Tips To Minimize Fuel Usage

Fuel price hike soon. Be prepared, eh? But anyway, here are 31 tips that can help you (read : driver, rider) to reduce your fuel usage.

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1. Plan your route to avoid unnecessary trips.
2. Stagger your journey to avoid peak-hour rush. Getting stuck in traffic can increase the amount of fuel consumed.
3. Try to walk for a short distance instead of driving.
4. Take advantage of car pool or public transport to save fuel and also to save our environment.
5. Know when and how to use your car wisely according to your schedule. The more you drive the more fuel you use, especially on short routes.
6. Always get your car serviced for better car performance. By keeping your engine in tip-top shape you actually save your money. The vehicle components that affecting fuel consumption can be inspected. A clean, serviced engine means better fuel efficiency.

7. Always keep your tires properly inflated as it will improve fuel usage. Keep an eye on your tires at least once a week. The rolling resistance for deflated tires will be greater and will consume more fuel. Tires lose about 1 psi pressure due to air loss caused by the tire hitting holes, bumps and curbs. Always make sure that when you fill up your car, the tires are optimal as recommended.
8. Get your air filters checked and replaced regularly. Air filters clogged with dust, dirt and bugs will affect air circulation and increase fuel consumption up to 10% by restricting airflow to the engine. This not only wastes fuel; it also causes a loss of power to the engine.
9. Check for proper wheel alignment. More power is required to overcome improper alignment, and this in turn wastes fuel.
10. Thicker engine oil causes poor fuel consumption so make sure that your engine oil is not too thick.
11. Using appropriate motor oil in your car can help your car move much more efficiently which in turn saves your money. Using correct octane fuel can improve your car’s performance and using multi- grade oil will reduce drag, which in turn reduces fuel consumption.
12. Use thinner tires instead of thicker tires. Thicker tires need more fuel consumption as there is more rolling resistance.
13. Switch to radial-ply tires as they offer less rolling resistance and a longer life than the cross-ply variety. Furthermore, the choice of radials increases a tire’s life and reduces fuel consumption by 5%.
14. Slow down your car gradually when approaching traffic light.
15. Accelerate your car smoothly and gradually. Heavy braking wastes fuel. In most cars, traveling at 90 kmh on the open road uses 25 per cent less fuel than driving at 110 kmh. In normal driving conditions, try to keep the accelerator pressure steady. Accelerate gradually and use only the first quarter of the throttle movement, until you reach 70km/h to 80km/h.
16. Do not crank the engine excessively, as this will burn out fuel. Let your car warm up for 30 seconds and avoid sudden acceleration before the engine has warmed up sufficiently.
17. Do not warm up your car for to long. 30 to 45 seconds is usually plenty of time to warm the engine when you start your vehicle. However, modern cars and engines are designed to be driven almost immediately.
18. Avoid high speeds, and accelerating and braking too hard. Aggressive driving such as speeding, rapid acceleration and sudden braking or hard stops as they also waste fuel. Sensible driving is not only safer for you and other road users, but in turn it saves your fuel and money too.
19. Utilize your gears properly. Before the car starts going up a hill or a slope, change your gears. Choose higher gears when possible. They use less fuel.
20. Turn off the engine when you have to be in a queue or wait for someone for more than five minutes. Avoid excess idling as it consumes more fuel and increases wear and tear.
21. Do not ride the clutch to hold your car on an incline. In this way, you will waste your fuel and also reduce the life of your clutch dramatically. As for automatic transmission, do not use the accelerator to hold against an incline; use your handbrake on hills instead.
22. Always remember not to rest your foot on the brake or clutch pedals as this will definitely increase fuel consumption and can cause wear on the brakes and clutch.
23. As soon as your engine is started, drive smoothly and watch your speeding. Maintain steady speeds for the best fuel economy. Fast starts burn four times as much fuel as gentle acceleration. Observe the traffic flow ahead to avoid sudden braking. It is ideal to drive slowly at first, and then gradually pick up speed while your car goes. This way, the engine will warm up faster and lubricate faster.
24. Keep your steering wheel still. The more you weave on the road the further you have to travel and the more petrol is used.
25. Park your car in the shade during a hot sunny day as hot sun causes fuel to evaporate faster.
26. Always fill up a full tank to reduce corrosion in the petrol tank. Condensation can form on the inner side of the fuel tank that is not submerged in fuel.
27. Avoid carrying excess weight and unnecessary items in your car. Additional weight and vehicle add-ons will have a negative impact on aerodynamics, thus causing your engine to work harder and burn more fuel. Any added 50kg load will increase fuel consumption by 2%.
28. Make sure the fuel cap is on tight so the fuel cannot evaporate from the fuel tank.
29. Driving with your windows open can cost you extra fuel as wind flowing through an open window will slow your car down. Also, driving with your windows down will create a drag that increases fuel consumption by as much as 20%.
30. Use air-conditioning only when necessary as it can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.
31. If you are thinking of buying a car, you should select a fuel-efficient vehicle that will meet your needs. Avoid buying four-wheel-drive vehicles or vehicles with too many power-consuming options such as air-conditioning, power windows and automatic transmission because they may use more fuel. Light interior and exterior colours and tinted windows will reflect light and heat so you do not need to use the air-conditioning as much. Smaller capacity cars are usually equipped with better fuel mileage.

Via [Gomestic.Com]

[tags]fuel hike, petrol, diesel, tips, malaysia[/tags]