FUEL CONSUMPTION

As the cost of fuel continues to rise, what can you do to reduce the fuel consumption of your vehicle?

Driving Technique

• DRIVE SMOOTHLY – Drive your vehicle in a constant cruise style
• ACCELERATION – Avoid fast acceleration or driving off quickly and operate the accelerator as smoothly as possible
• GEARING – In manual cars, select appropriate gears and avoid laboring or over revving of the engine
• AIR CONDITIONING – Turn the air conditioning off when not necessary, (according to the Automobile Association (AA), air conditioning increases fuel consumption by up to 11%)
• SPEED – Driving at no more than 100 km/h compared to 110 km/h saves fuel
• LOADS – Remove unnecessary items from your vehicle e.g. in the boot, roof racks as to avoid excessive drag
• TYRES – Check tyre pressures and uneven tyre wear
• IDLING – Avoid idling for long periods and switch off if parked

Just remember that the further you push down the accelerator pedal the more fuel you will use.

Services

Have your engine serviced on a regular basis, (as per manufacturer’s specifications) When oil becomes old and contaminated it causes excessive engine wear, friction and sludge build up inside your vehicle’s engine

Tune Ups

Have your engine tuned on a regular basis, (approximately 20,000 to 30,000 kms)

• SPARK PLUGS When spark plugs become worn the ignition system has to work harder to burn the fuel and the fuel is not burnt efficiently. This can also cause damage to expensive parts of the ignition and engine management systems.
• AIR FILTER Dirty air filters restrict air flow, which affects fuel mixture ratios
• FUEL FILTER Fuel filters collect contaminates in the fuel. Contamination can cause damage to parts of the fuel system
• OXYGEN SENSOR Monitors the exhaust emissions and reports back to the engine management computer, which in turn corrects the air-fuel ratio. When the oxygen sensor becomes worn it is unable to carry out its job correctly. Studies have shown fuel savings of up to15% compared to vehicle using a worn oxygen sensor.

All the above mentioned will reduce your vehicle’s overall performance, increase engine wear, increases fuel consumption and has a negative effect on our environment.