With the rise in prices at the pump, everyone’s paying more and more attention to their fuel consumption. So much so that it has become a real selling point among dealerships.
In fact, many people ask me how to reduce fuel consumption. As you will see, it is possible to save several liters of fuel by adopting small, simple actions on a daily basis, whether in your driving or on your vehicle. At the end of the year it will be several hundred dollars earned, which is not negligible these days!
This article will be divided into 3 parts. First of all I will address the subject of reducing consumption directly on the vehicle. Then all the savings can be made directly by going to the pump. And finally, I will present to you the best practices for driving and using the car to see its consumption drop.
Without further ado, here are my 30 pro tips for reducing your fuel consumption:
1. Avoid engine clogging
We sometimes forget it, but a dirty car will consume much more than usual. Clogged filters or injectors will cause unnecessary excess consumption of the car. In addition to causing mechanical setbacks. The fault most often lies in short journeys, city traffic or a lack of maintenance.
To overcome this problem, the use of additives is strongly recommended.
These are added to your fuel and will clean your car. The result new found power and reduced fuel consumption. But also fewer polluting emissions. And it works really well!
2. Maintain your vehicle well
Beyond engine clogging, you should also scrupulously follow the maintenance of your vehicle and the recommended deadlines. Having a well-maintained car, with up-to-date oil changes and filters, will allow you to save on fuel compared to a similar, less well-maintained car. For example, a simple fault in alignment could lead to excess fuel consumption. As you will have understood, if you take care of your car, it will pay you back!
3. Install an additional box
There is also another very effective solution: installing an additional box. This is a box which connects to the injection rail and which will modify the parameters of your engine to optimize fuel consumption (and power).
If you are looking for an efficient box at a good price, I recommend the RaceChip. In fact, this box allows you to obtain a consumption gain of up to 15%. It is compatible with many diesel and gasoline vehicles and does not require great mechanical knowledge for installation. A good system provided you choose the right model.
4. Engine reprogramming
Another solution to reduce fuel consumption: use engine reprogramming. The goal here will be to modify the engine map in order to improve consumption. Be careful, however, this practice is not legal because it must lead to a modification of the registration document (and therefore a passage to the mine). It also happens that this causes a reduction in vehicle performance.
5. Convert your vehicle to ethanol
If you have a gasoline vehicle and your goal is to pay less at the pump, then converting to ethanol is a wise choice. With a price per liter of around 80 cents per liter, E85 has become a highly sought-after fuel. Even if switching to ethanol will lead to excess fuel consumption, the gain with each fill-up is significant.
Please note, however, that you can only convert gasoline cars. But be aware that most modern vehicles (since the 2000s) are often compatible with ethanol conversion.
6. Have properly inflated tires
Tires are what directly connect your car to the road. Under-inflated tires immediately lead to excess fuel consumption because they will “slow down” the car .
I recommend checking the pressure at least once a month. Even if you don’t drive much. It is possible to use the inflator from your service station but it is not recommended if you have driven before. Pressing hot is dangerous because it distorts the result. The best is to buy a compressor and check the pressure even at home, on cooled tires.
7. Limit the use of air conditioning
Even if this is a little less the case on new vehicles, air conditioning remains one of the elements which will have the greatest impact on consumption.
In summer, turn on the air conditioning while keeping the windows tightly closed to cool the living space. Also remember to turn off the air conditioning when the temperature has become acceptable in the passenger compartment. Automatic and dual-zone air conditioning may be useful to you in this specific case.
Don’t forget the good old sun visor either, which will prevent your vehicle from becoming an oven. If necessary, consider parking in a shaded area on sunny days.
8. Do not roll with the windows wide open
You might think that opening the windows wide will cool your vehicle and therefore limit the use of air conditioning.
But in reality it is most often counterproductive. Because driving with the windows open at high speed will prevent the vehicle from being perfectly aerodynamic and break its grip in the wind. So it is preferable to drive with the windows closed or slightly ajar, especially at high speed.
9. Lighten the weight of your car
“Light is right” if you are a car enthusiast like me you probably know this adage. This anglicism means in a way “the lighter it is, the better.” And that also applies to fuel consumption.
The heavier a vehicle is, the more power it will need to develop to move. So if you want to save on fuel consumption, lighten your vehicle by elevating everything that is superfluous (like unnecessary objects in the trunk). We often have a lot of things in our car that we have forgotten or that are of no daily use.
10. Don’t break the aerodynamics of your car
Our cars are often designed to have good wind resistance. This is called aerodynamics. But adding accessories to your car will sometimes break this aerodynamic effect. Bicycle racks and roof boxes must therefore be removed as soon as you no longer use them. Quite simply because these accessories will obstruct the air and cause you to consume more than necessary.
11. Pay attention to electricity consumption
Our modern cars are increasingly equipped, particularly in terms of electrical equipment. Using the car radio, subwoofer, screen, heated seats, cigarette lighter, phone charging, etc. can result in slight excess fuel consumption.
This is not the case with heating because the hot air comes from the heat of the engine. By limiting the use of electrical appliances and equipment in your car, this leads to a significant reduction in consumption.
12. Install Energy Saver tires
For heavy drivers, installing “Energy Saver” type tires could prove beneficial for your consumption. That being said, be aware that if these tires are economical from a consumption point of view, it is sometimes to the detriment of braking distances. And the gains in fuel consumption remain quite minimal, it should only be favored for people who do a lot of kilometers per year.
13. Find the cheapest station
In these times of significant increase in fuel prices, it is more important than ever to find the cheapest station near you. In fact, significant differences can be observed from one station to another, sometimes only a few kilometers away.
