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engaged, for examp le when you notice that t he
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, wh ich he lps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con-
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera-
tion) .
Shift efficientl y
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fue l.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari-
ly.
Press down on the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You sho uld rare ly t rave l at the maxim um vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a d isp roportiona t ely
high increase in fuel consump t ion, emissions and
traffic noise . Driving more slowly saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles wit hout the Sta rt/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the eng ine
off when stopped at ra ilroad crossings and long
red lights . Stopping the engine for
30 -40 sec-
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
It takes a very long time in idle to wa rm t he en-
gine up to operating temperature . Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im-
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while do ing th is .
Have maintenance perf ormed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your ve hicle, you can he lp to reduce fuel con -
sumpt ion before you even start to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l-
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main-
tained engine can lead to fuel consumpt ion that
is
10% higher tha n normal.
Driving
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and exh au st cleaning system mus t
reach t heir optima l operat ing temperatu re to ef-
fectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportionately high
amoun t of fue l. The e ngine re aches operat ing
temperat ur e and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 mi les (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, ma ke sure the t ires are always in-
flated to t he correct press ure ~
page 340. The
fuel consumpt ion can increase by
5% if the pres -
sure is on ly
0 .5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures will also
lead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to
10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases fuel
consump ti on , a quick inspect ion of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces -
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rac k sho uld be re-
moved to decrease the w ind resis t ance of the ve -
hicle . This will save you approximately
12% fuel
at speeds from
62 - 75 mph (100 - 120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine d rives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt ion a lso increases
wit h the dema nd for e lect ricity . The refore, sw itch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of eq uipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights sho uld come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the veh icle or other proper -
ty .
75
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