10 fuel saving tips every driver should know

Today, there are these common phenomena that can easily be observed on city streets.

On a motorway, convertible car owners tend to leave the roof in their trunk. They seem to be eager to enjoy the wind. The same thing also happens on city boulevards where some people leave the car windows open. While those people might think that it is a way to enjoy the weather, the truth is quite the opposite. Without the roof or closed windows, the car aerodynamics design will not be perfect. With such an open space in the design, the drag from the wind will be higher and it means more fuel needed.

Also, having a rack on top of a car is a normal sight. Some might think that it saves space inside the car and accomodates bigger luggage, but then again it does not go with aerodynamics design and puts on more weight on the car, which leads to more fuel consumption.

Other than the impeccable design that lacks people’s attention, drive-through services and heavy traffic lowers the chance of efficient fuel consumption. This is due to the fact that people do not turn off the engine while waiting in a long line.

Related to above case, idling might be one of the most overlooked issue. A lot of drivers run their cars on idle. In this case, the engine gets zero miles per gallon. Heating up car engine for more than 30 seconds is actually pointless. What is more, most modern cars do not need more time than what it takes for you to put your seatbelt on, turn on the headlight, and check for surrounding before you drive away from your garage.

In addition, car drivers do not seem to know that making several short trips is not as fuel efficient as making one long trip. Honestly speaking, the car needs more power to run again after being turned off for some time.

Well, if you are keen on cutting down on fuel, the five things highlighted above are the ones that are supposed to be avoided and below are the steps to fuel saving.

One, filling up the gas based on the recommendation of the manufacturers’ (this can be found in the manual book) is also a good idea to ensure maximum performance.

Two, maintaining constant speed on high gear is also an important factor for fuel efficiency. On highways, keeping your speed at 50 mph on highest gear is one of the most effective fuel efficiency tricks you can do.

Three, resisting the urge to overtake the car in front of you might be hard, but it could really help with the fuel economy. Overtaking makes you hit the accelerator and sometimes, shift to lower gear, which makes the engine work harder and consume more fuel. Besides, what is the difference of one car in front of you if you are going to stop together at the next traffic light, anyway?

Four, your tire pressure. When the tyres have less than standard tire pressure, the engine has to work harder to run the car due to unnecessary friction between tire and road surface, and that means more fuel consumption. It will be better if you check the tire pressure every two days.

Last but not least, follow the speed limits. Speed limits are designed for both safety and efficiency. You are more likely to meet green light if you follow the speed limit, rather than above or under it.