Fuel does two main things for an internal combustion engine . It supplies the energy source for the power to run the engine and it also cools internal parts of the engine such as , pistons , valves , and cylinder walls etc .
To get the very best fuel mileage from any engine the most important thing is that the engine must at its very best at all times . This means that the engine must have regular proper maintenance . I have found that when an engine performs the best it also gets the best fuel mileage . When an engine is running at it‘s optimum efficiency it will the most out of the fuel . It gets the most power and the best performance out of the fuel that it burns . Therefore it requires less fuel to do the same amount of work . An example of this is ; if an engine that is running poorly requires that you push the accelerator ½ way down to go 60 miles per hour (100 kmh) but the same engine running at maximum efficiency only requires you to push the accelerator down 1/3 of the way down to do the same speed , you see why the efficient engine would use less fuel to go the same speed and the same distance .
Motor Oil - The engineers design the engines with internal clearances , that require a specified viscosity of motor oil . (5w30 -10w30 -15w40) .
You must use the viscosity of motor oil that is specified for your engine . Use of too thin a motor oil can cause premature wear and premature failure of the engine or its parts . Use of a motor oil that is to thick may not lubricate the engine properly , specially on start up when the engine is cold , which will also cause premature engine parts failure . Motor oil that is too thick can also cause higher internal resistance in the engine which can cause the engine to consume slightly more fuel And get less fuel mileage .
Overfilling the engine with motor by a large amount will cause higher internal resistance in the engine which can cause lower fuel mileage . Keeping your motor oil clean will contribute to better fuel mileage as it will lubricate the engine better than dirty motor oil . Use the right motor oil keep the oil clean and do not overfill the engine with motor oil .
Air Filter . A dirty air filter will restrict the air flow into the engine , which will cause the engine to consume much more fuel . This may be the number one cause power loss and a big factor in poor fuel mileage . The engine requires a sufficient amount of clean air to attain the proper fuel to air ratio of about 14 parts air to one part fuel , for the engine to operate at maximum efficiently . A restricted air filter can cause the air in that mixture to be less , which will result in poor fuel mileage .
Check the air filter on every lubrication service (oil change) and replace it when it is needed . You will likely find that replacement intervals will be consistently the same mileage , or the same number of services apart . For example every second or third lubrication service it common as an interval for an air filter replacement . If you drive mostly on paved highways the air filter will stay clean longer . If you
Do a lot of city driving or drive on a lot of unpaved or dirt roads , the air filter will get dirty faster . Vehicles that are used in construction or other dirty work will likely need a new air filter every lubrication service for best efficiency .
Tires . Under inflated tires is likely the number one cause of poor fuel mileage . under inflated tires will cause higher resistance to move the vehicle and will require more power to move the vehicle . This can result in a loss of fuel mileage of as much as 20% to 25% . Due to the sever temperature changes in the tires from the high heat of normal driving and then the much lower temperature of sitting stopped , tires will gradually loose small amounts of air and the pressure will decrease ._
Most cars should require an air pressure of 32 PSI to 35 PSI . Some performance tires may use a little higher pressure . Most light trucks require tire air pressure of minimum 35 PSI and can range up to as high as 80 PSI depending on the capacity of the tire and the weight that the vehicle carries . medium and heavy trucks use even higher tire pressures .
Statistics show that well over half the vehicles on the road today are running on under inflated tires . The tire pressure should be checked once a month for best safety and performance as well as well as the best fuel mileage .
Fuel Filter . A restricted fuel filter can cause a lack of power and poor performance as well as lower fuel mileage . The fuel filter on a vehicle
should be replaced at regular intervals . Often 50,000 miles to 60,000 miles is recommended (80,000 km to 100,000) . It is common to replace the fuel filter with the vehicle tune-up . If the fuel filter is left to long it will fill with dirty and can restrict the flow of the fuel to the engine . This will cause the engine to perform poorly and the power and fuel mileage to be reduced .
Ignition timing . Many automobiles today have preset timing from the factory and it is not adjustable . On those vehicles that have adjustable ignition timing if the timing is not set to specifications the performance and power will be poor and the fuel mileage much lower . Engine ignition timing is normally checked and adjusted on an engine tune-up when needed .
Spark Plugs . As spark plugs get older the become less efficient and do not provide sufficient spark to ignite the fuel mixture as well as when they were new . This will lower the efficiency of the engine and cause the engine to burn more fuel . The wrong spark plugs or poor quality spark plugs can also cause the engine to run with less efficiency , which can cause the engine to consume more fuel .
Some times cheaper parts such as spark plugs really are not such a good deal and can cost you more money in the long term .
Spark Plug Wires . On higher mileage vehicles , the spark plug wires can start to break down and can cause the engine to run less efficiently resulting in a loss of performance and lower fuel mileage . As the spark plug wires get older the resistance of the wires becomes greater causing the ignition of the fuel in the cylinder to be at a less efficient rate . This lowers the performance and power of the engine and cause more fuel to be consumed by the engine . Spark plug wires are normally tested on a tune-up service .
Throttle body . The throttle body controls the amount of fresh air that is taken into the engine . Over a period of time , very fine dust will mix with the normal fuel vapours and crank case vapours to form a gum like residue which will stick to the to the throttle body and the throttle plates .
This gum etc can cause inaccurate sensor information feed-back to be given to the Power Train Control Module (PMC). The wrong information from any fuel related sensor can cause the PMC to go to a richer mixture strategy to protect the engine against cylinder overheating etc . This will cause the engine to burn more fuel and will also lower power and performance . The throttle body should be cleaned if needed , when a tune-up is done .
Fuel injectors . After a period of driving , fuel injectors can become less efficient due to normal , residue from the additives in the fuel that passes through the injectors . This residue when it builds up can restrict the free flow of fuel through the injectors and cause the injectors to become sticky and less efficient . If the fuel injectors do not feed the proper fuel amount , the exhaust oxygen sensor will sense a lean condition and the PMC will open the fuel injectors further to compensate for this condition and poor fuel mileage will result along with reduced power and performance .
Today’s fuels do contain additives to help keep the fuel injectors clean but still over time this residue will accumulate . Fuel injector cleaner additives can be added to the fuel tank from time to time to help remove this residue . A ‘fuel injector flush service’ will clean the fuel injectors completely .
RSS feed of this page
