Causes of High Fuel Consumption in Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles, We all strive for good fuel economy in the vehicles we drive. The majority of people on the road drive vehicles powered by a gasoline or diesel engine. Electric vehicles are an entirely different topic.
Although diesel and gasoline engines are different, they also share similarities. Some of these similarities involve issues that can arise and cause them to consume too much fuel and worsen their fuel economy.
Most high fuel consumption problems are related to some kind of engine issue, whether directly associated with the engine or something else in the car that prevents the engine from doing its job correctly. Here are nine of the most common causes of your vehicle’s excessive fuel use.
The Top 9 Reasons Your Car Uses Too Much Gas or Diesel
1) Carrying Excess Weight
A simple cause of high fuel consumption is when a vehicle carries too much weight, whether it has many items in the trunk, is full of people, is carrying a roof box, or is towing a trailer.
The more weight the vehicle carries, the harder the engine has to work to generate enough power to move everything.
Whenever more power is needed, whether while cruising or accelerating, the engine must burn more fuel to achieve it. Consequently, you end up having to fill your fuel tank more often.
2) Bad Spark Plugs
When spark plugs wear out, you will experience more engine misfires with your vehicle, which will consume more fuel. You must be sure to use the highest quality spark plugs possible so that you can get the most miles out of them. Iridium spark plugs and platinum spark plugs are the two most preferred types.
3) Dirty Air Filter
There are many reasons to have a clean air filter, but one of the main reasons is to have good fuel economy. If your air filter is clogged or dirty, less air enters the combustion chamber, making it much harder for the engine to meet the driver’s power demands.
This can even cause a rich running condition where the air/fuel mixture is not optimal. So remember to change your air filter at the recommended interval set by the vehicle manufacturer. Your vehicle’s manual will contain this information.
4) Low Tire Pressure
Your vehicle’s tires must be inflated to the correct air pressure, typically between 32 PSI and 34 PSI for the majority of vehicles. Everyone should own a good tire pressure gauge.
If you drive a vehicle with low tire pressure on all or some of the tires, it creates more wear and resistance for those tires. This makes the engine work harder to compensate for the extra resistance, meaning more fuel will need to be used to power the engine.
5) Bad Oxygen Sensors
Your engine is equipped with oxygen sensors that monitor the air and fuel mixture in the internal combustion chamber. Based on what it detects, it tells the powertrain control module to add the correct amount of fuel.
But if the oxygen sensor is faulty, the system may automatically add more fuel even if the engine doesn’t need it.
6) Old Engine Oil
Not only do your spark plugs need to be in good condition, but you must also ensure you change the oil regularly and replace the oil filter as well. Over time, engine oil becomes thicker and has different flow properties.
As a result, the resistance of your engine’s components increases. This leads to more fuel being needed to move a vehicle.
7) Incorrect Gear Shifting
This is especially true with manual transmissions, but also applies to automatics with sport modes. Do not shift gears too early or too late. If you try to accelerate at too low an RPM, the engine has to work harder to speed up.
Alternatively, if you constantly let your engine run in the higher RPM range of your power band because you enjoy the extra power, keep in mind that you are also burning much more fuel.
8) Driving Too Fast
Believe it or not, the difference between 80 MPH and 70 MPH could mean consuming 25% more fuel. The two main factors contributing to this are wind resistance and gear ratio. That’s why it’s always best to simply drive the speed limit or be as close to it as possible. Otherwise, you will use more fuel than necessary.
Furthermore, don’t gun it off the line every time the light turns green. Gentle acceleration will save you a lot of gas, especially when there’s another red light a few blocks away.
9) Air Conditioning
When you use the air conditioner, more demand is placed on the engine. As a result, it must burn more fuel to meet this demand. Use a standard fan if possible from the blower or simply roll down the windows when driving at slower speeds like on typical city streets.
Keep in mind that driving with the windows down also consumes more fuel because the openings create a drag effect that slows the vehicle down. This is especially true at higher speeds, such as on the highway. In that case, using the AC is the best option.
