Why Your Car Consumes More Fuel And How To Prevent It?

Have you ever noticed that your car is consuming more fuel than it used to, and you’re not sure why? This is a common problem that many drivers face, but fortunately, there are ways to address it. In this blog, we’ll explain the reasons why your car may be consuming more fuel and provide you with some tips to prevent it. Whether you’re looking to save money on gas or reduce your carbon footprint, this article is for you.

Fuel economy is considered by many buyers before choosing a car. As is the fact, a sudden drop in mileage is a matter of concern. Many reasons can lead to this condition. One must understand the issue, to implement correction. Let’s take a look at the reasons why your car consumes excess fuel and measures to prevent it.

Factors That Affect Fuel Consumption

Taking proper care of your car, pursuing preventive, corrective, and predictive vehicle maintenance, and scheduled servicing is essential for keeping the car healthy technically. At the same time, you need to identify a trustworthy car service centre near you and avoid going to a random service station. Besides the knowledge and experience of the technicians, how meticulously they undertake the servicing also matters. Knowing the factors that affect fuel consumption will help in preventing mistakes and pursuing the right practices.

1. Short Trips and Braking

Constant short trips will impact the fuel economy. Many do not know how badly a short outing to a nearby shop, or place affects the mileage. It would be great if you can avoid taking the car and go by walk or two-wheeler. Heavy braking frequently is another factor that causes a reduction in mileage, similar to short outings. Always make a note of both of these things. Avoid short trips and frequent heavy braking to improve fuel economy. 

2. Worn-out tyres

Worn-out Tyres or bad condition of tyres is another factor that increases fuel consumption. Tires lose traction due to the wearing out of treads. In addition to becoming a serious safety concern, these worn-out tyres force engines to work more to maintain speed thereby leading to an elevated fuel consumption rate. Also, the tyre condition, tyre pressure, and wheel balancing have to be proper to prevent a reduction in mileage. The condition of the tyre has been one of the factors that affect fuel consumption. Make it a practice to check tyre pressure once every fortnight. Or you may club it with fuelling, as tire filling is available at fuel stations. Maintain the wheel balancing and tyre rotation periodicity and get it done at a trusted tyre servicing center.

3. Aggressive Driving and Speeding

Moderate driving is the best for safety, engine health, the vehicle’s long life, and fuel economy. Over-speeding, hard braking, and quick acceleration will reduce the mileage heavily. The engine would be working under tremendous pressure when the vehicle is driven aggressively. Changing aggressive driving habits will offer you excellent fuel economy. Aggressive driving and speeding can also lead to accidents. Hence, in every way, it is good to follow a healthy driving habit.

4. Vehicle Condition

Car owners often procrastinate servicing. This is one of the main factors that affect fuel consumption. Maybe due to their busy life, being heavily loaded with important work, or laziness. This will not only affect the fuel economy but also severely affect the car’s health. The fuel consumption will shoot up when the fuel system and engine components are not working efficiently. A defective fuel injector, leak in the fuel system, choked fuel filter, etc. will lead to high fuel consumption.

5. Engine Defect

Although this is an extreme scenario, a defect in the engine, is one of the factors that affect fuel consumption. Many a time, car servicing centers do not inspect car engines properly. They might be inspecting the fluids and undertaking standard procedures, but not the engine. Since it is presumed that the engine will be in good condition. The defective engine would need more fuel to burn for producing the same power. An experienced knowledgeable technical team only can identify engine issues. Get your car serviced at a trusted workshop or service centre to avoid engine issuescausing increased fuel consumption.

6. Quality of Engine Oil

Replenishing the car with the engine oil of the stated specification is mandatory. Check the vehicle manual and abide by it. The viscosity of the engine oil is of paramount importance. The engine oil of wrong viscosity will lead to overloading of the engine, due to difficulty in moving engine components and accessories thereby impacting fuel economy. If you are getting the engine oil replaced as part of car servicing, make sure that the technicians are using the engine oil of the prescribed specifications.

7. Poor Quality Fuel

Fuel Adulteration is another factor that affects fuel consumption. It is not possible to check the quality of fuel every time. The only way you can consider this is to choose a trustworthy fuel station to fill your vehicle. The same is the case when you add additives to fuel. Make sure the additive is helping in improving mileage as well as power. Burn deposits in fuel nozzles and engines can lead to a reduction in mileage.

8. Using AC System

Running your car AC is another factor that increases fuel efficiency. It is a known fact that the mileage will go down with the AC switched on. Therefore, you may switch it off whenever possible. We understand the limitations of the hot climatic condition in UAE. Nonetheless, avoid using AC as and when possible if you want to increase your car’s mileage. Also, get your faulty car AC repaired to improve fuel efficiency.

Also, read: Key Points to Improve Your Car’s AC Performance

9. Keeping the Car in Idling RPM

Keeping the car idling at traffic, signals and other occasions can consume fuel unnecessarily. It would be better to keep the car off if you find the waiting time is more. Thus fuel consumption can be kept in control. This is a factor that affects fuel consumption while driving in the city.

Conclusion

Apart from the factors mentioned above, there are several other factors that can affect fuel consumption in cars. For instance, the weight of the vehicle, the aerodynamic design, and even the road conditions can impact fuel economy. Moreover, weather conditions such as high winds and extreme temperatures can also affect fuel consumption. It is essential to keep in mind that every car is unique and may have different fuel consumption patterns. Therefore, it is vital to pay attention to your car’s behavior and take it for regular maintenance to prevent any issues that may cause an increase in fuel consumption. By following these tips, you can ensure that your car maintains optimal fuel efficiency and saves you money in the long run. Choosing a car that is fuel-efficient can be an excellent means of enhancing fuel efficiency. With so many cars available in the market, it would not be difficult to find the right car that suits your mileage requirements. Additionally, undertake proper servicing and maintenance of the car at a trustworthy car servicing centre. If you are looking for a trustworthy car servicing centre in UAE, Fasttrack Emarat is the ideal choice for you. Our experienced technicians provide top-quality car servicing and maintenance to ensure that your car runs smoothly and efficiently. Book your appointment now at one of our Fasttrack service centers and experience the difference in your car’s performance.

FAQs

1. What are the factors affecting the fuel consumption of a car?

The main factors affecting the fuel consumption of a car are driving habits, the condition of the tyres, the condition of engine oil, fuel quality, the condition of the car, and engine defects.

2. How to improve the fuel efficiency of your car?

Fuel efficiency or mileage of a car can be improved by observing healthy driving habits, undertaking periodic maintenance properly, using the correct engine oil, using the correct additives, maintaining correct tyre pressure, and undertaking engine inspection in the proposed periodicity.

3. How does AC cause increased fuel consumption?

The car AC system works by drawing energy from the engine of the vehicle to operate the compressor and make the car cooler.

4. How does conditions, such as high winds and extreme temperatures, impact fuel consumption?

High winds and extreme temperatures can impact fuel consumption by increasing drag, making the engine work harder, affecting tire pressure, and increasing the load on the engine due to the use of air conditioning or heating.

5. How does low quality of fuel effect fuel consumption?

Low quality fuel contains lower octane levels or unequal blends and adulterants which leads to incomplete combustion in engine.