Effect of Gear Usage on the Fuel Consumption of Light Duty Vehicle by Using On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) Data

Abstract

Transmission gear ratio usually affects transportation fuel usage during travelled on road. The manner of gear usage is one of the main factors affecting the fuel consumption of vehicles. By using the neutralizing driving data collection, the vehicle Toyota Hilux 2.5 liters has been used to conduct the experiment to determine the fuel consumption, based on the average vehicle speed, engine speed and gear usage. Some parameters were investigated, with a special emphasis on the relation between the engine speeds and vehicle speeds, also presenting an example of using the information provided by the OBD to determine the gear ratios. In the end, the gear steps and the way they are used while driving the vehicle were identified. It is found that each gear usage can have a specific impact on fuel consumption and the usage of first gear indicates higher average fuel consumption with 60.5% with 35.8 liters/100km compared with second gear. In conclusion, the fuel consumption is significantly determined by a proper gear selection.