Owning a car in this day and age is nothing short of a necessity. They are important for day to day traveling, luxury traveling, and emergency situations. However, owning a car also comes with its challenges, including maintenance costs, and rising fuel prices.
Fuel prices are constantly shifting, and while you can get an electric hybrid to be more eco-friendly, most drivers prefer to hear the hum of their engines when running on fossil fuels. Therefore, we have rounded up some useful tips to improve your cars fuel mileage and get your savings up. These simple skills can be adopted by anyone and they do not require you to be a technical genius or a mechanic.
- Make sure your tires are at the right pressure:
Driving with properly inflated tires not only helps you travel farther but also makes a big difference to your vehicle’s fuel economy. Reduced tire pressure means there will be a bigger contact area between the tire and the road. This results in more friction caused between the tire rubber and the road, and in turn, the car consumes more fuel.
Over-inflation of tires causes less consumption of fuel but reduces the grip of the tire and its ability to disperse water on the road. Having the tires inflated at the optimum level is best, and it is recommended you check them once in the week to ensure they stay that way.
- Handle the car’s controls smoothly
It is important to be smooth with the car controls and to not aggressively handle the accelerator and the brake pedals. Accelerating and braking suddenly can be damaging to your car’s fuel efficiency.
- Combine small trips
The more small trips you take in your car, the more fuel you consume. Instead, combine two or three short trips to the grocery store or elsewhere, and take one long trip. This happens because every time you start the engine, your car consumes more fuel.
To keep your fuel efficiency high, you should try to consolidate trips, and you will also save time in transit.
- Keep windows shut
As opposed to popular belief, you actually save more fuel when the air conditioner is on and your windows are up. This is because your vehicle’s fuel efficiency has to do with aerodynamics and how well it moves with the wind.
When moving at high speeds, open windows can increase drag, which means your tank will drain faster and you’ll lose fuel efficiency.
- Gear up
Shift to the highest gear when possible. This is because when a car accelerates in the lower gears, it consumes more fuel. If the engine does not pull, don’t press the throttle, instead shift it down. To get the best blend of speed with fuel economy, it is recommended you shift up at 2000 rpm. On an automatic car with a manual gear, you should short shift to conserve fuel.
- Remove heavy objects from the car
The heavier you make your car, the more it will have to thrust to move. It is better to remove bulky items from your car which are unnecessarily taking up space as well. Get rid of that child seat, that unusable spare tire, and any extra items which might constitute garbage.
Clean up your boot space and your fuel gauge will eventually become more stable, giving you a better fuel economy on the run.
- Don’t keep the engine running while the car is idle
An idle car burns fuel despite not moving. So, while you are waiting for someone, it is better to switch the engine off rather than get 0 km/l while idle.
Some cars have a display showing you your liter per hour consumption to help you track how much fuel is used. Another option is to buy a car with an automatic start-stop technology inbuilt.
- Keep filters clean
Make sure the filters of your car are clean before you drive it. This includes the air filter and the oil filter. These should be cleaned regularly and replaced if needed. This is because it prevents you from consuming more fuel, and you will have to pay less at the pump.
- Choose your route carefully
Plan your route before you even get in your car. This can help you avoid long delays in traffic and congestion, and therefore save your fuel. It is also advisable to leave a bit earlier if your commute happens to coincide with rush hour.
- Walk
This one is pretty simple. The easiest way to save fuel consumption is to not use your car when you don’t need it. If you can walk to a place, do it. If you are going to a crowded area, such as a market, try to find parking a bit farther away so you don’t spend time driving around trying to find a parking spot.
This will save you time and hassle of trying to throng your car through congested spots, which consumes fuel.
These tips are all very simple and can help you make a big difference in your fuel consumption. If you are looking to buy a car for sale in Nairobi, you can contact SBT to help you make your decision with the perfect car.
