POOR FUEL ECONOMY
time to think.
Have you recently noticed a gradual or sudden drop in the mileage you were once getting.
Poor fuel economy is caused by a number of different things. There are various things that attribute to this problem.
Poor fuel economy means that your vehicle is not running as efficiently as it could. It also means you are losing money at the pumps because you are filling up more often.
6 MAIN REASONS FOR POOR FUEL ECONOMY.
1. INCORRECT TYRE PRESSURE
Incorrect tyre pressure is a common cause of poor fuel economy. It is also one of the simplest things to correct. Periodically checking your tyre pressure is a good way to rectify this. Just ensure you stick to your car manufacturer’s recommended pressure levels.
2. SPARK PLUG ISSUES
The function of your vehicles spark plugs is to ignite the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. This creates the ignition needed to start your vehicle. Damaged or dirty spark plugs will lead to an engine misfire. The engine will show poor performance and there will be a big drop in the mileage.
3. FAULTY FUEL PUMP
It is easy to assume that fuel efficiency also depends on the fuel delivery issues. The function of a fuel pump is to pump oil from the fuel tank to the injectors. A damaged or dirty pump won’t be able to supply an adequate amount of oil to the engine, resulting in less fuel efficiency. Choosing to not repair or replace the pump will lead to the engine idling, making explosive sounds, and stalling.
4. LOW LEVEL OF OIL
Having a low level of oil is a possible culprit behind what makes your vehicle burn fuel quickly.
Why? Adequate fuel ensures the required lubrication and lowering the friction among various components. When there is not enough oil in the system, friction and heat increase and deteriorates the engine parts. The engine has to work harder and burns more fuel than required. We recommend you check the manufacturers manual to know the right time to change the oil in your vehicle. Generally it is between 6,000 miles and 12,000 miles.
5. DIRTY OXYGEN SENSOR
You may be getting poor mileage due to a dirty oxygen sensor. The purpose of the oxygen sensor it to measure the level of exhaust gases when they leave the combustion chamber. The electronic control unit (ECU) uses the sensors data to determine the amount of fuel to send to the engine. An unclean sensor is likely to cause an error in measurement, leading to a drop in mileage.
6. CLOGGED FUEL INJECTORS & AIR FILTERS
Clogged fuel injectors and air filters are one of the excessive fuel consumption causes. The injectors supply oil to the engine. When they become dirty, the engine loses power and starts stalling, resulting in using more fuel than necessary.
Air filters help with combustion by letting an adequate amount of air into the engine. A dirty air filter will hamper the combustion process and increase the burning of fuel.