If you notice unusual fuel consumption on your vehicle, you should be alerted immediately. Especially if you have not changed your driving habits, it means that there is a technical problem, possibly due to neglected vehicle maintenance.
There are a number of reasons for excessive fuel consumption. Here are the main possible causes you should know about:
Bad Tires
It is important to choose good tires for your car to reduce your fuel consumption. If they are worn out, you will also need to change your tires.
Always use tires that are appropriate for each season and check the pressure of your tires regularly to reduce friction and avoid the risk of over-consumption.
When deflated, the contact area of the tire with the ground becomes larger, which greatly increases its resistance to the road. This is a major problem for your car’s performance, driving characteristics and, of course, fuel consumption.
Driving Style
You may not realize it, but you may have changed the way you drive and have a less smooth driving style on the road. Much of the increase in fuel consumption can be attributed to incorrect driving behaviour.
Nervous driving is typically characterized by hard, often unnecessary acceleration followed by sudden braking. This type of driving can increase fuel consumption by up to 40%!
Beware of Your Vehicle’s Air Conditioning!
You should know that excessive use of air conditioning can lead to higher fuel consumption. If you are driving in the city, it is better to open the windows instead of turning on the air conditioning. On a long trip, consider opening the windows for a few minutes and then closing them again before turning on the AC.
As a rule of thumb, it is estimated that an air-conditioned car can increase fuel consumption by more than one extra liter per 100 kilometers. Therefore, don’t set it too high.
On the other hand, driving with the windows wide open is not always more economical. The result is an unavoidable draught in the passenger compartment, which slows down the vehicle’s progress.
Dirty Air Filter
Having a poor performing air filter will have a significant impact on your fuel economy.
If you notice a decrease in your vehicle’s performance or an increase in your fuel consumption, your air filter may be the cause.
So replacing a clogged air filter can reduce fuel consumption and improve acceleration. Once you realize this, it makes sense to replace your air filter regularly to avoid this common car problem.
Worn Spark Plugs
Bad spark plugs can increase your vehicle’s fuel consumption because they prevent your engine from properly burning all of the fuel in the combustion chamber, resulting in wasted fuel.
So, if you find that your fuel consumption is higher than usual, fouled or damaged spark plugs may be the culprit.
If one of the spark plugs is defective, the engine won’t be able to run ideally. This will lead to several problems, including over-consumption of fuel. Refer to your manufacturer’s service manual to find out when to change them.
Lambda Sensor Failure
The purpose of the lambda sensor is to reduce the emission of pollutants and to reduce fuel consumption by allowing the engine control unit to fine-tune the amount of fuel being consumed.
A faulty lambda sensor can cause problems because without control, no information will be sent to the ECU, which will use default information, resulting in increased fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
Choosing The Right Bearings
For a driver looking to reduce fuel consumption, choosing the right bearings is a key factor in saving several gallons of fuel per year.
For the automotive industry, choosing the right bearing is no longer just a matter of mechanical power. With the increasing focus on environmentally friendly energy consumption and rising fuel prices, it can be beneficial to look at bearings that have the ability to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining a higher power density.
Carburetor Out of Adjustment
For gasoline cars made before 1991, regular ignition and carburetion adjustments are essential to avoid problems of fuel overconsumption.
Indeed, a well-tuned carburetor in good working order will provide a perfect air-fuel mixture, without over-consuming your engine.
So, consider a tune-up of your vehicle if the adjustments have not been checked for more than 30,000 km. On the other hand, engines equipped with an injection system do not require a tune-up, as this is done directly by the injectors.
Bad Injectors
For many years now, under the hood of all modern cars, injectors have replaced carburetors. These little elements help to avoid wasting fuel and thus reduce consumption to improve the performance of your car.
It is not recommended to drive with a faulty injector, as this will have a significant impact on the combustion quality of the engine and the consumption of gasoline or diesel fuel.
In addition, driving with damaged injectors can damage your engine and require costly repairs.
Fuel Leakage
Having a fuel leak gives the impression of over-consumption, but you don’t have to be a mechanical engineer to figure it out!
Conclusion :
With the various dashboard visual displays available today, it is relatively easy to keep an eye on fuel consumption.
Constant monitoring of your fuel consumption can be a great help in improving your driving habits and optimizing your fuel consumption.
Consider walking, biking or taking public transportation when your trips are less than 2 kilometers long! Also try carpooling.
Finally, if you know of other causes of over-consumption not listed here, please feel free to share them in the comments.
