How to drive economically (VW Passat B5)

Fuel consumption, environmental impact, engine wear, brakes and tires depend on many factors.

Individual driving style

largely determines the cost of operating a vehicle and the amount of toxic and noise pollution on the environment.

Do not warm up the engine while standing still.

The process of warming up the engine at idle speed lasts a very long time, and engine wear and fuel consumption during warming up are especially high. Therefore, immediately after starting the engine, start driving, while avoiding high engine speeds.

Avoid accelerating the vehicle by fully pressing the accelerator pedal.

When the accelerator pedal is fully pressed, not only does fuel consumption increase significantly, but the load on the environment also increases, and the wear of the vehicle's units and components accelerates.

Do not drive with excessively high engine speeds - shift to a higher gear as soon as possible and only then shift to a lower gear when the engine can no longer run smoothly.

For example, fuel consumption in 2nd gear is twice as high as fuel consumption in top gear. In addition, due to the reduced engine speed, the noise level is also reduced.

Avoid driving at maximum speed if possible.

Fuel consumption, the content of harmful substances in exhaust gases and the noise level increase many times at high speed. If you move at a speed approximately equal to three quarters of the maximum speed, fuel consumption decreases by about half. And the gain in time, as practice shows, is very small.

Move as evenly as possible and try to anticipate the further development of the traffic situation.

Unnecessary braking and acceleration, which could have been avoided, inevitably lead to high fuel consumption and increased environmental impact.

Turn off the engine in those driving situations where you have to wait a long time before you can continue driving.

Peculiarities of traffic conditions

also, naturally, affect fuel consumption.

For example, the following lead to increased fuel consumption:

• high traffic density, especially in urban areas with a large number of traffic lights;
• movement with frequent short-term stops, which inevitably leads to a large number of engine starts and its prolonged operation in a not fully warmed up state;
• driving in a traffic jam in low gears, forced frequent changes in engine speed in relation to the distance traveled.

By carefully planning your travel route, try to avoid driving in adverse conditions, such as in a convoy, with frequent stops, etc.

Of course, fuel consumption also depends on factors that the driver cannot influence. For example, it is quite normal that fuel consumption in winter or in difficult driving conditions (poor road surface conditions, towing a trailer, etc.) is increasing.

Technical background

for economical fuel consumption and overall economical operation of your vehicle are already laid down at the factory. Particular attention was paid to the minimum possible negative impact of the vehicle on the environment. In order to make the best use of all the numerous positive qualities of your vehicle now and to preserve them for the future, it is necessary to follow the recommendations listed below.

In the interests of environmental protection, vehicles without catalytic converters should also be run on unleaded petrol whenever possible.

All scheduled maintenance work on the vehicle must be carried out in strict accordance with the "Service Book".

Regular maintenance at Volkswagen service centers guarantees not only the constant functionality and durability of your car, but also relatively low operating costs and a small impact on the environment.

Check your tire pressure once a month.

Low tire pressure increases the rolling resistance of the wheels. As a result, not only does fuel consumption increase, but tire wear also increases and the vehicle's performance deteriorates.

You should not constantly carry unnecessary items in the luggage compartment of your car.

The vehicle's mass has a particularly strong influence on fuel consumption in urban driving conditions, characterized by frequent acceleration.

Remove the roof rack from the vehicle immediately if it is no longer needed.

This is necessary because at high speeds, increased air resistance leads to a significant increase in fuel consumption.

Turn on on-board power consumers only when there is an urgent need for it.

The rear window heating, additional headlights, ventilation and heating system fan, climate control system – all of them consume a lot of current. Due to the increased load on the generator, fuel consumption increases. Heating the rear window for ten hours, for example, results in the consumption of an extra liter of fuel.

Constantly monitor fuel consumption.

Each time you fill up with fuel, you should calculate the specific fuel consumption. Thanks to this, individual malfunctions in the operation of vehicle units and components can be identified at an early stage

It is necessary to check the engine oil level every time you refuel your vehicle.

Engine oil consumption depends largely on the load and engine speed. It is also determined by the driving style of the car and can reach 1 l/1000 km.

It is quite normal that the consumption of engine oil of a new engine reaches its lowest value only after a certain mileage. Therefore, it is possible to finally judge the consumption of engine oil only after a mileage of about 5000 km.

This is equally true for fuel consumption and engine power.

Reliable operation of the exhaust gas neutralization device

is of crucial importance in terms of ensuring the minimum possible damage to the environment from the operation of the vehicle.

Therefore, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the following requirements:

Vehicles with a catalytic converter must be operated on unleaded gasoline only.

The fuel tank of a car equipped with a catalytic converter should never be used up completely. Due to the possible uneven supply of fuel to the engine, interruptions in its operation are likely to occur, which leads to unburned fuel getting into the catalytic converter. This can cause overheating and subsequent failure of the catalytic converter.

When during driving there are interruptions in the engine operation, a decrease in its power and uneven running, then there may be a malfunction in the ignition system. In this case, unburned fuel can enter the exhaust system and then into the atmosphere. In addition, the catalytic converter may be damaged due to overheating. It is necessary to immediately reduce the speed of movement. The malfunction must be eliminated at the nearest Volkswagen service center.

Do not overfill the engine with oil.

It is prohibited to tow a vehicle for the purpose of starting the engine for a distance greater than 50 m.

Warning: Due to the high temperature of the catalytic converter, which may occur under particularly unfavourable operating conditions, the vehicle should, if possible, be parked so that the catalytic converter does not come into contact with flammable materials.

Warning: Never use additional anti-corrosion coatings to protect the exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. Anti-corrosion compounds may ignite while driving.

Even if the catalytic converter is operating normally, under certain conditions the exhaust gases may smell of sulfur.

This may be caused by high sulfur content in the fuel.

Changing the brand of gasoline or filling the car with super unleaded gasoline often helps here.