Want Great Mileage From A Turbo Petrol Car? Drive It This Way!
The most recent trend in the Indian automotive landscape shows turbocharged petrol engines gaining acceptance. More manufacturers are now launching turbo-petrol models despite the wide perception that turbocharged petrol engines are significantly less fuel efficient than naturally aspirated ones. If you are planning to buy a turbo-petrol car and want to extract the maximum mileage (fuel efficiency) from it, here are some tips/ guidelines to follow. Drive them a certain way and most turbo-petrols will return good fuel efficiency figures.
In simple terms, the hack is to ensure that the engine’s turbocharger works in the optimal state and efficiently. Driving pattern matters a lot in this. The driver should know how gentle to be with the throttle and when and how to shift in the case of manuals. Wrong throttle inputs or untimely shifts can bring notable drops in fuel efficiency.
Let’s start with the throttle. If your intention is to get the maximum mileage from a turbo-petrol car, the first advice that we would give would be to ‘stay off the boost’- saying NO to exactly what the turbocharger offers! Be very gentle with your right foot. Boost activates under throttle load, above a certain RPM (this usually varies among engines of different sizes).
If you floor the accelerator and enjoy the strong tug of torque and ‘fun’, that’s all you’re going to get. Fuel efficiency will slip! This is because aggressive acceleration forces the turbocharger to spool up and the engine breathes more. ECU then injects more fuel to keep the consistency of the air-fuel mixture. This decreases fuel efficiency.
Under high load, turbo-petrol engines may even inject more fuel than needed, to prevent knocking and control temperatures, translating to a bigger drop in mileage. The golden rule is- be gentle with the throttle!
Next, maintain the right engine RPM. Shift at the rpm in which your engine makes the peak torque- or even better a couple of 100 RPMs less. Make sure to not overshoot. Shifting to the right gear is obviously as important. Downshifting at the right time is also important. Do not let your engine lug.
Disciplined driving can be rewarding in the case of turbo-petrols. Use progressive acceleration and rely on momentum. Make sure to cruise at steady speeds whenever possible. 80-90kph is, in most cases, the ideal cruising speed, as wind resistance increases exponentially beyond 100 kph. Instead of braking late, lift off the right foot and rely on coasting, wherever doable.
Many cars and SUVs today come equipped with selectable drive modes. In most cases, there will be an ECO mode, engaging which can bring considerable improvements in fuel efficiency. A proper warm up and cool-down routine can also help in optimizing fuel consumption.
Allow the motor to idle for 30–60 seconds after a cold start, before driving. Do the same for 1-2 minutes after a long or high-speed drive, before turning it off. Doing this prevents ‘coking’- the phenomenon in which oil burns into sludge inside the hot turbo.
Another recommended practice is the use of manufacturer-recommended octane fuel and high-quality full synthetic oil. Since these engines operate at higher temperatures and pressures, they need stable fluids too.
Even tyre pressure plays a role in ensuring fuel efficiency. Under-inflated tyres offer higher rolling resistance and can bring about marginal drops in overall fuel efficiency. And finally, keep in mind that every 45 kilograms of additional weight that the car carries, can potentially affect its fuel efficiency. In case of turbo-petrol SUVs, having a roof rack and items on it will not go easy on the overall mileage, as it affects the aerodynamic efficiency.