Isuzu Compressor Trash Truck: Ten Methods to Save Fuel and Protect the Environment

Following the continuous rise in oil prices, for car owners, the most pressing concern is undoubtedly the methods to save fuel while driving. Below, we will briefly introduce ten common ways to save fuel while driving:

1. Avoid prolonged engine idling. When parked and idling, a car's fuel consumption is infinite. Try to minimize such situations; if you cannot move for a long time (more than half a minute), it’s best to turn off the engine. Long-term warming up of the car is incorrect as the engine temperature will quickly rise once the car starts moving.

2. Be gentle with your car. Smooth, steady driving is a key guarantee to saving fuel. Avoid sudden acceleration and braking. During the starting phase, try to accelerate smoothly and maintain a constant speed after reaching a certain velocity. According to statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the most fuel-efficient speeds are between 25 miles per hour and 60 miles per hour (40 km/h to 96 km/h). Steady acceleration, turning, and braking not only save fuel but also extend the life of the vehicle.

3. Minimize wind resistance. On highways, 50% of the energy is used to overcome wind resistance, so try not to increase the car's air resistance, such as by placing items on the roof or making unreasonable modifications. In high-speed conditions, do not assume that opening the windows will save more fuel than using the air conditioner because opening the windows greatly increases air resistance, which actually results in the opposite effect.

4. Reduce the number of cold starts. The engine operates most efficiently at an appropriate temperature. During a cold start, not only does the car consume more fuel, but it also experiences greater wear. Therefore, you should try to reduce the number of cold starts by reasonably planning your schedule.

5. Use the right type of fuel. Do not assume that the higher the grade of fuel you use, the better it is for your car. In fact, using the fuel grade specified by the manufacturer is the most scientific approach.

6. Maintain your car regularly. Regular maintenance ensures that your car remains in its best condition. A poorly maintained engine can increase fuel consumption by 10% to 20%, which is quite normal. Just having a dirty air filter alone can increase fuel consumption by 10%. Choosing the right motor oil is also important.

7. Take care of your tires. Always keep your tire pressure at the normal level. Insufficient tire pressure significantly increases rolling resistance, increasing fuel consumption and reducing tire lifespan. According to EPA tests, if the tire pressure is 2 psi (pounds per square inch) below the specified value, fuel consumption increases by 1%. Check your tire pressure once a month. Additionally, some green eco-tires, due to their reduced rolling resistance, can lower fuel consumption by an average of 3% to 8%.

8. Lighten the load of your car. From an energy perspective, the lighter the car, the less energy it needs. While the overall weight of the car cannot be changed, check whether there are unnecessary items in the trunk.

9. Avoid traffic jams as much as possible. Fuel consumption is highest when stuck in traffic. Although avoiding traffic in large cities is impossible, by choosing the right time and route, you can still minimize the probability of encountering traffic. Urban driving efficiency is often less than half of highway efficiency, so if city traffic is particularly bad, consider using public transportation for commuting.

10. Fundamental fuel-saving method. Even if all smart methods are used, saving 10% of fuel is still very difficult. However, in reality, every kilometer of the thousands we drive each month is essential. Before each trip, consider whether it is really necessary to drive yourself. For example, taking a bus to the airport might be more economical? Taking the subway to work? In fact, reducing mileage by 10% is much easier than improving fuel efficiency by 5%.

Below are some green driving skills I have seen, totaling "19 rules," which I find to be very effective knowledge, shared here with friends.

1. Plan your route: Data shows that if you drive 2 extra kilometers daily, you will consume an additional 6 liters of gasoline monthly, which translates to an extra 270 grams of CO2 emissions according to Euro III standards.

2. Check your trunk: Every 10 kg of items traveling 1000 km consumes 0.4 liters of fuel. Each additional kilogram of load increases fuel consumption by 1%. Therefore, frequently check if there are unnecessary items in the trunk. Even a case of mineral water can make you burn nearly 1 liter of gasoline extra each month.

3. Warm up your car slowly: Letting the car idle for over a minute after starting is very hard on a cold engine. Not only does it increase the risk of engine problems by 2.7%, but it also increases CO2 emissions by 11.3%, harming both you and the environment. Moreover, idling allows condensation in the exhaust pipe to remain, leading to rusting or even corrosion holes. The correct practice is to not idle the car, but instead drive slowly for a few minutes to let the engine warm up before accelerating steadily.

4. Accelerate gently, drive at a steady speed: One abrupt acceleration versus a gentle one can result in a difference of 12 milliliters of fuel for the same speed, emitting an extra 0.4 grams of carbon monoxide per kilometer. Also, the screeching noise caused by the intense friction between the tire and the ground during sudden acceleration is 7-10 times louder than during steady driving, increasing tire wear by 70 times and the risk of rear-end collisions by 4.3 times...

5. Shift gears appropriately: The engine, accelerator pedal, and gear shift need to work together seamlessly for optimal performance, and this happens when the engine is at 2000-3000 rpm. Many people debate the scientific validity of this claim, but one set of data is quite convincing. When shifting gears between 2000-3000 rpm, torque increases by 1.4% compared to insufficient or excessive rpm, while engine wear decreases by 2.6%.