Of course, there is no question here of making a big detour because the interest would be less important. But it may be worth making a quick detour to another service station to save a few precious dollars on a fill-up.
14. Refuel in the morning
Be careful here, this is not a miracle solution that will save you huge amounts of money. But it is still advisable to fill up with fuel in the morning or when the temperatures are cool.
You may not know it, but the volume of fuels varies depending on temperatures. When temperatures are high, fuels expand and take up more space in the tank. And the phenomenon of evaporation will be more significant. But conversely when it is cooler, the density of the fuel is less important. This way, the gun will deliver more fuel for a similar price.
15. Don’t wait for the reserve
Personally, I strongly advise you not to drive on the fuel reserve for several reasons. First of all, by getting into the habit of driving on the reserve, you risk seeing deposits from the bottom of your tank clogging the filters and causing progressive clogging. This will subsequently result in excess fuel consumption.
Also, the more the fuel is in contact with the air, the more likely it is to evaporate. It is therefore preferable to refuel when the tank is half full but to avoid reaching the reserve at all costs.
16. Slowly fill the tank
I also advise you to fill the tank without using the maximum speed of the gun. Indeed, fuel guns generally have 3 flow speeds. Avoid going at maximum speed as much as possible, especially if you don’t have a line behind you at the gas station.
By using a slow speed, you will minimize the vapors created during filling. So, by avoiding this evaporation, you will have more fuel for the same price.
17. Use the right fuel
Always use the fuel recommended by the manufacturer. And avoid fuel from supermarket gas stations as much as possible . There are fuels at service stations (Total, Elf, etc.) containing additives which optimize the consumption of your vehicle.
Also, for gasoline cars, I noticed that consumption was better with SP95 rather than E10. Probably because of the 10% ethanol. Furthermore, note that you can also purchase additives separately. From time to time, it will really do your car good. This entails an additional cost but you avoid getting your vehicle dirty, which is an excellent thing.
18. Drive with anticipation
Anticipation, everything is said in this word! If you tend to drive aggressively and sportily, this will significantly impact your fuel consumption. Raise your foot when approaching traffic lights, roundabouts, vehicles in front of you, and you will gain in comfort and consumption.
19. Don’t climb the towers
Do you like playing with the breaker? A very bad habit for saving gasoline. In fact, going up to high revs generally leads to overconsumption. You will therefore have to remember to shift gears early enough to avoid over-revving (red zone).
20. Use Start & Stop (turn off the engine)
Start & Stop is now fitted to many cars. This allows you to enjoy comfort when stationary (less noise) but also a slight fuel saving. This applies to stops of at least 3 seconds.
Turning off your engine can therefore be a good reflex when a light has just turned red. Be careful though, this must only be done if your vehicle is equipped with a Start-and-Stop as standard because all the mechanics are designed for this use.
Do not do this while turning the key to your vehicle because the starter and various mechanical elements are not designed for this use. You could therefore risk having unpleasant surprises and damaging, among other things, the battery .
21. Freewheeling
As soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, your vehicle will no longer consume a drop of fuel. Every meter traveled without touching the right pedal is a free meter ! Think about it on descents where you arrive at a light or a stop sign!
22. Use cruise control
If you have a recent car, it is probably equipped with cruise control. The latter will be your best ally in maintaining moderate fuel consumption. Indeed, once your cruising speed is reached and the correct gear is engaged, the regulator will automatically manage acceleration and allow you to have stable consumption.
23. Driving in an automatic gearbox
More and more drivers are opting for the automatic transmission. If in the past automatic transmissions consumed more than manual transmissions, things have been reversed in recent years. Even more so if you have trouble knowing when to properly submit your reports. So you can let the automatic mode shift gears at the right time.
24. Knowing how to accelerate honestly
You might think the opposite, but the faster you reach your cruising speed, the less fuel you will consume. This applies to insertions on the ring road/ring road or after the toll on the motorway.
On the contrary, if you take time to reach your cruising speed, this will result in higher consumption. Then all you have to do is engage the cruise control.
25. Ride gently when cold
It is advisable not to force too much on the engine as long as it is cold. The first kilometers will require more fuel than the following ones while the engine warms up. So you might as well slow down a little so that it doesn’t impact your overall consumption. And it will be good for your car too.
26. Don’t rev the engine for nothing
In the past, it was common to say that you had to warm up your engine (especially Diesels) for a few minutes before leaving to preheat them.
This is no longer necessary on recent vehicles, and it will cause fuel to go up in smoke. However, it is still advisable to drive slowly for the first 10 minutes as indicated above.
27. Use a GPS (or Waze)
Avoiding traffic jams is still the best way to avoid wasting fuel. In fact, driving in traffic will make you consume much more than in free-flowing traffic. So don’t hesitate to connect your GPS (or the Waze application), especially during rush hours, even if you know the road perfectly!
28. Decrease average speed
Reducing your average speed also allows you to save on fuel consumption. For example, when you are on the highway, reduce your speed by 10 km/h if you are not in a hurry. By going from 130 to 120 you will save 1 liter of fuel per 100 kilometers.
29. Choose the right car
As you probably know, not all cars have the same fuel consumption. If you’re in the city a lot, a small city car might do the trick. Conversely, if you often drive on the highway, choosing a road car like a sedan will be more judicious. If you can, turn to hybrid, hydrogen or even electric vehicles.
30. Choose alternatives to the car
The best way to avoid consuming fuel is to use your vehicle less. To pick up a baguette at the local bakery or do some small shopping in your local store, don’t hesitate to take your bike, scooter, or public transport.