How to Improve your Land Rover’s Gas Mileage

The number one most important factor in keeping your fuel economy up is the health of your engine. The healthier it is, the more efficient it is. Therefore, it’s essential to keep up with routine maintenance services. In the time that you’ve been driving, how many times have you been told to get an oil change? Probably a lot. Well, this is for a good reason! If your engine doesn’t get the lubrication that clean engine oil provides, it won’t run as smoothly, and the engine will be forced to over-exert itself, therefore using more fuel. However, clean oil keeps all the moving components moving smoothly, maximizing efficiency. Sometimes, this part is overlooked, but you should keep your engine air filter in mind. This cleans out the air that goes into your engine to be combined with fuel inside the cylinders. Driving with a dirty air filter can cause extra stress on your engine as it is not getting adequate airflow. This is especially critical if you use your Land Rover for off-roading. Lastly, the spark plugs should be checked every 30,000 miles. The spark plugs ignite the air and fuel inside the engine’s cylinders, making them a necessary component. Spark plugs can become dirty and contaminated with carbon, making them not as effective. The engine will have to use more fuel to ignite in the cylinder if the spark plugs aren’t functioning correctly.

While engine maintenance is essential for fuel economy, your tires also play a role. Three primary services are used to keep tires in good condition. First, tire rotations should be performed with each oil change. Due to the position of the engine and transmission, a majority of a Land Rover’s weight falls on the front axle. This weight puts pressure on the front tires, wearing them down faster than the rears. A tire rotation will swap the tires front to back to counteract this uneven wear. Having adequate tread depth will maintain traction on the road, preventing the engine from working overtime to produce more torque to keep the tire’s grip on the road. Next is a wheel alignment. If your car’s wheels are out of alignment, your tires will begin to form rolling resistance, forcing the engine to work harder, once again, using more fuel. Lastly, improperly inflated tires can also cause rolling resistance. To combat this, it’s essential to check your tire pressure about once a month. You can find the recommended tire pressure for your Land Rover on a sticker on the driver’s door jamb or inside the owner’s manual.

While you should always keep your car in good health to maintain maximum fuel efficiency, there are more ways to help that effort. First, being aware of your driving habits will help you monitor your fuel consumption so you can make changes if needed. Rapid acceleration and fast cruising speeds are the biggest culprits of gas-guzzling. However, a driver who keeps steady pressure on the gas pedal and maintains the speed limit will save more fuel than a more aggressive driver. Remember, the harder you press the accelerator, the more fuel is burned. During a study, Edmunds discovered that cars driven by those who drive calmly save between 33 and 38% on fuel. Additionally, you shouldn’t travel with excess weight in your vehicle, as the engine will work harder to push the weight down the road. In fact, for every 100 pounds, you can lose roughly 1% of each mile per gallon. While this may not seem like a lot, those miles can add up quickly.

If getting maximum fuel efficiency is on top of your priorities, Land Rover North Dade is ready to help! The service center here has the knowledge, skills, and tools to help keep your vehicle running its best to keep the fuel economy numbers up. Whether you need routine maintenance or engine repairs, our technicians are highly-trained to work on all Land Rover models. So schedule your next service appointment with us right here on our website using our online service scheduler. We look forward to serving you!