A bad economy and spiking fuel prices are every driver’s nightmare. Vehicle owners are always looking for ways to keep their fuel consumption low. Motoring experts will attest that there are several methods you can leverage to save fuel when driving.
Fuel-efficient driving tips at vin decoder at vincheck.infocan help you save money, drive safe and keep your vehicle safe from wear and tear. When you adopt proven fuel-efficient techniques when driving, you keep the vehicle emission on the lower side. You must know the 7 tips that will keep your vehicle’s fuel usage manageable. They are listed below.
- Accelerate gradually
Simply, aggressive acceleration pushes your car to consume more fuel. On standard town roads, make sure you pedal softly. Once you hit the accelerator, consider taking 5 seconds to cruise to 20km/h, especially if you had it parked. If you are riding between short speed bursts and dips, you will use more fuel. Dipping 10km/h for every 20 seconds could see your vehicle consuming more by 20%.
- Avoid over speeding
A wise driver knows that maintaining the right speed limit reduces fuel consumption. Majority of vehicles such as vans, trucks, and SUVs are fuel-efficient if you are riding between 50 and 80km/h. once you hit a higher range, your engine will consume more. If you are driving at speeds past 120km/h, you end up using 20% more than what you will consume driving at 100km/h constantly. The time gain with such speed isn’t much compared to the additional fuel you will burn.
- Drive in the right gear
If you’re driving in the inappropriate gear, you tend to consume more fuel. Equally, leaving the engine to labour in top gear when negotiating corners or going uphill will burn fuel faster than you think. If you’re driving a manual car, shift the gear up when the car is okay with such a top gear though you don’t have to hit the accelerator hard. For automatic transmission, you need to avoid gear options that push the car to burn more fuel.
- Drive smoothly
Driving in stop and start mode isn’t fuel-efficient and it leads to more emissions. If you are traveling at a constant speed, it saves fuel. Don’t hit the road during peak hours and avoid congested routes. On the road, don’t rev unnecessarily. Too many revs consume more fuel. Always keep a good distance from the vehicles ahead. You easily control acceleration and braking. It’s easy to see how the traffic is behaving and you can take the foot off the pedal. You can get back to cruising when the vehicle is still in motion and save your fuel.
- Minimise idling
The modern vehicle model doesn’t need to be warmed up before you can drive off. Warming leads to fuel wastage. You need to start the vehicle only when you need to move. On the highway, you can minimise fuel wastage by cutting the engine if you are pulled over or when you need to park for a long duration. Idling burns more than what your engine consumes when you restart it.
- Maintain car standards
During manufacture, your vehicle was designed to operate and combust in a standard way. Vehicles are built with fuel efficiency in mind. When you modify certain features, you tamper with its fuel consuming pattern. Even if the modifications are negligible, they will affect fuel consumption significantly. For instance, if you affix spoilers or change into wider surface tyres, it pushes the engine harder and builds rolling resistance. Your fuel bills will skyrocket instantly.
- Buy quality fuel
Buying quality fuel in itself reduces what your car consumes. When you buy cheaper fuel, it may end up burning faster meaning you have to buy some more. The quality or recommended fuel will combust at a normal rate and you don’t need to spend more on the move.
It’s advisable to go for fuel whose formulation comes with ingredients that cleanse fuel injectors to make them more effective. Other fuels come with additives that reduce internal engine friction; thus contributing to low fuel consumption.
Tyre pressure
On top of the above recommendations, drivers need to ensure that their tyres are in good working condition. If you didn’t know, your tyres play a huge role in ensuring that you are driving n a fuel-efficient manner. A large percentage of engine power is channelled to the tyres where it creates rolling resistance.
If your tyres have low pressure, it means more resistance. In turn, your engine exerts more pressure and it ends up burning more fuel. You need to keep the tyres inflated at the right pressure. Before you hit the road for a trip, check whether the pressure levels are ideal. Remember to get the wheels balanced and aligned regularly.
Other useful options
There are useful tricks you can employ to save your fuel every time you hit the road for a short or long trip. To make the drive more fuel effective, consider other options like lightening your load on board. Weight is one cause why you burn more fuel than expected. Get rid of the heavy carrier racks and ensure that your trunk has light items that matter most. Other options include switching off the A/C and servicing the car regularly.
Fuel-efficient driving benefits
Remember, if you drive smoothly without repetitive braking and idling, you save more fuel. Always leave early before the traffic builds up leaving you to drive in stop and start mode. When you leave early, you don’t have to over speed, which uses your fuel more than necessary.
There are many advantages you get by observing fuel-efficient driving techniques. Some reasons why you should drive fuel efficiently include:
- You save money if you pay for the fuel out of your pocket.
- You fill up conveniently. You no longer have to keep visiting the gas station.
- You conserve the environment. The less fuel you use the lower the emission levels.
- You preserve your engine. Fuel efficiency keeps your car parts in good shape for long.
- Fuel efficient driving enhances safety on the road.
It’s advisable that you keep a note of the advantages that come with fuel efficiency. You will save money and your vehicle will be on the road for longer.
