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5
Driving your vehicle 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
miles (kilometers) you can get from a
gallon (liter) of fuel.To operate your vehi
-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving 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 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.
僅 Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor
alignment causes faster tire wear and
may also result in other problems as
well as greater fuel consumption.
僅 Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your
vehicle in accordance with "Scheduled
maintenance service" on page 7-9. If
you drive your vehicle in severe con
-
ditions, more frequent maintenance is
required (Refer to "Scheduled mainte
-
nance service" on page 7-9 for
details.).
僅 Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi
-
mum service, your vehicle should be
kept clean and free of corrosive mate
-
rials. 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 also
contribute to corrosion.
僅 Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your vehicle. 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 warmup
period.
僅 Don't “lug” or “over-rev” the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in a very
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