We all want to be economical about our fuel consumption. Sometimes, we might use up more fuel than is necessary without meaning to. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this and make sure that you’re only using as much fuel as you need. Follow these helpful tips and you’ll be on your way to becoming more fuel-efficient:
Choose the right engine
Having the right type of engine for the right type of vehicle can make a huge difference in how much your vehicle can carry, its gas mileage, and how much fuel it’ll consume. In general, 4-cylinder engines are more suited for smaller vehicles that carry less weight. Because of this, they use up less fuel than a 6-cylinder but don’t have as high of performance or power. Most cars will have a 4-cylinder engine. A 6-cylinder engine, meanwhile, can carry more weight and has more power than a 4-cylinder engine. They’re mostly used for industrial vehicles who need that power to do their jobs, such as tow trucks and construction equipment, such as the CAT C15.
Each engine type will, of course, have its own fuel needs. Picking the right one for your everyday car needs could be paramount to fuel efficiency. If you use your car to get from one place to another, a 4-cylinder engine will work just fine. If you like to go fast or need your vehicle to carry some weight every day, a 6-cylinder will serve you well. In terms of fuel consumption, 4-cylinders are more fuel efficient and leave less of a carbon footprint than 6-cylinders. So be aware of the type of performance and fuel efficiency of each engine when making a choice.
Proper maintenance
Regular vehicle maintenance is a must for every car owner. It keeps your car clean, makes sure that the engine is running at optimal condition, and saves you on fuel. At the very least, you should change your car’s oil and air filters at least semi-regularly. If the air filter gets clogged up or you haven’t changed your car’s oil in a while, it can put more burden on your engine, therefore costing you more fuel. Other than that, maintenance improves your car’s overall performance and has to be done on a regular basis.
Check your tires
If your tires aren’t properly aligned, it can cause them to slip over certain surfaces, like wet roads and other surfaces that can cause some resistance. The more resistance it meets and the more your tires slip, the more your engine will have to work to overcome it, which then equals more fuel wasted. You’re losing mileage and potentially endangering yourself. Check your tires to make sure that they’re aligned and inflated. It’s recommended that you get ones that reduce drag and resistance on roads to save yourself the trouble.
Check how much weight you carry on a daily basis
The weight your vehicle carries daily contributes to how much fuel it uses up attempting to carry that weight. Unless you’re driving a heavy-duty vehicle that is meant to carry heavy cargo, you shouldn’t be straining your vehicle by carrying more in your trunk than you should. As much as possible, minimize your vehicle’s load and if you have to, store cargo in the trunk or in the back instead of on the roof.
Watch your acceleration and braking
You waste a lot of fuel when you accelerate your car too fast and too soon, and so does braking too quickly. To avoid this, shift to a higher gear when you’re speeding and gradually accelerate instead of going full throttle all at once. Your engine burns up less fuel when it’s slowly eased into higher speeds and especially when it’s going faster on a higher gear. Just remember to go at it slowly and observe proper traffic rules.
Avoid idling for a long time
When you leave your engine on idle for a long time, that’s just valuable fuel being wasted. Don’t leave your car idling for more than a minute or two at the most. Turning your engine off and then restarting it when you need to go is a far more fuel-efficient method than keeping your car on the whole time. You might also want to reduce your AC usage while you’re idling or limit AC usage in your vehicle altogether.
Being fuel efficient is all about using your fuel for the right things and not wasting them on things you don’t really need it for. These tips do more than just save your fuel, but you can also extend your car’s useful life and keep it running for longer. Start your fuel-efficient journey today.
