FAQs
As the fuel prices are rising everyday, here are few driving tips that will help you get better fuel efficiency.
These tips have been collected from various sources online and offline, and also have been tried and tested.
Hope they help :
1. Check your tyre pressure : Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored causes of Bad Fuel Efficiency. Tires lose air due to time (about 1 psi per month) and temperature (1 psi for every 10 degree drop); under-inflated tires have more rolling resistance, which means you need to burn more fuel to keep your car moving. Buy a reliable tire gauge and check your tires at least once a month. Be sure to check them when they are cold, since driving the car warms up the tires along with the air inside them, which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading. Use the inflation pressures shown in the owner's manual or on the data plate on the driver side door sill.
2. Check your air filter :A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. Air filters are easy to check and change; remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can't see light coming through it, you need a new one. Consider a K&N or similar "permanent" filter which is cleaned rather than changed; they are much less restrictive than throw-away paper filters, plus they're better for the environment.
3. Accelerate with care : Each time you accelerate doesn't mean that you have to burn the rubber or rev the engine to get the sporty grunt. Smooth acceleration always helps in better Fuel Efficiency. When the light turns green, resist the urge to bolt ahead of the car next to you. This keeps the engine at lower revolutions per minute (RPMs) thus using less fuel. Car engines usually are most efficient at low rpms.
4. Get back to the nature : Consider shutting off the air conditioner, opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you'll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.
5. Tyre size : New wheels and tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they'll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, try keeping the width same as the one which was in your stock tyres.
6. Clean out : Remove all the unnecessary junk from your car. Few people are known to carry almost everything in their car adding on to the weight. Each 30 kg increase in the car will reduce your fuel efficiency by 1-2 %.
7. Change your fuel filter : Change your fuel filter as adviced in the owner's manual. A clogged filter will reduce your engine's fuel efficiency.
8. Service : One common thing which has been noticed time and again is that the owners are careful about the servicing of the car only for the first few free services. Then they become slightly careless towards servicing the car. It is recommended that you get your car serviced at proper intervals.
9. Oil : Start using synthetic oil. Synthetic oil helps improve your engine's efficiency. Though it is more expensive, than the regular engine oils, but it pays off with increased fuel efficiency, longer engine life and less frequent oil changes. Synthetic oil can increase your fuel efficiency by upto 15% by following manufacturer's instructions and recommended usage.
10. Planning : Try planning your trips before you head out so that you can decide what roads to take depending on the traffic situation at that point of time, whether you can combine multiple tasks in a single trip or not etc. Stop and go traffic reduce your car's efficiency upto 33%!! Take roads that would have lesser traffic (even if they are longer) as that will give be good for your car's fuel-efficiency and also for your mental health (driving in traffic increases stress)
11. Full fuel tank : Fill up your car's fuel tank completely, and always refuel with 1/3rd fuel left in the tank. If your fuel runs low, the engine might not receive a steady supply of gas (since it will splash around while you're driving and it might momentarily splash away from the tube that leads gas out of the tank). Not having a steady supply of gas will make your engine less efficient. The benefits of having a full tank will outweigh the drawbacks of having the added weight.
12. Sweet Speed : Find your car's sweet speed when you are on a highway. Sweet speed is when you can be in the top gear with lowest RPM without the engine knocking. Usually it is around 60kmph for most of the cars I have driven. Try finding your car's as this speed will give you the best Fuel Efficiency while driving on the highways.
13. Avoid Braking : Try and avoid braking as much as you can. Use the brakes only for emergency. When you see a red light or when you know where you have to stop, try rolling the vehicle to a stop. It will take some practice, but you will save a lot of fuel this way.
14. Avoid Idling : Shut off the engine if you know your car would not move for 30 seconds. You will save more fuel by switching off the engine and starting it again instead of keeping it on for more than 30 seconds.
15. Spark Plugs : Ensure your spark plugs are in a good condition. Renew the plugs and wires at intervals specified in the owner's manual. This will keep all cylinders firing properly resulting in higher efficiency.
16. Reduce Drag : About half of your vehicle's energy is expended overcoming air resistance. (The other half is expended in acceleration.) Reduce your car's workload - remove anything that might cause drag: luggage racks, bike racks etc.'
17. Refuel when cold : Always try and refuel your car during the coldest time of the day. The fuel is denser because it is cold. During the day time, the density is less. Fuel is given at all fuel stations by volume, NOT density. So you get more when it is cold.
18. Octane Level : Read your owner's manual carefully for the fuel octane rating. Using higher octane fuel will NOT improve efficiency or performance. It is a total waste of money to pay for 90+ octane fuel when your car is designed to work on 87 octane fuel.
Each time you sit in the car, think twice – Is this trip really necessary??
