How to drive properly and save on fuel?

How to drive properly and save on fuel? Many users, when renting a car, wonder how to drive to save gasoline and their own money. The answers are very simple, and the recommendations given will help not only to improve the performance of the car, but also to reduce fuel consumption, the cost of which is quite high today.

How to drive correctly to save

Especially beginners do not know how to drive correctly, so they often make typical mistakes and increase fuel consumption. For it to be even, you need to check tire pressure, so you should regularly check the degree of tire pressure. An increase of 0.3 bar is considered normal. Overinflation increases the load on the suspension and body and negatively affects fuel consumption and the quality of driving in general. Travel speed also affects gasoline consumption. For example, when speeding, consumption increases, since the engine revs increase, therefore more energy is consumed. To learn how to drive to save gasoline, you need to change your manner of movement on the road. Press the gas pedal only when necessary; completely abandon sharp starts and braking, since at the moment of a sharp press a large volume of gasoline is supplied to the cylinders. You should also refuse high gears at low speed. If the tachometer needle shows 2500–3000 rpm, then you should choose higher gears to save fuel. On the highway it is better to prefer a cruising speed of 90–100 km/h, and then the question of which speed saves gasoline and fuel consumption will not arise. Since at high revs and in the last gear the car travels a long distance in a short period of time. Thanks to such simple tips you will learn not only how to save fuel correctly, but you will also be able to test effective methods by your own example. To learn how to save gasoline with an automatic transmission, you need to abandon the operation of the air conditioner. Depending on the selected power and type of vehicle, fuel consumption increases by 5 to 20%. The car’s “gluttony” also depends on equipment such as:
  • car radio;
  • fog lights;
  • heater.
If you plan to find out how to save fuel with an AT, then you should read this article. The intensity of fuel use depends on the engine, therefore it is believed that with an automatic transmission fuel consumption is significantly lower.

A list of simple tips to save gasoline effectively with an AT

  • Monitor the tachometer needle.
  • Even when overtaking, the car’s movements should be smooth and maneuverable — in this case fuel will be saved.
  • Start off slowly; do not sharply press the gas pedal — this consumes more fuel.
  • To avoid wondering how to save fuel with an automatic, you need to develop your own driving style, without sharp movements and gas presses. Use Sport mode only occasionally, since when this function is activated, gasoline consumption increases significantly.

Bypassing traffic jams

Significant fuel savings are also possible when bypassing traffic jams. When leaving home, you need to watch the news and road load, bypass accidents and traffic jams. While standing in a jam, the car is not turned off, so precious gasoline is consumed and you do not move quickly along the road, which additionally creates not only financial costs but also nervous tension. As an option, you can lay a different route that will reduce travel time and the amount of gasoline spent. You can plot your route using a navigator. For example, it will offer several options at once, show travel time, and help save. Therefore, to the question of how to drive a car correctly, it is worth answering that you need to competently and in advance think through your route. You can plan all your errands for days when the roads are less busy to get them done quickly and in one go.

Warming up the car

Fuel savings are also relevant in winter, since due to frost its consumption increases. For example, to start the car, you need to warm it up at idle for several minutes; in addition to consuming valuable fuel, the car also deteriorates, since there is a negative effect on the engine. To save money, you can use special functions in the car designed for heating, and also not leave it in the open air. Indoors it will freeze less and start faster. To warm the engine, you can use:
  • darnit (insulation fabric);
  • felt;
  • blanket;
  • special automotive blankets made of fire-resistant materials that can retain heat for a long period of time.
So as not to be saddened by how to reduce fuel consumption on a diesel, you should not warm up the car for 10–15 minutes, but buy a well-heated garage.

Driving with open windows

It would seem that fast driving, loud music, and open windows are the height of enjoyment, but alas, all these characteristics are not about how to save fuel efficiently. Because during fast driving you need to close the windows, since air flows create additional resistance to the vehicle, so the engine needs to draw additional energy from the fuel to keep the car on the highway and maintain the set level. You can also reduce the coefficient of aerodynamic drag by giving the car a more streamlined shape. It is worth noting that it is impossible to create a different shape for the car, but you can remove elements that affect aerodynamics, for example:
  • a roof-mounted trunk;
  • antenna;
  • “bug deflector.”
Before talking about how to save on the technical condition of the car, attention should be paid to tuning, which reduces the aerodynamics of the car and increases fuel consumption. For example, you should abandon wide rims. You need to understand that saving fuel in a car is not a myth, but a real reality when all recommendations are followed.

Technical condition of the car

To avoid asking how to reduce fuel consumption on a diesel or other fuel, it is necessary to carry out constant preventive inspections of the vehicle. Since when driving with worn parts, fuel consumption can also change. The most detailed attention should be paid to the air filter, since many owners do not know whether a clogged air filter affects fuel consumption; they make the most popular mistake and look for reasons in everything except the obvious and simple thing. When the air filter is dirty, the degree of oxygen saturation of the combustible fuel is supplied in the same volume, but with a lower percentage of saturation, and gasoline consumption increases since the fuel entering the chamber has minimal saturation and gives off minimal energy when burning, therefore the vehicle increases fuel consumption. Experts recommend replacing the air filter after 10,000 km. Cleaning will also positively affect the quality of the car and gasoline consumption if, once every few months, you clean the air filter, simply removing the accumulated dust. Now, thanks to a simple cleaning tip, you know how you can save fuel without much effort.

Fuel quality

To the question of how to drive economically with an automatic, you can answer simply — buy an old car and buy cheaper fuel. Since you can pour regular fuel into old cars, new foreign cars need to be filled only with the highest quality gasoline; when refueling with low-quality fuel, the vehicle will break down faster. So as not to dwell on the problematic topic of how to drive to save fuel, you need to pay attention to which gas stations you use. If you do this at the same one, then we recommend checking fuel prices at other gas stations, since sometimes some stations artificially inflate prices. By changing the habit, you can save money — it seems small, but with regular refueling it will amount to a rather significant amount. We have told you how to save gasoline in the city, and now we will reveal the secret of how to get it for free or profitably. For example, you should analyze which bonus programs gas stations offer and choose the most acceptable option. Some stations offer to fill up gasoline for a significant amount and receive bonuses, accumulating them from regular refueling — thanks to this method you can collect enough bonuses and get a full tank for free. Some gas stations offer to return a percentage of the amount spent; the percentage also depends on the amount of the refueling. This article describes the most popular and proven ways to drive so that consumption is lower; thanks to the given examples, you can completely change your driving style, attitude to the car, and reduce your own fuel costs. Therefore, if you are ready to enjoy a quality trip and saved finances, then you should use the above tips to save gasoline. If you decide to rent a car from the company Top Rent, then you can effectively save on fuel using the recommendations above, as well as enjoy the rental, a high-quality and multifunctional vehicle, and a pleasant and affordable trip.