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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 li‐
ter of fuel. To operate your vehicle as
economically as possible, use the fol‐
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
• Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a mod‐
erate rate. Do not make "jack-rabbit"
starts or full-throttle shifts and
maintain a steady cruising speed. Do
not race between stoplights. Try to
adjust your speed to the traffic so
you do not have to change speeds
unnecessarily. Avoid heavy traffic
whenever possible. Always maintain a
safe distance from other vehicles so
you can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
• Drive at a moderate speed. The fast‐
er you drive, the more fuel your vehi‐
cle uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway, is
one of the most effective ways to re‐
duce fuel consumption.
• Do not "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and al‐
so increase wear on these compo‐
nents. In addition, driving with your
foot resting on the brake pedal may
cause the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and may
lead to more serious consequences.
• Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pres‐
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unneces‐
sary tire wear. Check the tire pres‐
sures at least once a month.
• Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can re‐
sult from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor
alignment causes faster tire wear
and may also result in other prob‐
lems as well as greater fuel con‐
sumption.
• Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your ve‐
hicle in accordance with Chapter 8,
Maintenance. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (Chapter 8,
Maintenance for details).
• Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi‐
mum service, your vehicle should be
kept clean and free of corrosive ma‐
terials. It is especially important that
mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be allowed to
accumulate on the underside of the
vehicle. This extra weight can result
in increased fuel consumption and al‐
so contribute to corrosion.
• Travel lightly. Do not carry unneces‐
sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
• Do not 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.
• Remember, your vehicle does not re‐
quire 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 warmup period.
• Do not "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in too
high a gear resulting engine bucking.
If this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine be‐
yond its safe limit. This can be avoi‐
ded by shifting at the recommended
speeds.
5-87
5
Driving your vehicle
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