Some simple checks and adjustments to your vehicle can help reduce fuel consumption. Combined with the tips below on driving more efficiently, these could help save up to 30% on fuel costs – and of course, they're a quick and painless way to benefit the environment too.
1.Keep your tyres inflated
Lower tyre pressures increase the drag on a car, meaning you need more fuel. So regularly check the pressures are correct (overinflating your tyres will also use more fuel) and your car will need less oomph to keep it moving.
2.Declutter your car
The lighter your car is, the less effort it needs to accelerate. By clearing out junk from the boot and not carrying any unnecessary weight, you can save a little more money. Any extra weight you ride around with ups your fuel consumption – while lightening the load won't make the biggest difference, every little helps towards keeping it down.
3.Take your roof rack off
A roof rack, even unused, adds wind resistance to a car, increasing drag and making the engine work harder. If you don't need it, take it off, along with anything else inefficient. Even closing the windows and removing any flags will make the car run slightly more efficiently.
4.Turn off air-con at lower speeds
Air-conditioning uses engine power and therefore fuel – so make sure it's turned off unless you need it. The consensus is it's more efficient to drive with the windows down and the air-con off at lower speeds, but at higher speeds, it's better to use the air-con and keep windows up due to the extra drag caused by having windows down.
If you're not using your air-con, it's worth turning it on once in a while as not using it can mean it stops working.
5.Don't fill it up with fuel
Fuel is heavy, so by filling the car up you're adding quite a weight. The less fuel your car has in it, the more efficiently it drives. If you fill up slightly more often and put less in (to 1/2 or 3/4 full), it'll make the car run more efficiently.
6.Save cruise control for motorways
On long, flat roads, cruise control helps you save on fuel by maintaining a constant speed, thus removing unnecessary acceleration. But used regularly on roads that aren't flat, it will increase how much fuel you use because it's slower to react to changes in gradient, meaning it will accelerate for longer than a driver would when going up a hill. Motorways are usually flat, so reserve it for when you can cruise along.
So, for all your motoring needs look no further than the team at Bowers. Call us today on 01782 590 700 or email enquiries@bowersautoparts.net.