Car consumes fuel abnormally: Steps to self-check and diagnose

For some people, regular car maintenance is still not taken seriously. The consequence of this is that the car quickly deteriorates and consumes a lot of fuel. Car maintenance is not just about changing the engine oil periodically, there are many other details that need to be checked and cleaned, but the interval is longer than changing the oil.

If you find that your vehicle is consuming fuel abnormally, check the following steps in order:

Check tire pressure

Tire pressure monitor.

For modern cars equipped with tire pressure sensors, this will not happen. As for old or popular cars, car owners can buy manual testing equipment for only 100 thousand VND.

Check the air filter

Dirty car air filter is the cause of fuel consumption.

Dirty air filters are the second most common cause of poor fuel economy. Clogged air filters restrict air flow to the fuel tank, reducing the engine’s ability to produce power.

On average, after every 50,000 km, we should replace the air filter.

For cars with dirty air filters, in addition to wasting fuel, there is also a phenomenon of reduced power, sudden engine shutdown, and black smoke.

Low compression pressure

Engine performance depends largely on the fuel compression process in the combustion chamber. Parts such as piston rings and valves must always operate and move, so they will wear out after a long time of use, leading to a leak in the combustion chamber and an unstable compression ratio.

If your car is too old, it is very likely that these two parts will need to be repaired or replaced. In addition to fuel consumption, cars with open combustion chambers also have signs such as a lot of gray-white smoke from the exhaust, rapid oil consumption, and poor acceleration.

Dirty or poor quality spark plugs

Bad spark plugs cause incomplete combustion of gasoline.

Spark plugs are responsible for igniting the mixture of air and gasoline from the carburetor that has been charged into the combustion chamber. If the spark plugs are not working properly, the mixture of gasoline and air will not burn completely, reducing engine performance.

In addition, if the spark plug is black and covered with carbon, it is likely that the carburetor is over-fueled and needs to be adjusted. If the vehicle is running well, the spark plug will be copper-yellow.

Carburetor failure

The carburetor is where the air-gas mixture is mixed before it enters the combustion chamber. If the carburetor is damaged, it will produce an incorrect air-gas ratio, excess gas, leading to incomplete fuel combustion.

For cars that have been used for a long time, carburetor restoration is no longer effective, so replacement is a necessary solution.

Nowadays, new cars use electronic fuel injection systems so users do not need to worry about this part.

Gas-wasting habits

Finally, driving habits also greatly affect fuel consumption. Speeding and sudden braking make the engine always operate at high intensity, wasting fuel and damaging the machine.

Many people have the habit of turning on the car air conditioner at full blast, which will definitely consume more gas. When you have to stop the car for a long time, it is best to turn off the engine and get some fresh air, instead of sitting in the car with the air conditioner on.

Choosing the right type of engine oil for your vehicle as recommended by the manufacturer also increases fuel economy by 5 - 10%.