Causes for increased fuel consumption
Surely, many of you have come across such a phenomenon as increased fuel consumption in your car. In most cases, this is not due to a malfunction in the vehicle itself but due to external factors such as the current weather conditions, your driving style, fuel quality, etc. This does not mean, however, that increased fuel consumption in your car is not associated with a malfunction. Sometimes, increased fuel consumption might speak about some breakdowns in your car even it is a pretty much new hyundai accent with a couple of thousand miles on the clock. Let us analyze the main reasons/causes for increased fuel consumption.
The amount of fuel your car consumes is affected by many factors. It is worth noting from the start that it is quite natural when your car consumes more fuel than usual. This does not mean that the vehicle is faulty.
The fuel consumption is affected by the distance of your trip, whether your car is loaded with heavy things, the time of the year, wind, road surface, rubber, etc.
Fuel consumption figures are also dependent on the quality of fuel itself especially when it comes to gasoline as opposed to diesel oil.
Your fuel consumption is also influenced by you or rather your foot, which sits on the accelerator pedal.
Due to these reasons, the real fuel consumption differs from what is claimed by the automaker, which measures the fuel efficiency of its cars in ideal conditions. However, if you have noticed that your car has started consuming too much fuel, this might be due to some defects or malfunctions. In this case, finding the cause will be much harder and we recommend you turn to your local mechanic for help.
What can you check first if your car starts to consume a lot more fuel?
Before having a mechanic look for a malfunction associated with increased fuel consumption, you must first make sure that it is not related to external factors. For example, you should check the air pressure in your tires. If your tires have low pressure, then fuel consumption can be increased by 30 percent. So make sure to regularly check the tire pressure, as it also affects your safety.
The fuel efficiency of the car is also affected by the air resistance, which occurs when the vehicle is moving. Many car owners like to mount roof racks, which have an aerodynamic shape, which in turn allows to reduce air resistance. But remember that in any case, installing a roof rack increases the aerodynamic resistance of the air when driving the car, which ultimately affects fuel consumption.
In addition, if you noticed that your car has started consuming too much fuel, have the air filter examined. There is a chance that it is dirty and thus it makes your car devour gasoline. While having your air filter checked, you might also want to find out the car detailing cost from your local mechanic, as this service is quite popular today.