Laura1318’s Weblog

How To Increase Your Car’s Mileage.

Posted on June 21, 2008. Filed under: Cars | Tags: Car performance., Motoring, Petrol, Safe driving, Save fuel |

There are a lot of views expressed on this topic. You may find some interesting tips here

With the recent steep increase in the price of petrol of 41% ,from Rm1.92 to Rm2.70 per liter and 63% increase of diesel from Rm1.58 to Rm2.58, Malaysian motorist will have to learn the new driving techniques to save on their petrol bills.

The findings were based on a European study in busy cities, said a director of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).

Do not speed, driving below 100kmh will cut down a substantial amount of fuel .If you reduce your speed from Rm120kmh to 100kmh will save you 20% of fuel.A reduction to 90kmh saves another 10 per cent.

If you are going on the highways , use the auto cruise control if your car is equipped with one. This lessens accelerations and decelerations .

Do not put your foot on the accelerator pedal all the time . Take it off when your car is going down a slope or coast it when you are near the traffic lights , junctions or toll gates.

A driver can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% by anticipating traffic conditions ahead and adjusting the speed accordingly and thus unnecessary braking and acceleration.

From far away ,decide your speed before you reach the traffic light junctions. It is no point going so fast and braking when you are near the traffic lights. Coast your car from afar ,for you will reach that point even if you do not step on the gas.

Do not have a hard acceleration from stop like you are driving a F- 1 Ferrari car or think that you are Michael Schumacher. The engine will gobbled up more petrol .The vehicle should always be gradually and smoothly accelerated.

Sometimes when I want to travel at 80kmh and my speedometer is showing 90kmh , I will then lift my foot from the accelerator pedal and coast the car till the speed hovers back to around 80kmh. Those few minutes or seconds may save you some fuel.

Many drivers have a bad habit of placing a foot on the brake pedal, especially on highways.This increases fuel use. After braking unnecessarily , you need to accelerate the car and this use up more fuel. Do not follow too closely to the car in front, allow 2 or 3 car’s length .

And if you know you would remain stationary for more than two minutes, switch the engine off. Avoid engine idling for long periods where possible. Put your auto gear shift to neutral , if you do not switch off the engine.

Do not overload your small car, remove all unwanted things from your boot.The heavier the car, the more petrol will be consumed . Keep your car light.

Some people may think that shutting down the air-con may save on fuel but with the open windows, the car will not be aerodynamic and causes more drags and more petrol.

You can wind up the windows and use the car’s ventilator system. In Malaysia, because of the hot climate, you can do that only at night.

Air conditioners can use about 10 per cent extra fuel when operating. However if you travel at 80kmp, you may enjoy better fuel economy if the windows are closed.

Roof racks and spoilers may cause more drags and hence more petrol.

Change your air filters every 20,000 km.

Clogged air filters increase fuel consumption by restricting airflow to the engine, and thus should be cleaned/replaced when necessary. Clogged air filters can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%

For every 20,000 km traveled , your car will need a major service. You will have to change the engine oil, auto gear oil, air filter,spark plugs, water coolants, and it will cost you around Rm500.00 ++.If you use a 2.0 cc car or above it is more costlier to maintain than those smaller cc cars.

Shop around for your petrol. In the market in Malaysia, I think Esso and Mobile gives a better price at Rm2.62 a liter. Then you have Smiles point and some petrol station owners even give free gifts like mineral water.

Do not use the higher octane or super power fuel.It is just a waste of money . Your car is built to run on regular unleaded gas.

Try to avoid peak hours and other heavy traffic and reschedule your journey or use alternative routes.

My car, a Sonata 2.0 can travel for 1km for RM0.21 at the present price with careful driving . I have a fuel saving gadget installed on the car which was recommended by the company.

If your car is under warranty, make sure that it is allowed under the warranty period or the company may not accept liability if anything is wrong with your engine.

To save on your fuel , you will need to drive smoothly , with as little sudden accelerations or braking as possible ,will improve the fuel efficiency of your car’s engine.

With the petrol price increase , this has been a blessings in disguise. There are not many cars on the road and less traffic jams and long queue’s. The journey has become smoother and less wastage on petrol.

Sensible driving techniques also help reduce wear and tear on your car’s brakes, tyres and the other mechanical parts. So you’ll save money on running costs for your vehicle as well as on fuel.

The best solution to save on fuel is to sell off your car! LOL!

Use public transport , car pool . walking , bicycle or a battery operated bicycle.

Reference and thanks to ;-

http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/Drivers/Driving%2BTips/Story/A1Story20080616-71079.html

http://www.racq.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/racq_cms_production/hs.xsl/Motoring_Maint_Repairs_Foun_5345_ENA_HTML.htm

http://www.pjnet.com.my/ftopict-624.html

http://www.motorpoint.com.au/saving-cash-on-gas.asp

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