How To Save On Petrol

save petrolSaving petrol is a priority these days with the rising cost of fuel and increasing transportation charges. What if you could save petrol through some easy steps and control your budget. Following are some of the steps to cut down on the usage of petrol.

Pump up your tyres to save fuel. Use the highest pressure in your tyres recommended by the manufacturers as deflated tyres will increase the rolling resistance and require more fuel.

Drive at a moderate speed as during high speeds, 50% of the power produced by the engine is used up to overcome the aerodynamic drag. This implies that more fuel is consumed at speeds higher than 90km/h. A car uses 15% more fuel at 100km/h and 25% more fuel at 110km/h as compared to at 90km/h.

Clean the air filter regularly as clogged air filters will limit the airflow to the engines and increase fuel consumption by 10%. Use thinner tyres as thicker tyres will mean more rolling resistance and will increase the fuel used.

Start up the car properly. Do not crank the engine excessively as it will use more fuel. When starting the engine, idle it for 30seconds to warm it up and avoid acceleration before the engine has been warmed up.

Drive at a high gear. The engine will run efficiently between 1500 to 2500 rpm. Change the gears before the engine reaches 2500 rpm. Switch on your overdrive to save fuel, this will allow you to change gears at lower revs.

Travel light as every 50kgs added to your car will increase fuel consumption by 2%. Measure the traffic ahead as this will reduce 10% of your fuel by adjusting the speeds accordingly. Avoid unnecessary breaking and accelerations.

Steady driving at a moderate speed will keep your fuel consumption minimum. Every time the accelerator is pressed hard, the engine will go into ‘fuel enrichment’ phase of operation and use excess fuel.

Reduce the aerodynamic drag by avoiding using roof racks and spoilers. Don’t keep your engine idle. Always stop your engine, when you are held up in traffic. Keeping your engine idle will use up more fuel than required when restarting it.

Use the air conditioner less frequently, as it will use 10% extra fuel when in operation. But at speeds over 80km/h it is better to use an air conditioner than keeping a window open.

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