- Do not leave the engine running at idle speed longer than it takes to warm it up. Start driving as soon as the engine speed stabilizes. If you expect a stop along the way to be longer than 1 minute, turn off the engine;
- Avoid sudden acceleration;
- Try to plan your route in advance, choose streets with convenient traffic, a small number of traffic lights, etc.;
- Monitor the technical condition of the engine, try to adhere as strictly as possible to the Schedule of current maintenance (see Chapter 1), trust maintenance work to specialists only;
- A roof rack/ski holder increases air resistance and therefore fuel consumption, remove the rack if you are not going to use it - the presence of a roof rack increases fuel consumption by approximately 1.0 l/100 km;
- Do not use air conditioning unnecessarily,
- Reduce speed when driving on uneven road surfaces;
- When driving a car with a manual transmission or in manual AT mode, shift gears in a timely manner - the tachometer pointer should be in the middle range of the scale, if possible. Shift to a higher gear at the first opportunity. When driving in urban conditions at speeds above 50 km/h, engaging 4th or 5th gear will significantly reduce fuel consumption. For example, at a speed of 50-80 km/h, fuel consumption with 4th gear engaged is 25% less than when driving at the same speed in 3rd gear, and at a speed of 70-90 km/h with 5th gear engaged, fuel consumption is about 15% less than when moving at the same speed in 4th.
- Try to move at a speed no higher than 3/4 of the maximum for a given gear, this allows you to save up to 50% of fuel without significant loss of time;
- Maintain proper tire inflation pressure;
- Try to keep a distance that allows you to avoid sudden braking;
- Do not overload the car - excessive loading increases fuel consumption by approximately 0.5 l/100 km;
- Do not keep your foot on the brake pedal while driving;
- Check the wheel alignment regularly and make adjustments if necessary (see Chapter 10);
- Remember that when driving at speeds exceeding 60 km/h, activating the A/C results in a smaller increase in fuel consumption than the increase in aerodynamic drag resulting from opening the windows;
- When driving in forced idle mode (for example, when descending or braking) the fuel supply is automatically cut off - to ensure greater efficiency, do not press the gas and clutch pedals in this mode.
Additional tips for drivers
Features of driving a car equipped with power steering.
The power steering, which is standard on all vehicles covered in this Manual, reduces the effort required to turn the steering wheel. The power steering pump is driven by an electric motor. When towing, remember that turning requires much more effort than when driving a vehicle under normal conditions.
When driving on snow or ice, use special tires or anti-skid chains (unless this is prohibited by law in the region through which the route passes) (see Chapter 1, Section 5). Install tires of the same size on all wheels. Remember that tires designed for driving on snow do not provide additional traction on normal roads.
It should be remembered that when driving with the engine off (for example, when towing) the car's controllability deteriorates, since some auxiliary systems stop functioning - primarily the power steering and the power brake system (after 1-2 presses of the brake pedal the action of the booster stops). The car remains controllable, but much greater effort is required to apply to the steering wheel and foot brake pedal - the braking distance and the reaction time of the wheels to turning the steering wheel increase. Avoid driving at high speeds.
Attention! Never turn off the engine when driving downhill!
To avoid excessively raising the vehicle's center of gravity, try not to overload the roof rack, do not exceed the permissible load (see Specifications), ensure that the load placed in the vehicle is evenly distributed and securely fastened. Avoid driving at a speed greater than 120 km/h. Heavy objects should be placed as low as possible in the luggage compartment and as close to the passenger compartment as possible. To avoid the risk of losing control, try to reduce your speed in strong crosswinds. Periodically check the air pressure in the tires in accordance with the vehicle load.
The cooling fan is controlled by a temperature-sensitive switch and is activated only when a certain temperature is reached. If the temperature exceeds the threshold when the engine is turned off, the fan will continue to operate for a short time. If the coolant temperature is very high, for example after driving in the mountains, the engine should be left to idle for about 2 minutes. In addition, since cooling efficiency is not affected by engine speed, downshifting should not be done when driving uphill as long as the vehicle can climb the hill in a higher gear without a significant drop in speed.
On models equipped with a turbocharging system, after driving under a heavy load at high engine speeds, before turning off the engine, it is necessary to allow it to operate for some time under a light load or approximately 30 seconds at idle.
Do not forget to lay mats on the floor - the surface of the panels can heat up significantly. There should be no foreign objects in the driver's footwell that could restrict the freedom of movement of the pedals! When using non-standard mats or rugs, it is necessary to ensure sufficient pedal travel.
When driving for a long time at low engine speeds or with frequent stops, for example, in dense city traffic or in a traffic jam, additional power consumers should be switched off if possible to avoid discharging the battery (for example, heated rear window, heated seats) and turn off the engine during long stops.
When going downhill, do not change gears - this is associated with the risk of losing control. Use engine braking, as the effectiveness of the foot brake may be reduced, which is fraught with the occurrence of an emergency situation.
If the engine stops while driving uphill, do not try to turn the car around under any circumstances! Move the selector/gear shift lever to the "R" position and start descending, trying to move strictly parallel to the direction of the slope.
Attention! Never descend with the transmission in neutral ("N") position, holding the car with the brakes!
Try to avoid sharp turns whenever possible, especially when driving at high speeds or on slippery surfaces.
When driving on roads with wet surfaces, full of puddles, or when a stream of waste water forms on the road surface (especially during heavy rainfall) slow down to prevent the aquaplaning effect from occurring. The risk of water lift increases if the vehicle tires have a small residual tread depth.
Try not to park your car on a slope.
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