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- Do NOT stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch off the engine before you are out of
the water.
- Bear in mind that waves created by oncom
ing traffic could exceed the permissible
wading depth of your vehicle.
- Avoid driving through salt water (corrosion).
How to improve economy and minimise
pollution
Fuel economy, environmental impact and wear
on the engine, brakes and tyres depend largely
on the way you drive the vehicle. By adopting an
economical driving style and anticipating the
traffic situation ahead, you can reduce fuel con
sumption by 10-15%. The following section gives
you some tips on lessening the impact on the en
vironment and reducing your operating costs at
the same time.
Anticipate well in advance
A car uses most fuel when accelerating. If you an
ticipate hazards and speed changes well in ad
vance, you will need to brake less and thus accel
erate less. Wherever possible, let the car slow
down gradually
with a gear engaged,
for in
stance when you can see that the next traffic
lights are red.
Change gear early to save fuel
An effective way of saving fuel is to
change up
quickly
through the gears. Running the engine at
high rpm in the lower gears uses an unnecessary
amount of fuel. Press the accelerator slowly and
avoid using the "kick-down" feature.
Avoid driving at high speed
Avoid travelling at top speed. Fuel consumption,
exhaust emissions and noise levels all increase
very rapidly at higher speeds. Driving at moder
ate speeds will help to save fuel.
Do not let the engine idle for longer than
necessary
Engine idling periods are automatically reduced
on vehicles with start/stop system*. On vehicles
without start/stop system*, it is worthwhile
switching off the engine at level crossings, for in-
Driving
stance, or at traffic lights with a long red phase.
The fuel saved after only 30 - 40 seconds is
greater than the amount of fuel needed to re
start the engine.
The engine takes a very long time to warm up
when it is running at idling speed. Mechanical
wear and pollutant emissions are also especially
high during this initial warm-up phase. It is
therefore best to drive off immediately after
starting the engine. Avoid running the engine at
high speed.
Regular servicing
Regular servicing can establish a basis for good
fuel economy before you start driving. A well
serviced engine gives you the benefit of
im
proved fuel efficiency
as well as maximum relia
bility and an enhanced resale value.
A poorly maintained engine can consume up to
ten percent more fuel than necessary.
Check the
oil level
when filling the tank.
Oil con
sumption
depends to a great extent on the en
gine load and engine speed. It is quite normal
that the oil consumption of a new engine only
reaches its lowest level after a certain mileage.
This means that the oil consumption can only be
properly assessed after about 5,000 km.
Avoid short trips
The engine and emission control system need to
reach their
proper working temperature
in order
to minimise fuel consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses disproportionately more fuel.
The engine only reaches its working temperature
after about
four
kilometres, when fuel consump
tion will return to a normal level.
Check tyre pressures
Always make sure the tyres are inflated to the
correct tyre pressures to save fuel. If the tyre
pressures are just 0.5 bar too low, this can in
crease the fuel consumption by as much as 5 %.
Due to the greater rolling resistance, under-infla
tion also increases
tyre wear
and impairs han
dling.
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