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Does Your Semi-Truck Experience Poor Fuel Economy? Here Are A Few Reasons Why

8 April 2022 by Herman Mills

An unquenchable gas tank can be annoying and financially draining. Undoubtedly, this is an indication that your vehicle isn't performing optimally. It's a sign of a severe underlying problem. If you notice increased visits to the gas station, it's time to visit your auto mechanic shop. Your mechanic needs to unearth the cause of the excess fuel consumption and fix it immediately. 

Usually, most of the issues that lead to excess gas usage result from poor driving habits or mechanical problems. Here's a detailed outline of the common causes of this problem.

Your Fuel Injector Is Clogged or Problematic 

When your semi-truck's fuel injector is dirty, your truck will experience a drop in fuel efficiency. The fuel injector's role is to spray fuel to your engine's cylinder in a specific pattern. If it fills up with dirt, it will spray the fuel inefficiently, leading to high fuel consumption. Sometimes, cleaning the nozzle of the injector fuel can address this issue. Likewise, a broken fuel injector leads to inefficient gas consumption. In this case, you should visit your mechanic to fix it. 

Bad Driving Habits That Drain Your Gas

An excellent way to ensure optimal fuel efficiency is to avoid driving at high revolutions per minute. It's also advisable not to shift your gears quickly. Fast gear shifting causes the engine torque output to fluctuate significantly, increasing energy usage. Besides that, your vehicle consumes a lot of fuel when you accelerate or hit the brake pedal too much.

Your Vehicle's Oxygen Sensors Are Dirty

Your vehicle oxygen sensor monitors the state of the exhaust gas before sending information to the vehicle computer to adjust the amount of fuel entering your engine. When the oxygen sensor is faulty, it can result in an erratic reading of the exhaust gases. This will cause your engine to burn more fuel than usual. A check engine light is an indication that you may have a faulty oxygen sensor. With the help of an experienced auto repair professional, you can resolve this issue quickly.

When you notice that your semi-truck has poor fuel efficiency, it indicates that something wrong needs to be fixed. But it's not easy to identify the cause since many factors contribute to excess fuel consumption. The best way to handle this situation is to visit your auto repair mechanic to diagnose the issue properly. Besides that, remember to exercise the ideal driving habits to keep your gas expenses under control.

Contact an auto service near you for help with your semi-truck repairs.

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