Citroen C3: Eco-driving

Eco-driving refers to a range of everyday practices that allow the motorist to optimise their fuel consumption and CO2emissions.

Optimise your use of the gearbox

With a manual gearbox, move off gently and change up promptly. While accelerating, change up early.

With an automatic gearbox, favour automatic mode and avoid pressing the accelerator pedal heavily or suddenly.

The gear efficiency indicator prompts you to engage the most suitable gear: whenever this indication is displayed on the instrument panel, follow it straight away.

With an automatic gearbox, this indicator appears only in manual mode.

Drive smoothly

Maintain a safe distance between vehicles, use engine braking rather than the brake pedal and press the accelerator gradually. These attitudes help to save fuel, reduce CO₂ emissions and decrease general traffic noise.

If the vehicle has the steering-mounted "CRUISE" control, use cruise control at speeds above 25 mph (40 km/h) when the traffic is flowing well.

Use electrical equipment wisely Before moving off, if the passenger compartment is too warm, ventilate it by opening the windows and air vents before using the air conditioning. At speeds above 31 mph (50 km/h), close the windows and leave the air vents open.

Consider using equipment that can help keep the temperature in the passenger compartment down (sunroof blind and window blinds, etc.). Unless automatically regulated, switch off the air conditioning as soon as the desired temperature has been reached.

Switch off the demisting and defrosting functions, if they are not managed automatically.

Switch off the heated seat as soon as possible. Switch off the headlamps and foglamps when the visibility conditions do not require their use. Avoid running the engine before moving off, particularly in winter; your vehicle will warm up much faster while driving.

As a passenger, avoid connecting your multimedia devices (film, music, video game, etc.) to help reduce consumption of electrical energy, and hence fuel.

Disconnect all portable devices before leaving the vehicle.

Limit the causes of excess consumption

Spread loads throughout the vehicle; place the heaviest items in the boot, as close as possible to the rear seats.

Limit the loads carried in the vehicle and minimise wind resistance (roof bars, roof rack, bicycle carrier, trailer, etc.). Preferably, use a roof box.

Remove roof bars and roof racks after use. At the end of winter, remove snow tyres and refit summer tyres.

Comply with servicing instructions

Check tyre pressures regularly, with the tyres cold, referring to the label in the door aperture on the driver's side.

Carry out this check in particular:

• before a long journey.
• at each change of season.
• after a long period out of use.

Do not overlook the spare wheel and, where applicable, the tyres on your trailer or caravan.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly (engine oil, oil filter, air filter, passenger compartment filter, etc.) and observe the schedule of operations in the manufacturer's service schedule.

With a BlueHDi Diesel engine, if the SCR system is faulty, your vehicle will emit pollution. Visit a CITROËN dealer or a qualified workshop as soon as possible to restore your vehicle’s nitrogen oxide emissions to regulatory compliance.

When filling the fuel tank, do not continue after the third nozzle cut-out, to avoid overflow. You will only see the fuel consumption of your new vehicle settle down to a consistent average after the first 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometres).