Characterization of Gear Usage to Fuel Consumption of a Light Duty Vehicle from Direct Measurements by Using On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) Data

Transportation contributes a major share of the fuel usage from total vehicles in developing countries. The manner of gear usage is one of the main factors affecting the fuel consumption of motor vehicles. The presented results came from the tests conducted on Toyota Hilux 2.5 liters vehicle to determine the fuel consumption, based on the average vehicle speed, engine speed and gear usage collected from using the neutralizing driving data collection. 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 lowest fuel consumption recorded under fifth gear with 9.75 liters/100km which reduction of 4.3% reduction compared with 4th gear. In conclusion, the fuel consumption is significantly determined by a proper gear selection.