How to Calculate Fuel Consumption KM I & How to Reduce it?

How to Calculate Fuel Consumption: The government promised to contain the rise in prices for gasoline and diesel in 2023, limiting itself to indexing to the level of inflation. We figure out whether it is possible to save on refueling and what affects fuel consumption

What affects fuel consumption

Fuel consumption , gasoline and diesel, is measured in liters per 100 kilometers (l / 100 km). Diesel internal combustion engines , other things being equal, are less voracious. Manufacturers usually indicate three options for fuel consumption: in the city, on the highway (at a steady speed of about 90 km / h, is the smallest) and medium. But laboratory and real data often diverge, and the on-board computer cannot always be trusted.

Fuel consumption tends to vary over a fairly wide range depending on:

• on the quality of the fuel;
• state of the engine. A poorly adjusted, worn out engine will definitely not please with low fuel consumption;
• ambient temperature. An internal combustion engine that has not been warmed up to the optimum temperature for a long time consumes more fuel;
• car loading. The heavier the load, the higher the fuel consumption;
• tire pressure. Even slightly under-inflated tires create increased rolling resistance with understandable consequences;
• traffic. “Plug” mode with frequent use of lower gears in the transmission provokes increased fuel consumption;
  the nature of the coverage. Loose soil, snow, sand, ice that causes slipping – all these are factors that adversely affect efficiency;
• terrain. To overcome steep climbs, it is necessary to increase the load on the engine, and hence the fuel consumption;
• aerodynamics. So, installation on the roof of the trunk significantly increases the air resistance that the car has to overcome, which cannot but affect the economy for the worse;
• driving manners. The gas-brake or gas-to-the-floor style whenever possible is a surefire way to quickly empty your fuel tank.

As a result, the actual fuel consumption may differ from the declared one by 30-40% and even significantly more on heavy off-road or during long-term driving at a speed close to the maximum for this model. In normal conditions, such indicators are a clear sign of a car malfunction.

How to calculate fuel consumption

Nevertheless, the use of the above methodology is the lot of specialists. An ordinary motorist, when calculating fuel consumption, will go in a simpler, empirical way:

• Fill up a full tank of fuel.
• Reset the odometer.
• Use the filled fuel until the low level indicator turns on.
• Record the mileage travelled.
• Fill the tank full again and record how much fuel went into it.

Take a calculator and calculate the fuel consumption using the formula: (volume of refueling No. 2 / mileage traveled at gas station No. 1) × 100 = consumption (l / 100 km)
Example: a car traveled 720 km after the first refueling, and then 50 liters of fuel entered the tank. Then the consumption will be (50 / 720) × 100 = 6.94 l / 100 km.

For greater accuracy, it is better to fill in fuel using a measuring container or take several measurements, and then calculate the arithmetic average. In the same way, you can calculate separately the fuel consumption in urban mode and on the highway, and then determine the efficiency in the combined cycle using the formula:

(highway mileage x highway mileage + city mileage x city mileage) / total mileage = combined mileage.

Example: On the highway to the city 37 km, and fuel consumption is 6.2 l / 100 km. The length of the route in the city is 18 km, and the consumption is 8.3 l / 100 km. Then in the combined cycle, fuel consumption will be (6.2 × 37 + 8.3 × 18) / 55 = 6.89 l / 100 km

How to reduce fuel consumption

• No shaman spells. The recommendations are the simplest:
• Carry out maintenance according to the regulations of good craftsmen.
• Refuel at trusted gas stations.
• Regularly check tire pressure and be sure to perform this procedure with significant temperature fluctuations.
• Avoid hard accelerations and use higher gears in the transmission whenever possible.
• In cold weather, insulate the engine so that it cools down more slowly during short stops.
• Remove the roof rack when not in use.