Driving; Economy - PEUGEOT Coupe 406 Handbook

66
DRIVING: Economy
Save fuel and reduce pollution
Fuel consumption is dependent not only on
the design and the technical refinement of the
vehicle, it also, depends on you. These few
suggestions will enable you to reduce your
consumption considerably.
Make sure your vehicle is in good
condition.
Follow the service schedule which the man-
ufacturer recommends.
Engine adjustments
It is advisable to have the essential items
checked at least once a year as recom-
mended in the Warranty and Maintenance
Record booklet.
Air filter
A clogged air filter reduces engine perfor-
mance; replace it at the intervals indicated in
the servicing schedules, and more frequently
in a dusty atmosphere.
Neglecting maintenance compromises engine
reliability.
Check the tyre pressures
(see
page 105).
You should do this approximately once per
month.
Remember that insufficient pressure in the
tyres increases rolling resistance and there-
fore consumption, adversely affects road
holding, accelerates wear of the tyres and
involves a risk of burst tyres.
Unequal tyre pressures compromise the road
holding of your vehicle.
Drive smoothly
Bear in mind a few simple rules:
- On starting, there is no need to warm up
the engine. Drive slowly in the beginning
and accelerate progressively without reach-
ing high engine speeds.
- While driving, use the highest gears pos-
sible to maintain satisfactory engine speed
without however labouring the engine.
Drive at a steady regular speed. Avoid sharp
braking and sudden acceleration. Anticipate
the variations in the traffic to avoid being
caught off guard.
Plan your journeys.
Remember that during the first few minutes
the consumption is more than double the
normal because the engine has not reached
the optimum operating temperature.
In town the traffic conditions are most
unfavourable from the point of view of fuel
consumption.
Watch the speed of your car.
Consumption increases with speed: between
70 and 80 m.p.h. (110 and 130 km/h) for
example, consumption increases by approx-
imately 25
%.
Load your vehicle sensibly.
Do not carry unnecessary loads in the
vehicle.