- Do not leave the engine idling longer than it takes to warm it up. Start driving as soon as the engine speed stabilizes. If it is expected that the stopover will be more than 1 minute, turn off the engine;
- Avoid sudden accelerations;
- Try to plan your route in advance, choose streets with convenient traffic, few traffic lights, etc.;
- Keep an eye on the correct technical condition of the engine, try to adhere to the Routine Maintenance Schedule as strictly as possible (see chapter 1), entrust maintenance work to specialists only;
- Roof rack/ski rack increases air resistance and therefore fuel consumption, remove the rack when not going to use it - top rack increases fuel consumption by approx. 1.0 l/100 km;
- Do not use the air conditioner 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, if possible, be in the region of the average scale values. Shift into a higher gear as soon as possible. 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 less by about 15% than advancing at the same speed in 4th.
- Try to move at a speed not higher than 3/4 of the maximum for this gear, this allows you to save up to 50% of fuel without significant losses in time;
- Maintain the required 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 about 0.5 l / 100 km;
- Do not keep your foot on the brake pedal while driving;
- Check wheel alignment regularly and make appropriate adjustments if necessary (see chapter 10);
- Remember that while driving at a speed exceeding 60 km / h, the activation of the A/C leads to a smaller increase in fuel consumption than the increase in aerodynamic resistance as a result of opening windows;
- When driving in forced idle mode (e.g. when descending or braking) the fuel supply is automatically turned off - for greater efficiency, do not depress the gas and clutch pedals in this mode.
Additional tips for the driver
Features of driving a car equipped with power steering.
The power steering, which is included in the standard package of all cars considered in this Guide, provides a reduction in the effort required to turn the steering wheel. The power steering pump is driven by an electric motor. When towing, keep in mind that cornering requires much more effort than when driving under normal conditions.
When driving on snow or ice, use special tires or snow chains (unless it is prohibited by law in the region along 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 (e.g. when towing) the controllability of the car worsens, tk. at the same time, some auxiliary systems cease to function - first of all, the power steering and the booster of the service brake system (after 1-2 presses of the brake pedal, the action of the booster stops). The car remains steerable, but much greater effort is required on the steering wheel and foot brake pedal - the braking distance and the response 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 an excessive increase in the center of gravity of the vehicle, try not to overload the roof rack, do not exceed the permissible load (see specs), monitor the uniformity of distribution by the reliability of the fastening of the load placed in the car. Avoid driving faster than 120 km/h Heavy items should be placed in the luggage compartment as low as possible and as close to the passenger compartment as possible. To avoid the risk of loss of control, try to reduce your speed in strong crosswinds. Periodically check the air pressure in the tires according to 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 run for a while. If the coolant temperature is very high, e.g. after driving in mountains, leave the engine idling for approx 2 minutes. Also, since cooling efficiency is independent of engine speed, do not downshift when driving uphill as long as the vehicle is climbing the hill in a higher gear without a significant drop in speed.
On models equipped with a turbocharger, after driving with a heavy load at high engine speeds, before stopping the engine, allow it to run for a while at a light load or about 30 seconds at idle.
Do not forget to lay mats on the floor - the surface of the panels can warm up significantly. There must not be any foreign objects in the driver's footwell that could restrict the freedom of movement of the pedals! When using non-standard mats or mats, it is necessary to ensure sufficient pedal travel.
When driving for a long time at low engine speeds or with frequent stops, such as in heavy city traffic or in «traffic jam» to avoid discharging the battery, if possible, turn off additional consumers of electricity (e.g. rear window heating, seat heating) and turn off the engine during long stops.
Do not change gears while descending a slope, as this risks losing control of the vehicle. Use engine braking, as the effectiveness of the foot brake may be reduced, which is fraught with an accident.
When the engine is stopped while driving uphill, in no case try to turn the car around! Move the selector/gear shift lever to position «R» and begin the descent, trying to move strictly parallel to the direction of the slope.
Attention! Never descend in neutral («N») transmission position while holding the vehicle with the brakes!
Avoid sharp turns whenever possible, especially when driving at high speed or on slippery surfaces.
When driving on roads with a wet surface, abundant in puddles, or when sewage flows on the surface of the road (especially during heavy rains) slow down to prevent hydroplaning. The risk of water lift is increased if vehicle tires have a low residual tread depth.
Avoid parking your vehicle on sloped terrain.
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