6 Causes of Bad Gas Mileage
Have you ever calculated the fuel economy of your vehicle when you visit a gas station. As the vehicle gets older there are many reasons which cause high fuel consumption. In this article, we will discuss some reasons for bad gas mileage.
Reasons for Poor Gas Mileage:
(1) Carbon Buildup:
As your vehicle gets old, carbon builds up on injectors, cylinder walls, and valves pistons. A little accumulation of carbon is normal. But sometimes too much carbon deposit accumulates in critical areas. This prevents the ability of the valves to seat properly, as a result, it reduces compression, which decreases engine efficiency and also fuel economy.
(2) Worn Piston Rings:
When the vehicle gets older the ring piston has worn out so they don’t seal well and cause leakage of engine oil in the cylinder, as pressure leaks it reduces compression which also reduces fuel economy. When incorrect oil is used it causes ring pistons are worn out. Another reason is that oil is not changed at regular intervals or oil is allowed to run low.
(3) Cold Weather:
When the weather is cold, it takes a long time to reach normal temperature. Oil viscosity increases at colder temperatures which have a great effect on the efficiency of the engine. You can usually notice on short trips. In winter season cold air has more density as compared to the warm air that’s why vehicle requires more amount of fuel in the air-fuel mixture to maintain the normal ratio. Additionally, the additive is different in the winter than it is in summer. Winter fuel has less energy per gallon.
(4) Low Tire Pressure:
If the tire pressure is lower it increases the rolling friction in the tire so it requires more energy to maintain the speed and reduce MPG. In modern vehicles, companies had installed sensors to monitor the pressure of the tires. Check your tire pressure at regular intervals with the help of the pressure gauge to ensure that the pressures of the tires are set to the manufacturer's recommended value.
(5) Using Thicker Oil:
Some people use thicker oil in the old vehicles to prevent leaks or reduce lifter noise well this is not a recommended strategy. Thicker oil causes more friction in the internal components of the engine it also affects the fuel economy. It's best to use the factory recommended oil in the owner’s manual.
(6) Bad O2 Sensors:
If you check the engine light turn on due to the O2 sensor, don’t just ignore it. Many vehicles run perfectly due to the bad O2 sensor due to this issue it injects more fuel as required, wasting gas. A new O2 sensor is cheap. Not only it saves you money at the pump and it’s also for better for the environment too.
