STARTING AND DRIVING
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer
Improving fuel economy is easy—just take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips on
how to save money on both fuel and repairs:
D Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop-start driving wastes
fuel.
D Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
D Keep your tyres inflated at the correct
pressure. Under inflation causes tyre
wear and wastes fuel. See “Checking tyre
inflation pressure” on page 263 in Section
7--2 for instructions.
whenever possible.
D Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal. This causes premature wear, over-
heating and poor fuel economy.
D Maintain a moderate speed on high-
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel consump-
tion.
D Do not carry unneeded weight in your
vehicle. Excess weight puts a heavier
load on the engine, causing greater fuel
consumption.
D Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the
engine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing—but gently. Remember, however, that
on cold winter days this may take a little
longer.
D Keep the front wheels in proper align-
ment. Avoid hitting the curb and slow
down on rough roads. Improper alignment
not only causes faster tyre wear but also
puts an extra load on the engine, which,
in turn, wastes fuel.
D Keep the automatic transmission se-
lector lever in the “D” position when
engine braking is not required. Driving
with the selector lever in a position other
than “D” will reduce the fuel economy. For
details, see “Automatic transmission” on
page 123 in Section 1--7.
D Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corrosion.
D Keep your vehicle tuned-up and in top
shape. A dirty air cleaner, improper valve
clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil and
grease, brakes not adjusted, etc. all lower
engine performance and contribute to
poor fuel economy. For longer life of all
parts and lower operating costs, keep all
maintenance work on schedule, and if you
often drive under severe conditions, see
that your vehicle receives more frequent
maintenance. For full details of your main-
tenance schedule, read the separate
“Warranty and Service Book”.
D Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid
jackrabbit starts. Get into high gear as
quickly as possible.
D Avoid long engine idling. If you have a
long wait and you are not in traffic, it is
better to turn off the engine and start again
later.
D Avoid engine lugging or over-revving.
Use a gear position suitable for the road
on which you are travelling.
D Avoid unnecessary stopping and brak-
ing. Maintain a steady pace. Try to time
the traffic signals so you only need to stop
as little as possible or take advantage of
through streets to avoid traffic lights.
Keep a proper distance from other ve-
hicles to avoid sudden braking. This will
also reduce wear on your brakes.
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast down
hills. Your power steering and brake
booster will not function without the en-
gine running. Also, the emission control
system operates properly only when the
engine is running.
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