Tips to Ensure Good Fuel Economy

With the constantly rising costs of fuel, mileage has become the slogan of the Indian automotive market. From car makers to consumers, everyone is trying to find alternative means of fuel efficiency in the form of diesel, gas or electric based cars.  Every penny saved is a penny earned. If you believe in that, then we can share a few tips to conserve fuel without burning a hole in your pocket or sacrificing your need for a powerful engine. Here we discuss a few tips and pointers to ensure good fuel efficiency courtesy of CarDekho.

Ensure correct tyre pressure

It is extremely important to regularly check your tyres for correct inflation. Under-inflated tyres can cause additional fuel usage. This is because low tyre pressure causes the tyres to flex excessively, which in turn requires more power exertion from the engine. This will in turn increase your fuel usage. Ensuring correct tyre pressure will definitely minimize your fuel bill.

Remember to drive at the designated gear

Driving at a certain speed requires you to be on the optimum gear for that speed. If this practice is not followed, it results in lower fuel economy as the engine runs in higher revs on lower gears. If for example one is driving at 50kmph, the fuel efficiency can be improved by using the 5th gear rather than the 4th gear. Doing so ensures that the engine runs on higher revs and in turn conserves more fuel.

Drive with fuel efficiency in mind

Remember to always drive at optimum speeds to ensure fuel efficiency. When moving forward from a stopped position, remember to keep the acceleration gradual and the gear shifts optimum. Rapid acceleration from a stopped point will always require more effort from your engine than if you accelerate it gradually. Also maximize the use of the 5th gear at speeds of more than 60kmph in order to minimize the load on your engine.

Avoid frequent braking, gear changes and acceleration

In order to maintain good fuel efficiency, remember to minimize braking. This is because it takes the engine a lot of power to move from a stopped position and accelerate forward. Where possible step lightly on the brakes and try to keep your car in motion whenever possible. Frequent and unnecessary gear changes also affect fuel efficiency so optimize your gear shifts to conserve fuel.

Avoid running your engine unnecessarily

Try to minimize the time you spend with your engine on idle. Do not keep your engine on idle for more than two minutes at a time. If stopped at a long duration red traffic light or while loading and un-loading luggage, switch off your engine if possible.

Use the air condition only when necessary

Wise usage of the A/C will go a long way in minimizing your fuel bill. The air-condition can add up to 20 per cent more fuel usage depending on the car size, driving speed, temperatures, traffic condition, etc. To further improve fuel efficiency while using the A/C keep the air intake controller at re-circulation mode and switch the fan speed back to the first speed after the required amount of cooling has been attained.

Ensure Regular Service of Your Car

Regular servicing of your car is one of the best ways to acquire good fuel efficiency. A regularly serviced car will eventually save up to 6 per cent in fuel charges and will at the same time keep your car in good running condition and minimize the chances of developing problems in the future at the same time. The optimum way is to get your car serviced every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.

Do not ride the clutch pedal

Avoid driving with your foot resting on the clutch pedal as this may sometimes cause clutch slippage. Clutch slippage is when you depress the pedal and then release it in order to maintain a fixed position when on a steep slope. Doing so results in increased fuel consumption and also premature clutch wear.

Travel light

Try to keep your cars gross weight to a minimum. A car’s gross weight is measured in terms of the amount of additional weight it is carrying like fuel, engine oil, passengers, luggage, etc. Taking all unnecessary weight off your car will ensure that your engine requires less effort and improves the fuel efficiency.

Photography By - Sitaram Swami

This Story has not been edited by ABP News. It has been published through cardekho.com feed directly.