Five driving habits that are draining your fuel tank

If you’ve been watching the news, which, if you own a car, you most certainly are, then you know that fuel prices are blowing up once more. While you debate internally on whether you should bring your car to work or commute, we’re here to give you some advice on how to get the most out of every drop of gas. 

Fuel efficiency varies from vehicle to vehicle, with factors like engine displacement, age, and induction systems affecting how your car consumes fuel. Now, unless you're willing to invest time and money into upgrading your vehicle for better fuel efficiency, there's another way to get more miles per liter, by simply changing the way you drive.

In this article, we’ll discuss some driving habits that can increase fuel consumption. Read on to see if you’re guilty of any of these habits and consider adjusting the way you drive to reduce trips to the pump.

Braking too hard and too often can cause you to press the gas pedal more to regain lost speed. Maintaining a proper following distance from the car in front of you allows you to keep a steady speed and reduces the need to brake frequently. As you drive along, practice letting off the gas when you think you need to stop instead of pressing the throttle and braking at the last minute.

Just as braking too often can cause you to use more fuel than necessary, having a lead foot is also a major fuel-efficiency killer. Avoid being too aggressive on the throttle while driving. While we agree there’s an unmatched thrill in letting the revs climb and picking up speed, a heavy foot is detrimental to fuel savings, regardless of how fuel-efficient your car is claimed to be. In addition, if you're in the habit of cutting off other drivers in traffic, you'll likely consume more fuel than if you simply relaxed and went with the flow.

At some point, every driver has been guilty of this: forgetting to tidy up and remove luggage or other heavy items from the car. A heavier vehicle consumes more fuel because the engine has to work harder to get it moving. Before heading out, make sure your trunk or cargo area contains only the essentials.

Ah, yes—the ultimate move guaranteed to make every motorist around you hate you. Tailgating cars and larger vehicles can, in theory, reduce your vehicle’s wind resistance and offer slight aerodynamic benefits. However, not only is this extremely dangerous, but the constant throttle and brake adjustments required to avoid a collision also cancel out any potential fuel savings. It's simply not worth the risk.

Contrary to old habits, idling your car to “warm it up” is not only unnecessary in modern vehicles, it actually wastes fuel and slows down the warm-up process. Today's engines and transmissions are designed with tighter tolerances and advanced lubricants that start working effectively within seconds of the engine turning on. That means the longer you wait for your car to warm up while idling, the more fuel goes to waste doing nothing.

That said, if your car still uses a carburetor, idling to warm it up can be a reasonable practice. Carbureted engines rely on mechanical systems to manage air-fuel mixtures, which are less precise when cold. Idling gives the engine time to stabilize before driving.

However, if your car is fuel-injected, as most vehicles built since the mid-1990s are, it's best to warm it up by driving gently. Fuel-injected engines automatically adjust the air-fuel mixture based on temperature and load, making extended idling unnecessary and inefficient.

With that said, increased fuel consumption can sometimes be unavoidable if your car is simply too old or worn out. If you're looking to upgrade to a more fuel-efficient ride, head over to AutoDeal.com.ph to find one with just a few clicks.