Remove excess weight!
- Check interior and boot.
- Remove inessential items.
100 kg of excess weight can increase fuel consumption by up to five percent.
Check tyre pressure and wear!
- Check tyre pressure and wear on all tyres including the spare tyre. The test should be carried out regularly.
- Fill tyres according to the pressure indications in the owners manual. Tyres with proper air pressure have less rolling resistance and improve fuel economy.
- Pump up tyres to the maximum permissible. A well-inflated tyre has less rolling resistance.
- Worn or damaged tyres increase fuel consumption!
Tyres just 0.2 bar below the recommended level raise fuel consumption by up to two percent.
Remove exterior accessories!
- Remove exterior accessories when they are not in use. Check your car for roof boxes, rear luggage racks, extra mirrors, etc,
An empty bike rack on the roof can increase fuel consumption by up to 10 percent. An empty rear bicycle rack can increase fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.
Check oil level and quality!
- Check oil level regularly.
- Dirty engine oil can increase fuel consumption.
- Change engine oil early or top it up.
Special low-friction engine oils can save you up to five percent fuel. But make sure you check the owners manual to see which oils are appropriate for your car.
Check condition, weight and size of your tyres!
- Check condition and wear of your tyres.
- Using narrow tires can save fuel.
The use of fuel-efficient / optimised rolling resistance tyres can save up to six percent on petrol.
Drive smoothly and in the right gear!
- Avoid hasty stop-and-go driving.
- Use the following rules of thumb:
(1) Use first gear to start.
(2) Switch to second gear at 20 km/h.
(3) Switch to third gear at 30 km/h.
(4) Switch to fourth gear at 40 km/h.
- On an automatic you change gears with the accelerator pedal, so be careful when you accelerate.
Sudden acceleration and braking requires more fuel.
Lower your energy consumption!
- Electrical equipment in the vehicle consumes fuel.
- Turn off all devices that you do not need.
- Reduce the operating time of all electrical appliances to a minimum; for example, air conditioners do not have to run continuously, window and mirror heating should be turned off when demisted.
Air conditioners can increase fuel consumption by up to 10 percent. A power expenditure of 400 W increases fuel consumption by up to five litres.
Think ahead and drive steadily!
- Adjust your speed to the traffic.
- Reduce speed slowly (depending on the traffic situation) when braking.
- Stay relaxed and don’t drive aggressively or nervously.
Following these instructions will save you alot of fuel and reduces stress - so you’ll be calmer and less tired when you arrive at your destination.
Don’t warm up the engine!
- A modern engine does not require you to repeatedly step on the pedal before starting off.
- The engine does not need to idle to warm up.
- The fastest way to warm up your engine is to drive the car.
- Drive slowly when the engine is cold.
Turn off the engine when you stop!
- The rule of thumb is: shut off the engine if you are going to stop for longer than 10 seconds. For older cars use 20 seconds.
Pollutant emissions are highest when idling.