Misconceptions about saving gas for cars

(Baonghean.vn) - Saving fuel is always the desire of drivers. But saving fuel must be done properly, otherwise the benefits will not outweigh the disadvantages.

There are many ways to save fuel, some of which worked well in older cars but are now useless in today’s electronically controlled cars. Meanwhile, some of the following methods were once thought to help save fuel, but in reality, they do not bring any specific results.

Need to warm up the engine before starting

This is a completely outdated concept. Most cars today can be driven within seconds of starting. It makes absolutely no sense in terms of fuel economy.

Fill the gas tank to prevent evaporation.

It is a good idea to keep your gas tank full when you are traveling, as you never know how far away the next gas station is. Some people believe that running the tank low will cause the fuel to evaporate faster. This may be true for older cars, but newer cars are often equipped with fuel vapor sensors.

These new models also use a fuel compression system, accompanied by an error light on the dashboard, notifying the driver that the fuel tank cap is loose or not properly tightened.

Starting a car uses more fuel than letting it idle.

Many people often let the engine idle for too long, when they should turn it off and then start it again when needed. Because they think idling saves more fuel than turning it off and starting it again.

When idling, the car usually consumes about 1-2 liters of gasoline/hour, depending on the engine capacity, which is about 300 - 600 VND/minute. So, if you plan to stop the car for 30 seconds or more, you should turn off the engine. But if you only stop at a red light or when there is a slight traffic jam, you do not need to turn off the engine. Because turning the engine on/off too often can cause the starter to quickly break down.

Shift to neutral (N) when stopping the vehicle

This method was once used by many drivers with cars equipped with mechanical carburetors. However, today's cars are equipped with pre-programmed electronic fuel injection systems. When the car stops, the amount of fuel injected into the combustion chamber is at a minimum, even when the gear is engaged. In this case, it only causes the gearbox to wear out quickly.

Manual transmission helps save fuel

Skilled drivers often choose manual transmissions because they can control the engine rpm well, through rhythmic shifting in and out of gears. Nowadays, high-tech automatic transmissions handle better than drivers who combine clutch and gear. Economy depends on driving skills, not on the type of transmission.

Cruise control system helps save fuel

Cruise control helps the car maintain a constant speed, which most drivers believe will help save fuel. This can be true for long trips and on flat terrain.

But when going uphill, the system will suddenly increase the throttle, thus burning more fuel. At this time, to avoid sudden acceleration, the driver can temporarily turn off the cruise control system and control the accelerator himself to avoid danger and help save more fuel.

Use of additives

Most car owners want to save fuel for their cars, this is the reason why accessory stores always offer fuel-saving additives and come with "sweet" advertising.

In fact, this additive does not help save fuel, and even causes fouling or clogging, leading to increased maintenance and repair costs. In addition, the effects of these additives on the engine are not mentioned.

Open the door, turn off the air conditioner

Many people still believe that opening the windows and turning off the air conditioning while the car is running will significantly save fuel. However, the truth is that doing so will cause outside air to flow into the car and affect the car's aerodynamics without improving performance much.

The older the car, the more fuel-consuming it is.

It would be a mistake to think that. If properly maintained, a 10-15 year old car can get the same fuel economy as a new car. The important thing is how you maintain the car.

Using high quality gasoline will save more fuel

Choosing high-quality gasoline brings good efficiency in using the car engine, traveling a lot and on long distances. And for those who use the car for daily commuting, using high-quality gasoline increases the power consumption efficiency of the engine.

So pay attention to this issue, high quality fuel is only suitable for sports cars because the engine capacity of these cars is large, with higher fuel requirements./.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)