Advances in technology and the increasing introduction of hybridization systems have caused the average consumption of vehicles to decrease to levels that were unthinkable 20 years ago. This can also be done directly with efficient or economical driving, where it will be more than natural to obtain low consumption figures. However; everything in excess is bad, and when it comes to this type of driving, too.
Economy driving isn’t forever
We live in cities choked by pollution and it is a priority to consume less fuel. Practicing economical and efficient driving (without accelerating or braking, at a constant speed) reduces fuel consumption by an average of 15%, reduces CO2 emissions to the same extent and also that of other substances that are harmful to the environment and to health. health.
But it is also true that it should not always be done, no matter how much we look for it with our car. The reality is that this is a technique that is useful for day-to-day use, but it can also suffer a lot of damage if we continually behave in this way.
This can be seen from movements such as hypermilers, which are those drivers who strive to drive economically and efficiently above any other premise… but that can bring us more than one headache.
We can suffer several breakdowns
As we say, with this economical driving technique it is possible to match or stay very close to the approved consumption, and it is true that consumption is never higher than what we would have driving normally… but taking it to the extreme is not good.
In fact, in many cases, certain drivers join hypermilling , which are those drivers who exceed the official MPG of their vehicle who choose to use more advanced efficient and economical driving techniques, some of which may be incompatible with road safety if they are not followed. They do it with their heads, and they can even cause our car to suffer more.
It is then that abusing economic driving techniques can cause mechanical breakdowns in the medium or long term. For example, and as stated by the experts and even the DGT, driving at low speed and very low revolutions can cause blockages in the particle filter , probes or flow meters, because carbon deposits are generated, especially in diesel engines.
Thus, driving 100% in the city, always at low revs , means that this dirt is not going to be evacuated well, that it will remain accumulated and that we can have a major breakdown if it is not remedied. The most common faults are in the EGR valves, turbos and anti-pollution systems.
Efficient driving is not the only way to drive
Nor should we forget about the cylinder because, at a few revolutions and when we are pressing hard, the piston oscillates instead of going up and down straight, thus increasing friction, wear and temperature. In addition, the oil pump and the water pump move less flow.
And it is that resorting to systems such as Start / Stop (start / stop) , is not the best either. This, as such, what it does is turn off the engine when the vehicle stops at a red light or in a traffic jam and turns it on again automatically when the driver decides to continue.
Therefore, it is only necessary for the driver to act conventionally, that is, step on the clutch to engage a gear. In any case, we cannot confuse efficient driving with the only way to drive. Efficient driving is the one that is used for a specific route , at a specific time, with certain traffic and weather conditions and a lot more variables that we do not know, but that are there, and with which we manage to consume as little as possible. (in those conditions) and, really, we take as little as possible.
