Cost of FUEL IS KILLING US!

Ever had one of those days when you feel like it costs more to feed your car than to feed you?  It’s a given fact that a significant portion of our monthly income goes into maintaining and feeding your vehicles.
In today’s economy, where fuel prices are constantly on the rise and your pay check does not increase proportionately to the rise in fuel prices, it’s important to “Drive Smart”

Between official appointments, daily commuting to from home to work and back, running errands and hopefully having time to enjoy some personal time and entertainment, you need a life line to help you manage your fuel costs.
This is even worse if you drive a less fuel-efficient vehicle. In general, the larger your car, the less fuel-efficient it is as it takes more petrol to drive or move these vehicles.

Information below is to help everyday motorists cut the cost of motoring through a mix of enhanced fuel technology and education in fuel-efficient driving techniques
So drive smart. Here’s how:

Fueling Tips

• Fuel Matters – All fuels are not created equal. Fuel economy is maximised in the engine through a combination of good driving habits and using the best fuel…one that helps reduce friction and improve cleanliness in the engine, thereby boosting fuel efficiency.
• Filling up -Don’t overfill your petrol tank. Stop after the first click. Beyond that point, fuel will be wasted through spillage and evaporation. It is also important to make sure that your fuel cap is in good condition and fits properly.
• Avoid small fuel fills – Fuel evaporates every time you open the fuel cap. To stop this, avoid repeatedly topping up your tank. Also check the seal on your fuel cap is airtight.

Fuel Efficient maintenance

A well-maintained vehicle will be your best bet to reducing your petrol expenditure. Check your owner’s manual for specific maintenance instructions, but keep the following points in mind:

• Tune and service your engine - A well tuned engine can improve fuel economy by up to 4%, so change your oil and follow your car manufacturer’s recommendation on servicing.
• Keep your tires at the right pressure – Inflate tyres to the recommended air pressure. Correctly inflated tyres are safer and last longer. A tyre that is under inflated by just 1psi can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 3%. An under or over inflated tyre is also more susceptible to failing.
• Use the correct oil - Always use the recommended grade of motor oil. Using the manufacturer’s recommended lubricant can improve fuel efficiency by 1-2%**. Higher quality motor oils can also help your engine operate more efficiently.
• Spark plugs must be in good condition.
• Check your air filter. A dirty air filter increases fuel consumption and can cause poor performance.

Fuel Efficient Driving Techniques

Ease off on the accelerator – and save!

• Cut Down On Driving – Time and plan trips carefully. Cutting down on the time spent in the car is the easiest way to conserve fuel. To reduce driving time, combine all your short trips and errands into a single journey. Arrange for a centralised location where you can take care of chores like banking, bill paying, and groceries shopping in one go. This also applies to all other activities like school drop offs and pick ups, proximity of the gym to your place of work , etc
• Starting Procedure
  Don’t race a cold engine to warm it up. Avoid extended idling to warm up the engine. Idling for a full 10 minutes at the car park waiting for the engine to heat up is a waste of fuel. You can start driving slowly as soon as the engine is started, but avoid rapid acceleration.
• Avoid carrying excess weight – Load and Resistance, for every extra 45 kg you carry your fuel efficiency can drop by 1-2%. So keep your boot or back seat clear of unnecessary items that just add weight to your vehicle.
• Scan the Traffic
  Scan the traffic condition ahead of you to anticipate traffic speeds. This way, you will be able to maintain steady speed for optimum fuel economy. Repeated variance of speed will waste petrol. Scanning the traffic also means anticipating any upcoming traffic lights. Once you see a red light ahead of you, ease off on the accelerator and coast to a stop. Driving at full speed and braking hard at the last minute in front of the traffic light will only waste fuel unnecessarily and put additional burden on your tyres and brakes.
• Avoid rush hour - If you can travel outside of peak times, you’ll spend less time stuck in traffic and consume less fuel as a result.
• Use the Right Gear
  Drive smoothly is all about understanding the proper use of gears. Use higher gears: - The higher gear you drive in the lower your engine speed is, which can improve fuel efficiency. So change up a gear whenever you can, without labouring the engine. For manual cars, driving in a gear lower than is needed wastes fuel. Allowing the engine to labour in the top gear on hills and corners is also wasteful. In automatic cars, the automatic transmission will shift up gears more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car reaches cruising speed. In both cases, it is advisable to let the car slow slightly when going up hills instead of dropping down gears to keep a constant speed.  Keep your foot off the brake pedal when driving. This will only strain the engine, increase brake wear and use more petrol. Fuel economy can also be achieved if you keep your foot off the clutch when driving and make sure that the hand brake is fully released. If you stop on a hill, use the hand brake instead of holding the car in gear with the accelerator and clutch.

Cut Down on Aggressive Driving Maneuvers

Drive smoothly as aggressive driving can use as much as a third more fuel than safe driving. Aggressive driving maneuvers like tail-gating and constant lane swapping to get ahead of others is unlikely to save time and will certainly use up more fuel. This type of aggressive behaviour requires hard braking and sudden take-offs the two things that you should not do if you want to save fuel. Avoid accelerating or braking too hard and try to keep your steering as smooth as possible.

• Avoid excess idling - If you’re going to stop for an extended period of time, switch off the engine. Restarting uses less fuel than idling, not to mention reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Idling gets you nowhere but still burns fuel. Turn the engine off when you’re in a queue, or waiting for someone, until you need it.
• Avoid over revving - Change gear in good time when you pull away or when you’re accelerating. Never ‘redline’ the rev counter.
• Avoid high speeds - The faster you go the more wind resistance you’ll encounter and the more fuel your vehicle will consume just to maintain speed. Driving over the speed limit can affect fuel economy by up to 23%.
• Keep your distance - Leave a sensible distance between yourself and the car ahead to give you ample time to brake evenly.
• Use cruise control - Using cruise control on major roads helps you maintain a constant speed and, in many cases, will improve fuel consumption.
• Keep the windows closed - Wind blowing through an open window will slow you down. To compensate, you may put your foot down harder, using more fuel.
• Take the roof rack off - If you’re not using your roof rack then remove it. They affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag, reducing fuel economy by as much as 5%.
• Use air conditioning sparingly – Air conditioning puts added strain on the engine and uses fuel to operate, so limit use to particularly hot or cold days. On temperate days use the fan instead.
• Conserve momentum - Think ahead when you’re driving. For example, slow down early to let traffic lights change, rather than stopping completely, or speed up a little before you reach the foot of a hill.
• Keep A Record - Keep a record of your fuel consumption. Any increase will alert you to problems that may need addressing.