As prices rise, a car's fuel consumption has become a very important factor. Knowing the km / l your car consumes can help you understand if its efficiency is good or not and if it is making you spend a fortune on fuel. Once you have this value available, you can better calculate your budget and predict how it will change as the fuel price changes, evaluate whether to buy a more efficient car or if your car consumes more than it should. Here's how to do it.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Calculate the efficiency of your car
Step 1. Go to a gas station and fill up
It can be expensive, but it is important to get an accurate value.
Step 2. Note the mileage
Before you even enter the gas station, make a note of your current mileage. We will call him Mileage A.
Step 3. Drive normally
To get the most accurate value possible, drive until the tank is less than half the size. The later you refuel, the better.
Step 4. Fill up again
Go to the same gas station and try to use the same pump you used the first time, as the pumps may be calibrated differently. This time it marks how many liters of petrol are needed to fill the tank. We will call this value Liters.
Step 5. Note the current mileage
We will call this value Mileage B.
Step 6. Perform the calculation
The formula for calculating km / l is this:
- Km / L = (Mileage B - Mileage A) / Liters.
- Subtract the Mileage A from the B. This number indicates the kilometers you have driven since you last filled up.
- Divide that value by the liters needed to refill the tank. This will give you the consumption from your car.
Method 2 of 4: Example
Let's assume we have a new machine and want to calculate its consumption:
- Refueling A: added 26 l after 3,117 km
- Refueling B: added 25, 66 l after 3,579 Km
- Refueling C: added 25.02 l after 4.017 Km
Method 3 of 4: Consumption Calculation Results
- Supply A: base value cannot be calculated.
- Refueling B: (3,579 Km - 3,117 Km) / 25, 66 l = 18 Km / l
- Refueling C: (4.017 Km - 3.579 Km) / 25.02 l = 17.5 Km / l
Method 4 of 4: Improve Accuracy
Step 1. Check your odometer
Not all cars have an accurate odometer. This will prevent you from correctly assessing how many kilometers you have traveled and consequently, the consumption calculation will also be inaccurate.
Many highways have signs indicating the distance. There are kilometer-long roads with signs indicating every kilometer traveled. If you know any in your area, use it to check the accuracy of your odometer. Alternatively, mark the start and end of a stretch of road exactly five or ten kilometers on the map
Step 2. Reach the first sign and reset the odometer once you pass
- At the end of the trip, note the odometer value. An accurate odometer will mark the actual distance traveled.
- If your odometer is wrong, your consumption will be better than the calculated one. You actually traveled more road than your odometer indicates. On the other hand, if your odometer is wrong, your consumption will be higher than the calculated one.
Step 3. Calculate this difference
We will call "A" the actual distance traveled, and "T" the mileage indicated by the odometer. We will call the difference "D". The formula for the calculation is:
- D = A ÷ T
- For example, if you have traveled 5 kilometers and your odometer reads 4.5 kilometers, the formula would give the result:
- D = 5 ÷ 4, 5; D = 1, 11. To calculate actual fuel consumption using the formula above you will need to multiply the difference between mileage A and B by this value.
- If Mileage B - Mileage A = 100, multiply it by D (1, 11). In this example you will have actually covered 111 kilometers.
- If the odometer shows 5, 5 km, you will have instead:
- D = 5 ÷ 5, 5; D = 0, 91. Repeat the calculation with the new data.
- In this case you will multiply 100 by the new value of D (0, 91). In this case you have only traveled 91 Km.
Advice
- You can use the value you got to try to improve the efficiency of your driving. If you usually drive at 120 km / h on average, try driving at 90 and measure your fuel consumption again - it will probably be lower.
- To make the most of the fuel, drive between 50 and 100 km / h. You will save on fuel And you will extend the life of the car and its components.
- Calculate your consumption several times to get a more reliable value. If you have driven more in an extra-urban regime at one time, your consumption will be better and vice versa if you have driven more in an urban regime.
- The vast majority of cars on the market have the ability to set a "trip" on their odometer, in addition to the basic odometer function of measuring all the kilometers traveled by the car.
- To determine the impact of the cost of fuel on your budget, divide the number of kilometers you drive on average by the value of your fuel consumption in km / l. Multiply this by the cost of fuel and you'll know how much you'll have to spend.
Warnings
- Consumption will vary greatly depending on your driving style. Less hard braking and sudden acceleration mean less fuel consumption. This is why driving on the highway will make you less fuel than driving in the city.
- You could get your calculations wrong. Repeat the calculation two or three times and use the average of the results as a guide to your consumption.
