EFFECT OF WHEEL ALIGNMENT, SPEED AND ROAD CONDITION ON FUEL EFFICIENCY OF A LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLE

Abstract

The fuel efficiency of a TOYOTA ECHO PLUS-2ZZ-GE-02 model light-duty vehicle was investigated experimentally based on the wheel alignment system. The light vehicle has been analyzed with the variation of vehicle speed under three different road pavement conditions. A computerized wheel alignment machine (Best-5800) was used to measure the wheel alignment condition of the light vehicle. The experimental results show that the fuel efficiency of the vehicle depends on the state of the road and the alignment of the wheels. The result also noted that proper wheel alignment and good road pavement conditions with a recommended speed limit can significantly enhance the safety of suspension system component life, reduce tire wear, and boosts vehicle mileage and driver satisfaction. The Pearson’s correlation coefficients (rzy) suggest that vehicle speed and fuel consumption are strongly correlated for fair and poor pavement conditions, however, a moderate correlation was observed in very poor pavement conditions.