The Ultimate Secret For Cutting Down Your Cars Fuel Consumption

Fuel consumption rates going on throughout the world are quite frightening and Rwanda is no exception. Moreover, the price at the pump is a concern for most drivers on the road. Many are thinking about how they can use less fuel and it’s worth the thought. If you are one of those looking for ways to cut their car fuel consumption costs. I wrote this with you in mind.
I know. When tracking your car’s monthly expenses you likely notice that fuel is high on the list.
Unsurprisingly, less fuel consumption means less monthly expenses, right?
Though the term fuel economy or fuel-efficiency is very common when talking about cars. Do you understand what exactly it means? Well, at the very basic level, fuel economy refers to the distance you can travel. And the amount of fuel used for that exact distance.
Taking into account your car’s fuel efficiency, there is much more to fuel than a simple fill-up-and-go.
Let’s dive dipper.
There are a number of things which affect your car’s fuel efficiency . This includes the type of car you own, your driving habits, skills and many other outside factors. Such as temperature, long trips etc.
This being said, it feels like there is so much you can actually do to reduce your car fuel consumption and save money.
Confused about where to start?
The subsequent are the things you can do to be more frugal. This is when it comes to your car’s fuel consumption, without reducing its usage.
Be sound when buying a car
Though this article includes some habit changes to lower your fuel consumption, these are only half of the equation. Yeah, the other half is owned by driving a more fuel-efficient car.
Purchasing a car is more than just transportation. It’s even a big decision which has more to do with personal preferences. What would you consider when buying a car? Of course for one, a nice looking, reliable car that doesn’t cost too much. More importantly, it should be one of the cars with the best fuel consumption. Since everyone needs a car that consumes less. Right?
Nowadays, car manufacturers are well responding to the rising demand for the most fuel-efficient cars. This means that with more options available when buying a car you’ll need to make the smartest financial move toward lowering your monthly expenses.
Remember cars have different fuel consumption levels depending on the brand.
You don’t always need to rush into a new purchase. You can buy a used one too but of course, the fuel consumption of a new car is different from that of a used one.
When your choice is of buying a used car, be wise enough to check the vehicle’s exact specifications, and its history – including maintenance records as well as accident records. If you find out that the car has a clean accident record and has undergone proper maintenance, it is a good sign that it may have close to its factory fuel consumption.
Do not drive at higher speeds
High speed increases fuel consumption. Most cars are most fuel-efficient when traveling between 50 and 80 km per hour. Keeping to this speed limit will save on your fuel! In contrast, if you drive at 100 km per hour, your car is likely to use about 20% more fuel than at 80 km per hour.
Mind your tyre pressure
The tyre pressure under the recommended level are catalysts for burning more fuel. They can increase fuel consumption by 2.5% or even 5% in some cases. It’s good to check your tire pressure and always ensure your tires are inflated to the proper level. Preferably, check the pressure in the morning before your car is used.
Do not overload your car
High fuel consumption can also stem from overloading. For example, if your car is a mid-size car, its fuel consumption will increase by about 1% for every 25 kilograms you add on the load. The trick to avoiding this is to make some small changes, starting with a boot clear-out and cutting down on the unnecessary accessories and materials from other parts of your car. Before taking on your next trip, think carefully about what you need for the journey to avoid packing unnecessary things. As you lighten the load, you will be lowering the fuel consumption and saving money on your fuel bill.
Maintenance
It is good to keep your car properly maintained. In fact, a poorly maintained car can burn up to 30% more fuel. Together with all the benefits of regular car maintenance, your car will be running at its best and consume less fuel if you take good care of it. For more about how to take good care of your car (include the article link)
Get a bit away from the traffic
Finding your way away from the traffic leads to economical fuel consumption, as the traffic can keep your car burning fuel unnecessary.
While on the road with much traffic, keep a comfortable distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Anticipate what’s happening next by keeping an eye on what other cars are doing, and try to predict what they’ll do next. This will help you keep your speed as steady as possible hence use less fuel.
Use air conditioners on a low setting
Using air conditioners in your car can increase its fuel consumption by up to 20%. Needless to say, on sunny days the inside of your car can feel like a sauna and you have to use the air conditioner to get some cold air. It is okay to do that but remembering to use the lowest settings will minimize the impact on fuel consumption.
