Driving your vehicle
505
Economical operation
Economical operation
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers you can get from a litre of
fuel. To operate your vehicle as econom
-
ically as possible, use the following driv
-
ing suggestions to help save money in
both fuel and repairs:
僅 Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a mod
-
erate rate. Don't make "jackrabbit"
starts or full-throttle shifts and main
-
tain a steady cruising speed. Don't
race between stoplights. Try to adjust
your speed to the traffic so you don't
have to change speeds unnecessar
-
ily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos
-
sible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid
unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
僅 Drive at a moderate speed. The faster
you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed,
especially on the highway, is one of
the most effective ways to reduce fuel
consumption.
僅 Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest
-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
僅 Take care of your tyres. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pres
-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unneces
-
sary tyre wear. Check the tyre pres
-
sures at least once a month.
僅 Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting kerbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor
alignment causes faster tyre wear and
may also result in other problems as
well as greater fuel consumption.
僅 Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your car
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in "Scheduled maintenance
service" on page 8-9. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more fre
-
quent maintenance is required (Refer
to "Maintenance under severe usage
conditions" on page 8-13 for details).
僅 Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials.
It is especially important that mud,
dirt, ice, etc. not be allowed to accu
-
mulate on the underside of the car.
This extra weight can result in
increased fuel consumption and also
contribute to corrosion.
僅 Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
僅 Don't let the engine idle longer than
necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
僅 Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine
to run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to
placing the vehicle in gear. In very
cold weather, however, give your
engine a slightly longer warm-up
period.
僅 Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in too
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