Most of us have to keep an eye on our outgoings nowadays and one fairly major expense is the running of our cars. The price of petrol seems to be going up and so there are a few rules we can all follow to help save on fuel.
One thing a lot of us are guilty of is putting our foot down when we accelerate. If you drive an automatic it is best to accelerate at a moderate speed in order to give the transmission time to shift to the higher gears. If you accelerate away and brake right away this is a big waste of fuel.
A good way to save petrol is simply reduce your speed. As speed increases the fuel decreases!
Under inflated tyres are very often overlooked. If they are not set at the correct pressure they will need to use more petrol to keep the car moving. Get yourself a good tyre gauge and check the tyres at least once every month. One tip is to check them when they are cold because driving the car will warm up the tyres and the air inside which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading.
Check your air filter because a dirty one will restrict the flow of air to the engine which will affect performance and economy.
New wheels and tyres may look good and they can improve the way that a car handles, but if they are wider they could create more resistance and increase fuel consumption. So it is worth considering keeping the old tyres for long trips which will give you a far smoother ride and far better economy.
If you are considering changing your vehicle then maybe this is the ideal time to downsize a little. Nissan and Toyota are two of the leading manufacturers who have developed highly fuel efficient cars.
This may not seem obvious, but look inside your car and give it a bit of a spring clean. We are often guilty of hoarding rubbish in our cars and its surprising how this extra baggage mounts up in the terms of weight. The more weight in the car the more fuel there is burnt.
Finally, more than likely not a very popular thing to say, but whenever possible why not simply walk?!!