Only top up your tank with what you need
Topping up your tank only with as much as you need can help you lower your fuel bills. Let’s say your fuel tank can take up to 109 liters. Serving your car a full tank will be like adding that weight to its load as if you left 109 liters worth of bottled water in the boot.
When you fill-up, write down how much fuel you put in and wait to see how long you can go without refilling your tank. This will help you know how much fuel you need from A to B so that you won’t need to always go with a full tank or even run out of fuel in the middle of your trip.
Try to refill as seldom as possible, your monthly fuel costs will decrease.
Plan your trip ahead
Planning your trips ahead will help you combine some errands where possible, reducing the amount of time you spend on the road, hence saving your time and money. Clever. Right? In fact, numerous short trips taken from a cold start can use double the fuel of a long multipurpose trip covering the same distance done when the engine is warmed-up and efficient.
Another useful tip: Drive your car less. As in, walk instead of driving if you only need to travel a few blocks or heading to a restaurant during your lunch break. The rewards? You will cut on your fuel bills and the exercise will certainly do you some good.
Use the recommended fuel type
Manufacturers are able to provide a list of recommendations. It pays to check your car manual, and trust the manufacturers know what they’re talking about. Check your owner’s manual for the lowest grade fuel that your car can use and if your car manual says you should use a certain type of fuel then you should trust it.
Accelerate Gently
Your driving style has a big impact on your car’s fuel consumption level. The harder the acceleration the more fuel used. On the other hand, keeping your driving smooth, gentle acceleration and avoiding heavy braking will reduce both fuel consumption and wear and tear.
To help yourself with this, when approaching traffic lights and the lights are red, ease off the accelerator early. When driving, ease your foot on the accelerator. Try to drive at a constant velocity as prompt slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel. This will reduce the amount of work your engine does, and therefore maximum fuel efficiency.
Avoid idling
When your car is running but not moving, consumes roughly half a gallon to about a gallon of fuel every hour. So if your car will idle for more than a minute, it’s better to switch the engine off, then restart it when you have to move again. Be mindful to do this when it feels safe to do so.
Get rid of dirty air filters
Dirty air filters result in poor fuel economy whereas a clean air filter improves your car’s efficiency and helps you save money at the pump. Consider periodically changing out your car’s air filter so you can improve your fuel economy by up to 20%.
Use a fuel consumption display
Some displays are more sophisticated, that they do things like analyzing speed variations, and driving behaviors such as acceleration and braking times. Acting on the feedback that fuel consumption displays provide and change your driving behavior can help you use up to 15% less fuel.
Reevaluate the route you take
Let’s say there are more than one road to your office. One is shorter but includes numerous stop signs, hills, or traffic lights. Even though the route is short your vehicle might use more fuel on it than it would on an alternate route. To be sure which route you should use, skip that route you use so often and use the alternative for a few days then compare fuel consumption.
Maintain your vehicle parts
Yes, fuel efficiency is associated with driving behaviors and this factor is critically important, but vehicle parts can also have a significant impact. Making sure that the parts contributing to fuel efficiency are functioning properly will help you save extra money on fuel bills, while helping to ensure your car runs well for the long term.
Avoid coasting
Coasting means rolling downhill out of gear. Many try to save fuel by coasting but it doesn’t work. There is no such thing like fuel efficiency from coasting. Worse still, it leads to less control over your car risking your safety, which is another reason to avoid it. Therefore, it’s better to work on your driving style, as outlined in some points above. Instead of trying to improve fuel efficiency by coasting.
Wind-up
You can increase your car’s fuel efficiency by avoiding quick acceleration, heavy braking, excessive idling, driving at higher speeds, and frequent trips, carrying excessive weight, purchasing a fuel efficient car and running electrical accessories such as an air conditioner.
How you drive and take care of your car has a big effect on its fuel consumption. So plain.
Finally, Rwanda has begun to tap into the transportation system. This will work for us being more efficient, clean and reliable. Yes, Rwanda has introduced the use of electric cars as part of its efforts to cut fuel cost.
The cost of buying an electric car may vary depending on different factors. However, they all have lower running costs in comparison to petrol or diesel cars. Owning an electric car can be an excellent investment for all drivers in Rwanda. Especially the ones looking for ways to reduce their fuel bills.
Be the first to comment.