By Efosa Taiwo
With rising fuel prices here to stay, car owners across the country will have to find ways to survive despite the rising cost.
Whether it’s to work, go grocery shopping at the mall, pick up a significant other, or attend religious meetings, saving fuel during these trips has now become relevant.
To ensure, as a car owner, you save fuel; here are 9 ways to do it:
Avoid idling
The fact is that today’s engines use a lot of fuel, therefore; the need, according to Automotive Fleet, for drivers to turn off their engines when idling their cars. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and emits more CO2 than restarting an engine. So the next time you pull off the road to make a sales call, pull into a resort to drop off a package, or warm up the interior of a vehicle before driving, make sure you turn off the engine.
Plus, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, it’s healthier and helps the environment to stop idling when you drive. It makes the air healthier by reducing dangerous pollution in your city or community. It also helps the environment because for every 10 minutes your engine is off, you’ll prevent one pound of carbon dioxide from being released (carbon dioxide is the main contributor to global warming).
Keep your tires pumped up
Underinflated tires have greater rolling resistance on the road. This means that with each kilometer traveled, the tires generate more friction and rolling resistance, therefore increasing fuel consumption. It is important during this period that the tires are properly inflated.
Antwerpen Toyota reveals that keeping them inflated means fewer trips to the gas station and more money in your bank account. Reduced toxic emissions: Low tire pressure causes your engine to burn out because it has to use more power than it should. This results in a higher level of environmentally unfriendly emissions.
Drive on AC
Driving with the windows down at speeds above 80 km/h creates a lot of wind resistance and costs you a lot more fuel, according to Mobil. In this case, it is simply more fuel efficient to drive with the AC on.
Reinforcing this fuel economy he said: “Driving with the windows down can also reduce fuel economy. Open windows increase aerodynamic drag (wind resistance), causing your vehicle to use more energy to propel the air . This effect is quite small at low speeds, but increases at highway speeds.”
Reinforce preventive maintenance
Improper maintenance can reduce your vehicle’s performance and consequently affect fuel consumption. It’s important to watch for failing oxygen sensors, dirty or clogged air filters, faulty spark plugs, faulty fuel injectors and faulty coolant sensors or engine thermostats.
Misaligned wheels fighting each other will also waste fuel. Putting fleet vehicles on tighter lubricant, oil and filter replacement schedules allows technicians to catch these problems before they happen.
Drive responsibly over 50 miles per hour
Each vehicle achieves optimal fuel economy at different speeds, but miles per gallon (MPG) generally drop off quickly when traveling above 50 mph.
Minimize aggressive driving
Hard cornering and braking, weaving in and out of traffic don’t shave much time off your rides and instead wear components like brakes and tires faster.
According to the EPA, aggressive driving can reduce fuel economy by 15% to 30% at highway speeds and by 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic.
Cruise at top speed
According to Mobil, if you’re driving an automatic car, use cruise control to keep your speed constant. And if you drive a manual car, keep a higher gear when necessary. In each of these cases, your engines run at fewer revolutions per minute (RPM) and will reduce your fuel consumption.
Lose weight to boot
For those in the habit of keeping everything and anything in the trunk besides emergency spares, think twice next time you load up. Every additional 50 kg your car carries increases fuel consumption by 2%.
Avoid braking aggressively
Slamming your brakes increases fuel consumption as you have to accelerate again later. This is especially true if you are following the vehicle in front of you too closely.
