Tips
to Gain that Extra Mileage
by Sunny Tan
We have all seen the price
of our petrol shooting up to record levels around the country
with no relief in sight. You have heard it in our national
news, magazines and articles that our national petrol price
is constantly increasing.
Since the announcement of 2002 budget in 2001, petrol price
was raised 10 cents a liter in October and was subsequently
increased by 2 cents by 1st May 2002. Basic math calculation
will yield a 10% increase in the span of 7 months. That was
in the year 2002. Looking at the current price tag, it has
now gone up to RM1.52 per liter.
This increase will definitely cost more for car users and
this will affect a large section of the consumers, as a big
population of Malaysian Society owns a car, including me.
So what can we Malaysians do about it? Stop using your car
totally? Sell off your car? What can we, as consumers, do
about it? Unfortunately, not much. We either pay or walk.
But there is one thing we can do, and that is to squeeze every
kilometers we can out of every liter of petrol we buy. Does
this sound impossible to you? I’m afraid not. Below
are some of the things you can do to get that extra bit of
mileage while minimizing your petrol consumption. For more
tips on how to save your fuel, check out "74
Tips to save every drop of your petrol".
| 1 |
Use Air Conditioner sparingly
Air conditioners can use about 10 per cent extra fuel
when operating and is a super drain on your engine's efficiency,
so don't use it unless you really need it. If you're within
one or two minutes of your destination, turn off the air
conditioner and let the fan continue to circulate the
cold air in the car. It won't become unreasonably warm
in that length of time.
And don't buy into the myth that it always takes as
much gas to drive with the windows open as it does using
the air conditioner. There is some disagreement on the
subject, but most advice says that at low speeds and
stop and go traffic, it costs less to drive with the
windows down, but on the highway, using an air conditioner
is cheaper.
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| 2 |
Drive slow and steady
Drive between 45-55 kmph. The faster you drive, the more
wind resistance your vehicle will face. If you speed above
60 kmph, you will waste your petrol. Tests have shown
that you can get up to 40% extra mileage at 45-55 kmph
as against 80 kmph. I know this will be frustrating to
all our dear Malaysian drivers, but heck, isn’t
this all about petrol saving tips? I'm not saying we should
all travel around at 55km per hour, but if you reduce
your speed by even a small amount the rewards are substantial.
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| 3 |
Switch accessories before start
Switch off all power consuming accessories before switching
on the ignition so as to minimize battery load during
the next start.
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| 4 |
Strut tower/anti-sway bars
Purchase and install strut tower and anti-sway bars. They
increase control, which allows you to corner without loosing
speed - which makes it easier on the brakes and requires
less gas to accelerate.
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| 5 |
Avoid Jack Rabbit Start
Eliminate jack rabbit starts (sudden acceleration from
idle). It wastes fuel. Accelerate slowly when starting
from dead stop. Don't push pedal down more than 1/4 of
the total foot travel. This allows carburetor to function
at peak efficiency. Roughly 1% in fuel economy is lost
for every mile per hour driven above 55 mph.
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| 6 |
Putting your car gear into neutral or park
position
When sitting at a set of traffic lights or in traffic
for an extended length of time, put your car into neutral
or park. This can save a significant amount of fuel.
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| 7 |
Clutch and Accelerator play
Don’t manipulate the clutch and accelerator to stay
stationary because it wastes fuel. Use handbrake instead.
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| 8 |
Shut your Windows.
Shutting all your car windows while driving will make
your car more aerodynamic. This will improve your car's
fuel efficiency. Driving with them open drastically reduces
your fuel efficiency, far more so than putting the air
conditioning on when motorway driving. An open window
can increase fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent. For
a person who spends RM100 a week on petrol, 20% savings
could mean saving RM20 a week, which adds up to RM80 a
month. That is money one could pay towards his/her bond
or be money saved for a rainy day.
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| 9 |
Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly.
Air filter prevents dust from Fouling the engine. Dust
causes rapid wear of engine components and increases fuel
consumption. Cylinder bores wear out 45 times faster in
engines without air-cleaners. Replacing a clogged air
filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as
10 percent in petrol consumption. Your car's air filter
keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine.
Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it
will protect your engine.
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| 10 |
Switch off accessories before start
Switch off all power consuming accessories before switching
on the ignition so as to minimize battery load during
the next start.
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| 11 |
Get your engine tuned up!
Tests on a large number of cars prove that you can save
as much as 6% by tuning your car regularly. If your engine
emits black smoke, has poor pulling power or consumes
large quantities of oil, get it checked immediately at
a reputed garage. A delay may prove more expensive in
terms of petrol and oil as compared to the cost of an
overhaul. A poorly maintained engine can cut gas mileage
by 10 to 20 percent. Make sure the spark plugs are firing
properly. Replace them if they are due. Be sure to use
the proper thickness of fluids in the engine, transmission,
and axles. Otherwise, an engine has to work too hard
and unnecessarily consumes more fuel. Dirty engine oil
is also thicker, making engines less efficient. An engine
with fouled plugs, dirty air filter, erratic timing,
a sputtering carburetor, or weak compression will gobble
up fuel and perform dismally. Always make sure the engine
timing is appropriate.
Be sure to follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's
manual, and act promptly if you sense any unusual sounds,
smells, or vibrations. The bottom line: A tune-up is
an excellent investment and could easily pay for itself
over a long period of time.
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Sunny Tan
sunnytan@tips.com.my
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