6. Stay in higher gears: Driving in lower gears consumes more energy, so when driving a manual transmission car, shift to a higher gear promptly after the speed stabilizes. For a manual car, driving in lower gears at high speeds can increase fuel consumption by 45% above normal levels.

7. Don't open windows at high speeds: Tests show that closing the windows reduces wind resistance by 30%. Imagine having a sail on your car roof — opening the windows has a similar effect.

8. Use brakes cautiously: Remember, each brake application costs about 10 cents, including the fresh fuel sprayed from the engine nozzle, brake pad wear, and tire wear, etc.

9. Drive straight: How much fuel can straight-line driving save? Straight-line driving saves an average of 12% fuel per kilometer compared to frequent lane changes. Lane changing requires frequent speed adjustments, sudden accelerations, and braking, causing significant amounts of gasoline to become unburned exhaust gas without your awareness.

10. Don't use the phone while driving: Using the phone while driving reduces average speed by 17% and increases the risk of missing a turn by 40%. If time is considered part of environmental protection, talking on the phone while driving wastes 7% of your time. If these reasons aren't enough to discourage you from using the phone while driving, remember that in Beijing, being caught by traffic police can result in a fine of 200 yuan and a deduction of 3 points. Think carefully before you act, as your annual points allowance only covers four phone calls.

11. Avoid letting the car idle for long periods: Experiments show that idling the engine for 3 minutes consumes enough fuel to drive 1 kilometer. Therefore, whenever waiting at red lights for over a minute, idling for more than 4 minutes in traffic, or parking to wait for someone... it’s best to turn off the engine. Restarting the engine consumes almost 1% less fuel than idling for a minute. Currently, in Europe, this practice of turning off the engine to reduce exhaust emissions has been enforced by law. As a green driver, shouldn't you take the initiative to follow this?

12. Wax your car regularly: Safety is the greatest form of environmental protection. Handling one accident consumes 170 times more energy than preventing one. Studies show that waxed cars are 23% brighter than non-waxed ones, 12% more likely to be noticed by other drivers, and have a 3.2% lower accident rate.

13. Maintain a steady speed: The rationale behind steady driving and straight-line driving saving fuel is the same. Lower speeds don’t necessarily mean better fuel economy. The most fuel-efficient speed is zero.

14. Pay attention to fuel quality: Do not pour flammable liquids into the tank indiscriminately. Each car has the most suitable fuel grade for itself. The biggest misconception is that the higher the fuel grade, the better. In reality, if a car uses mismatched fuel grades over a long period, emissions increase by 4% under normal conditions, and the engine's lifespan shortens by a year.

15. Regularly maintain your car: Do not forget the "Car Maintenance Manual." In real life, well-maintained cars have less than a 1% chance of malfunctioning if no major accidents occur. Among common malfunctions, 83% are caused by a lack of scientific maintenance. These malfunctions affect your car's lifespan by 2.2% and emissions by 7.3%...

16. Minimize short-distance driving: If you always use the first kilometer of your car's fuel consumption to reach your destination, a car claiming to consume only 8 liters per 100 km could cost you nearly 40 liters for such behavior. In reality, a cold engine takes some time to reach optimal operating conditions, generally around 4 km. That means, if you're just going to the supermarket at the entrance of your residential area, it’s better to walk, which is both environmentally friendly and good for your health.

17. Ensure proper tire pressure: Make sure your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure. Tests show that maintaining the recommended tire pressure can reduce fuel consumption by 3.3%. If the tire pressure drops by 30%, when the car travels at 40 km/h, the fuel consumption of a passenger car increases by 5%-10%, and that of a diesel truck increases by 20%-25%. If just one tire is under-inflated by 40 KPa, the tire's lifespan will decrease by 10,000 km, and the total fuel consumption of the car will increase by 3%. To save fuel, go check your tire pressure.

18. Avoid unnecessarily using power-consuming devices: Using the rear window heater for 10 hours increases the whole vehicle's fuel consumption by 1 liter. Do not assume that electricity used in the car doesn't cost money because it doesn't require a plug card. Once you calculate the accounts, you'll find that electricity in the car is much more expensive than what you buy from the bank. Remove any unused electrical appliances from your car to not only lighten the load but also save a lot of electricity.

19. Fully depress the clutch: The wear on the gears in a semi-clutch state is three times that of a fully disengaged clutch. And the energy required to recycle a clutch is twice that needed to manufacture one.

Do not think that these small tips and actions for green driving have little impact on our lives. Consider the butterfly that flaps its wings and causes a tsunami; the connections between things in the world often start from these small matters. The content above is jointly released by Sanitation Garbage Truck Official Website (http://www.clwlu.com/)|www_clwlu_com and Garbage Truck Professional Manufacturer (http://www.clwwcw.com/)|www_clwwcw_com. For more exciting content, please visit their websites.