17 tips to save petrol, diesel

[anjan_c2007 1]

17 tips to save petrol, diesel Source Rediffnews

March 20, 2008


Current petrol and diesel prices, per litre

City	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 sudden
acceleration and do not apply the brakes frequently. This not only
keeps 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 you
start, avoid accelerating immediately. Always switch off the engine
while waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting with the engine on
for more than a minute means more fuel consumption. Comparatively, the
engine uses lesser fuel to restart.

3. Use of air-conditioner.
Avoid using the air-conditioner whenever possible. ACs use about 10 per
cent extra fuel. You can also try switching it off after sometime and
let the fan circulate the air, especially when you are about to reach
your home or office.

4. Driving at speed. When your car
is in speed, it is better to keep the windows closed and the
air-conditioner on, open windows can affect the cars aerodynamic
efficiency.

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 overload
you car. Travel light, the heavier your car, the more fuel it will
consume. Every 50 kg of additional load will increase fuel consumption
by 2 per cent.

7. Maintenance. You must
maintain the engine in good condition. A bad engine can cut the car's
mileage by as much as 20 per cent. The spark plugs must be checked
regulary. The engine oil should be checked and used according to the
car manual specifications. Make sure air filters are clean.

Regular maintenance and servicing
your car is very essential. Always keep you vehicle clean. A clean car
offers less wind resistance.

8. Lubricants. Change the lubricant
at regular intervals. Use only branded oil recommended by the
manufacturer. It is also advisable to use an engine flush before
changing 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 with
your foot on the clutch, it leads to more fuel consumption. Use the
clutch 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 very
careful about changing gears. A higher gear at low speed and vice versa
will lead to loss of more fuel. You must shift gears carefully and
according to the desired speed. This will cause less strain on your
engine.

13. Getting started. When
starting the engine, just give about 30 seconds to warm it up. It warms
up faster on the road. Don't accelerate before the engine has warmed
up. This also results in loss of fuel.

14. Planning. Plan your routes
very carefully. Sometimes taking a longer route helps as you may be
caught in a traffic jam in the shorter route. Also plan your trip in
such 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 to
office. It helps in reducing traffic snarls and will be a good change
for you as well. The other alternative is carpooling if you have to
travel long distances. In a city like Mumbai, carpooling services can
be availed by just sending an SMS.

Avoid travelling to holiday destinations by car.

16. Exercise your legs. Don't
take your car to nearby places. It always uses more fuel on short
distances. Once in a while forget about your car and walk down the road
to the grocery store or the nearby park. Walking is good for your
health as well!

17. LPG/CNG. If you still find
the petrol bills too high, you can switch to cheaper and cleaner fuels
like the LPG/CNG. These will help you cut your fuel costs by 30-40 per
cent. They also emit lower levels of polluting gases.

[dhruvk01 0]

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

[FuelRunGod 200]

Good tips there. But I would never fold my sideview mirrors and drive. It's a matter of safety.

 

FRG

[rssh 59]

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?

[anjan_c2007 1]

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.

[anjan_c2007 1]

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

[rssh 59]

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. 

[anjan_c2007 1]

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

[harryccc 0]

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!

[harryccc 0]

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!

[5u3zEr0 0]

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!!

[Charlesp 0]

Er... How does "saving fuel" come under "performance"?

[AdityaM 0]

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.

 

[AdityaM 0]

And if you have a luggage carrier installed on your roof, say goodby to about 1kmpl.

[anjan_c2007 1]

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.

[anjan_c2007 1]

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

[nighthawk~ 0]

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!

[bluesapphire 1]

thats good but switching it on and off again will result some damage in Ac compressor i think..

[vibhor 0]

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

[bluesapphire 1]

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...

[vibhor 0]

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!!...........

[bluesapphire 1]

ya am wrong sorry....the compressor will still be on 

[Innocent 0]

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.

[anjan_c2007 1]

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

[bluesapphire 1]

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