometimes you can force the car to shift into a higher gear earlier than usual by pressing the accelerator pedal as you approach 50 km/h. Then, when the top gear has already been reached, continue to accelerate very smoothly.

Keep an eye on the overdrive light

Almost all manual and automatic transmissions have overdrive (gear overdrive), which can be used to save fuel. It is typically the highest numbered gear (or gears) that allows the engine to operate at a lower speed (or low rpm) while the vehicle is moving at a constant speed.

If you want to save money, get into overdrive as soon as possible and keep it there as long as possible until you need the extra power from the lower gear.

The automatic transmission regulates most of its decision-making process on its own. As a rule, the automatic transmission automatically switches to the highest gear, precisely in order to save fuel, at a constant speed, overdrive is activated automatically. But you can also go into or out of overdrive mode. On new cars, this is usually done using a button on the gearshift lever. Typically, the overdrive light turns on on the dashboard when the automatic goes out of it. If you accidentally exit overdrive mode, press the button to return to optimal fuel consumption.

Many modern automatic transmissions allow drivers to shift gears manually by moving the shift lever using a separate gate. It's not the same degree of freedom that a manual transmission provides, but it will still allow you to select a lower gear for better throttle response. However, this increases engine speed and burns more fuel. For best fuel efficiency, shift to the highest gear possible, or simply shift into Drive and let the automatic do what it's designed to do: Select the most fuel-efficient gear at any given time.

Make sure nothing is blocking movement

Do not drive the car with your foot resting on the brake pedal, only lightly touch it. Even the slightest application of the brakes while driving will increase fuel consumption. It also places unnecessary stress on the engine and transmission and causes accelerated wear on the brake rotors.

We're not even talking about checking the handbrake. Never, never drive with a handbrake!

Even when your car is not moving, you can save some money. In our last section We'll look at some ways to save fuel while your car is stationary.

As is known, fuel consumption depends on the total technical condition car, not only on the condition of the engine, but also, for example, on the condition of the car’s chassis, in particular the adjustment of the position of the front wheels, tire pressure, tire type and much more, up to the degree of contamination of the body surface. Of course, on a bad road fuel consumption is higher, but even on asphalt it increases significantly in the city compared to driving on country roads.

Being an objective reality, many of the mentioned and unmentioned factors affecting efficiency are beyond the every minute influence of the car owner. So, for example, in order to reduce fuel consumption, it is impossible to exclude driving around the city or drive only with an empty car. But among the primary factors it is necessary to highlight driving style, which completely depends on the driver. Those drivers who strive for economical operation of their car must not only keep its technical part in order, but also remember a number of features and techniques for economical driving.

First of all, you need to drive the car slowly, accelerating smoothly but quite intensively, using an even pace and using the brakes minimally. Fuel consumption depends especially strongly on driving speed, and on any car, a speed of more than two-thirds of the maximum leads to very high fuel costs. This is due to obvious reasons: as speed increases, rolling resistance and air resistance increase. If rolling resistance increases with increasing speed in direct proportion and quite slowly, then air resistance increases quadratically. This means that if you double the speed of the car, you will have to spend four times more fuel to increase air resistance. The last message probably won’t surprise anyone.

Many drivers know and remember such basic things quite well and, nevertheless, drive for their own pleasure, not really worrying about excessive fuel consumption. But sometimes, especially on a long journey, they have to experience an acute shortage of gasoline. What to do in these cases and what kind of gain can you get? Specialists who are seriously involved in fuel economy achieve truly fantastic results. For example, the recent winners of the next eco-rally in a serial front-wheel drive car from the Volzhsky Automobile Plant, without any modifications to the power system, spent at an average speed of about 60 km/h 3.1 l/100 km or One liter of gasoline drove more than 32 km! This would be impossible without the use of special driving tactics and vehicle preparation in order to reduce aerodynamic losses while driving.

It is quite difficult to achieve such results, and if you encounter an acute fuel shortage along the way, most of the techniques from the arsenal of eco-rally winners will turn out to be unsuitable due to the complexity of execution and the laboriousness of preparing the car. However, without much time and labor-intensive preparatory work, the minimum fuel consumption on the road can be reduced by almost half compared to the average consumption for the so-called combined cycle.

In other words, if on average you drive, for example, 12-13 kilometers on a liter of gasoline per month, then in strict economy mode you can drive 20-25 kilometers on a liter of gasoline in the same car. For this purpose, remove everything unnecessary from the outside: additional headlights, spoilers, even windshield wipers, recess the antenna, remove or fold the outside rear view mirrors, raise the tire pressure a few tenths of an atmosphere above the upper limit and close the windows. In the engine compartment, wipe the high voltage wires, ignition distributor cap, spark plug insulators with a damp cloth, wait until they dry, and then drive, trying to move evenly in fourth gear at a speed of about 40 km/h.

You still shouldn’t use coasting, except on downhill sections of the road. At the same time, do not turn off the engine for safety reasons. You need to brake as little as possible, and you need to use the brakes, and not the help of the engine. Engine braking is possible in cases where the vehicle is equipped with a fuel shut-off system in forced idle mode. However, keep the following in mind. Driving in this mode greatly reduces safety, because your car will interfere with other traffic and even cause confusion among drivers of relatively slow-moving cars. The situation becomes especially dangerous when you have to overtake slow-moving vehicles such as tractor-trailers. At these moments, stop saving fuel, accelerate quite intensively in third gear to a speed of no higher than 80 km/h, switch to direct gear and overtake the obstacle at a significant speed limit.

If you were unable to reach your intended goal, the car jerked several times and the engine completely stalled, by inertia, pull over to the side of the road, turn on your hazard lights, but do not rush to pull out the hose and bucket so that you can vote with these items in front of passing traffic for hours. There is an opportunity to help yourself. The fact is that in any gas tank there remains a so-called dead residue of gasoline. Its size ranges from one to several liters. In this case, look for a suitable container, unscrew the drain plug of the gas tank and drain this residue. How best to use this true reserve, think for yourself. The most rational way is to disconnect the gas hose leading to the fuel pump from the side of the gas line, remove the clamp from it and, having made a hole of a suitable diameter in the lid of a sealed plastic container, lower its end there. How to tie a container inside engine compartment you'll have to figure it out yourself.

To be on the safe side, remember that this container can accumulate static electricity and can be dangerous if isolated from metal parts of the vehicle. Therefore, before refilling or dismantling it, be careful and try to remove any possible electrical charge from it. It is useful to understand what additional fuel consumption is caused by various technical malfunctions of the car and external elements on the body. There is little information on this issue in our specialized literature and it is quite contradictory. Below are data published in V. Ezhevsky’s book “Learn to Drive Economically”, as well as obtained from other sources.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

Roof load increases fuel consumption by up to 30%;
- Trailer 25%;
- Valves are not adjusted 20%;
- Carbon deposits in combustion chambers 30%;
- Incorrect geometry of the front wheels 10%;
- Low tire pressure 10%;
- Incorrect gap in spark plugs by 0.5 l/100 km;
- Reducing the gap in the contacts of the breaker 0.6 l/100 km;
- Side rear view mirror 0.5 l/100 km;

An economical driving style, compared to an inept one, allows you to save up to 25% of gasoline.

Economical driving style with mechanics. Seven principles of economical driving

Economy and driving style

Economical speed

Fuel quality

Economical driving with automatic transmission - forming habits

Actions that may damage the automatic transmission

Using manual gear shift modes in automatic transmissions

Let's sum it up

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Economical driving style with mechanics. Seven principles of economical driving

Economy and driving style

Economical speed

Fuel quality

Economical driving with automatic transmission - forming habits

Actions that may damage the automatic transmission

Using manual gear shift modes in automatic transmissions

Let's sum it up

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