anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted March 20, 2008 17 tips to save petrol, diesel Source Rediffnews March 20, 2008Current petrol and diesel prices, per litreCity Petrol Diesel Delhi 45.52 31.76 Mumbai 50.52 36.08 Kolkata 48.95 33.92 Chennai 49.61 34.40 1. Drive smoothly. Avoid suddenacceleration and do not apply the brakes frequently. This not onlykeeps the vehicle in good condition, it also helps you save fuel. 2. Rules at traffic signal.When you are nearing a traffic signal, slow down gradually. When youstart, avoid accelerating immediately. Always switch off the enginewhile waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting with the engine onfor more than a minute means more fuel consumption. Comparatively, theengine uses lesser fuel to restart. 3. Use of air-conditioner.Avoid using the air-conditioner whenever possible. ACs use about 10 percent extra fuel. You can also try switching it off after sometime andlet the fan circulate the air, especially when you are about to reachyour home or office. 4. Driving at speed. When your caris in speed, it is better to keep the windows closed and theair-conditioner on, open windows can affect the cars aerodynamicefficiency. 5. Parking. Always try to park in the shade, as it will take less time to cool down the car once you start driving again. 6. Weight rules. Don't overloadyou car. Travel light, the heavier your car, the more fuel it willconsume. Every 50 kg of additional load will increase fuel consumptionby 2 per cent. 7. Maintenance. You mustmaintain the engine in good condition. A bad engine can cut the car'smileage by as much as 20 per cent. The spark plugs must be checkedregulary. The engine oil should be checked and used according to thecar manual specifications. Make sure air filters are clean. Regular maintenance and servicingyour car is very essential. Always keep you vehicle clean. A clean caroffers less wind resistance. 8. Lubricants. Change the lubricantat regular intervals. Use only branded oil recommended by themanufacturer. It is also advisable to use an engine flush beforechanging the oil to remove dirt in the engine. 9. Handbrake. It is always better to use the handbrake than the clutch and accelerator when you want to halt for a little while. 10. Clutch. Avoid driving withyour foot on the clutch, it leads to more fuel consumption. Use theclutch carefully only when changing gears. 11. Tyres. Always ensure the tyres have the right amount of pressure. A good inflated tyre makes your drive smooth, safe and efficient. 12. Gears. You also have to be verycareful about changing gears. A higher gear at low speed and vice versawill lead to loss of more fuel. You must shift gears carefully andaccording to the desired speed. This will cause less strain on yourengine. 13. Getting started. Whenstarting the engine, just give about 30 seconds to warm it up. It warmsup faster on the road. Don't accelerate before the engine has warmedup. This also results in loss of fuel. 14. Planning. Plan your routesvery carefully. Sometimes taking a longer route helps as you may becaught in a traffic jam in the shorter route. Also plan your trip insuch a manner that you can get several things done in one trip. 15. Public transport or car pooling?Try travelling by public transport at least once or twice a week tooffice. It helps in reducing traffic snarls and will be a good changefor you as well. The other alternative is carpooling if you have totravel long distances. In a city like Mumbai, carpooling services canbe availed by just sending an SMS. Avoid travelling to holiday destinations by car. 16. Exercise your legs. Don'ttake your car to nearby places. It always uses more fuel on shortdistances. Once in a while forget about your car and walk down the roadto the grocery store or the nearby park. Walking is good for yourhealth as well! 17. LPG/CNG. If you still findthe petrol bills too high, you can switch to cheaper and cleaner fuelslike the LPG/CNG. These will help you cut your fuel costs by 30-40 percent. They also emit lower levels of polluting gases. 1 Varun7 reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dhruvk01 0 Report post Posted March 20, 2008 thnx 18.Side Mirrors. Un-folded side mirror(s) also effect the efficiency as does the size of the mirrors. So if one isn't using them keep them folded Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FuelRunGod 200 Report post Posted March 20, 2008 Good tips there. But I would never fold my sideview mirrors and drive. It's a matter of safety. FRG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rssh 59 Report post Posted March 21, 2008 Nice ones I had one query is tit necessary to do an engine flush before putting new engine oil and which engine oil is best for Zen .What the difference in synthetic and normal oil? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted March 21, 2008 It is preferable to get the engine flushed before the oil change. Try Castrol Magnatec engine oil- its superb.But always go for genuine Castrol. This brand is the victim of the most spurious oils. There's another thread "Spurious Engine Oils" here, wherein I recorded some facts and in fact Castrol mailed me and sent their representative. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted March 21, 2008 My Friend has sent me some more statistics by mail:: Hi Everybody, Over the weekend, I filled up my car's fuel tank, and I thought fuel has become really expensive after the recent price hike. But then I compared it with other common liquids and did some quick calculations, and I felt a little better. To know why, see the results below Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rssh 59 Report post Posted March 21, 2008 Speaking of improving Fe my zens rear left brake is getting locked and now is making irritating sound like that of mic noise types .I today touched that wheel and it was too damm hot than the ohters .Help me shall I change the wheel and put spare and apply some house hold machine oil to the wheel bearings .I am unhappy I think his is the reason for low Fe of mine .I thing is so locked that I am ashamed and sared to take it to even clearest service centre .I showed it to a service centre (petrol pump mechanic)he said that the brake booster is gone and the brake oil is thus lost to often like this .Please give me some measures so that it can atleast move. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted March 21, 2008 No rssh simply change the brake pads of that wheel. Go for a thorough brake servicing. Do not drive the car anymore. The rear brake pads sometimes break and get stuck up in the tiny space within the wheel drum. That will lock the wheel in some cases.The wheel bearings may not be at fault. Its obvious that the rear brake is not disengaging properly.Service the brake mechanism thoroughly. anjan_c20072008-03-21 13:50:41 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryccc 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2008 first of all great tips for the fuel efficiency and the price statistics is def funny and something you have to really know about! enjoyed this thread! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryccc 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2008 No rssh simply change the brake pads of that wheel. Go for a thorough brake servicing. Do not drive the car anymore. The rear brake pads sometimes break and get stuck up in the tiny space within the wheel drum. That will lock the wheel in some cases.The wheel bearings may not be at fault. Its obvious that the rear brake is not disengaging properly.Service the brake mechanism thoroughly. yes this is due to the brake pads.... change this immediately... i had the same problem in my old Zen! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5u3zEr0 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2008 Great data, great comparison and good tips Anjan. Must have been quite an effort. Coincidentally just last week my brother made me realise what you stated in your post. Printer cartridge ink is the most expensive liquid on earth!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charlesp 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2008 Er... How does "saving fuel" come under "performance"? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AdityaM 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2008 thnx 18.Side Mirrors. Un-folded side mirror(s) also effect the efficiency as does the size of the mirrors. So if one isn't using them keep them folded I would call that an extremely unsafe suggestion!! Anyways, aerodynamic testing is carried out when the mirror is in usable condition and not the stowed condition,so I doubt if it will actually improve mileage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AdityaM 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2008 And if you have a luggage carrier installed on your roof, say goodby to about 1kmpl. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted March 24, 2008 thnx 18.Side Mirrors. Un-folded side mirror(s) also effect the efficiency as does the size of the mirrors. So if one isn't using them keep them folded I would call that an extremely unsafe suggestion!! Anyways' date=' aerodynamic testing is carried out when the mirror is in usable condition and not the stowed condition,so I doubt if it will actually improve mileage. [/quote']Yes, the big side view mirrors fitted on the 16/18 wheeler GMC/ MAN/ VOLVO and many other such trucks appear to deviate from being truly aerodynamic. But for every modern car or SUV the side view mirrors are quite aerodynamic. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted July 2, 2008 Sorry dudes for digging out an old topic. But I am no grave digger. This is again a relevant topic today and will remain relevant as oil has surged to $ 144 per barrel. Were the gimmicks that were being played by politicians, who moved on bullock carts, rickshaws or bicycles just a day or two after the fuel price hike OK? They are all back at their old game with their convoys, now that the hike is passe. Back to our topic, lets get more and more views here from fellow members on how to save fuel. Maybe there are really good points that may come up for our observance. anjan_c20072008-07-02 16:26:05 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nighthawk~ 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2008 thnx 18.Side Mirrors. Un-folded side mirror(s) also effect the efficiency as does the size of the mirrors. So if one isn't using them keep them folded Well i dint get your point , and these wont effect the fuel economy as well! even if you fold them it has soem impact right , so no point in folding! dont be ridiculous! How about turnign AC of everytime the car gets cool , Offing the Ac after 5 mins of Use then again onning the AC after 2 mins without opening the windows! What say guys? Cheers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluesapphire 1 Report post Posted July 3, 2008 thats good but switching it on and off again will result some damage in Ac compressor i think.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vibhor 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2008 ya...................i also think that it can damage the a/c compressor........ ..if not the compressor .......the switch will sure be............vibhor2008-07-03 06:35:27 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluesapphire 1 Report post Posted July 3, 2008 rather than doing that u can even change the tempreture...(by moving towards red from blue rotary/sliding button)i think even this can save some(minimal amt of)fuel and can reduce the load on car i think... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vibhor 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2008 but buddy how will it help in to save fuel...........if move the switch from red to blue .....just temp wil become from cool to hot...............the a/c wil be still on!!........... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluesapphire 1 Report post Posted July 3, 2008 ya am wrong sorry....the compressor will still be on Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Innocent 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2008 Well in my views the problem of rising fuel prices can be taken care of by some tight measurs only. The governments must ban the production of high fuel guzzlers by defining a threashold FE, and countries like India especially should focus on builiding mass transit facilities on a larger scale. I personally know 2-3 people who used to commute office daily by their car and have stopped doing so after the start of Delhi metro. Ideas like car pooling are not very practical as they hinder your individual movement, and provided a better public tranport like Metro is available (& not famous Delhi Blue line buses) will make people to switch over to them which saves loads of petrol. In that scenario most people use their personal vehicle for weekend leisure activities only. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anjan_c2007 1 Report post Posted September 20, 2008 To save fuel do not fill up a full tank of Petrol/Diesel Many of us are not aware that the petrol kiosk pump has a return pipe-line (in Pink ). When the petrol tank (in the car) reaches full level, there is a mechanism to trigger off the pump latch and at the same time a return-valve is opened (at the top of the pump station) to allow excess petrol to flow back into the sump. But the return petrol has already pass through the meter, meaning you are donating the petrol back to the Petrol /Diesel vending machine. Yours Truly This is a matter of debate for us. I am not sure about the technicalities discussed here. This is the subject matter of an email received from my friend. Maybe some of our learned friends can enlighten. anjan_c20072008-09-20 06:43:18 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluesapphire 1 Report post Posted September 20, 2008 Ya my father told this to me some days back...after that he stopped filling full tank..Good one Anjan...but i wonder why it happens now i got it...Good work Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites