Why Does Your Car Consume Too Much Fuel?

Last Updated on July 17, 2021 by Journal Fact

A normal working engine is expected to consume fuel in order to operate because the internal combustion engine in vehicles burn fuel to garner the energy that is required to propel the car. However excess fuel consumption is also common in cars that may have underlying problems. If you see that your car is burning more fuel than it should then it may be a point of concern.

There are many Japanese cars under 200k that give great fuel economy, but if you see that your car is consuming more fuel than before then you may want to get some of the following parts checked:

Faulty engine Consume Fuel:

If an engine is not tuned the right way or if you are constantly delaying maintenance of the car then it will surely cause a decline in your engine’s fuel efficiency and consume fuel. With petrol engines, you need to regularly replace the spark plugs and the air cleaner components or fuel filters and maintain the throttle valve and oxygen sensors to keep your engine running smoothly and fuel efficiently. If you have a diesel engine then an increase in fuel consumption may be the result of dirty fuel injectors and air cleaner components because these two parts work to burn the fuel during combustion.

Poor quality engine oil:

The quality of the engine oil you use will impact your car’s fuel economy because if you use the wrong type of oil viscosity and it is thicker than what your car can use, or if it is of inferior quality then the engine pistons and moving parts will not be lubricated enough to move freely. This causes a high load on the engine and demands more consume fuel energy.

Bad Driving Style Consume Fuel:

If you are an aggressive driver and have a habit of shifting gears quickly to the lightest one then your engine will have high revolutions which results in consuming more fuel. Features such as cruise control can help improve fuel efficiency for such drivers. Stopping suddenly while driving can also cause more strain to the engine with repetitive braking that wastes fuel.

Worn out tires Consume more Fuel:

If your tires are old they may have lost their traction and grip, which can increase the fuel consumed. The loss in traction results in the tire spinning faster and poorly inflated tires result in an uneven pressure applied to them which both result in high fuel consumption. Drivers should ensure that their tires are inflated to the highest pressure as recommended by the manufacturer and that the wheels are aligned. This will also help you improve your tire life and give you better control of your vehicle.

Poor maintenance & Short distance trips:

You might have bought from a seller selling used, cheap cars for sale but if you don’t maintain the car properly then its quality will fall. Poor maintenance includes delaying servicing your car or getting poor service which results in your service interval getting elongated which can lead to bigger problems like clogged air components and a poor consumption range.

Short trips that do not allow an engine to operate at its peak temperature are less fuel-efficient and cause more pollution. This happens because the catalytic converters need to warm up before they can operate efficiently. This is why it is less advised to make stops and take one long trip to run all your chores than a series of small trips.