Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Fuel Efficiency Improves With 4 Steps
In a climate of increasing fuel costs, and a trend towards more efficient vehicles, Holden held back on releasing its latest Commodore fuel consumption figures in an effort make their latest offering look more miserly. While their techniques are certainly no great secret, it is interesting how putting thought into your vehicle can have such a big difference over a 12 month period.Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Mazda have been offering similar advice:Heavier cars consume more fuel so remove items from your car that you dont use every day. Consider removing things like rugs, picnic sets, additional maps, CD collections, toys, excessive tool kits, towels and swimming gear, spare shoes, extra briefcases or handbags, and other emergency items. The weight in these items alone can be extraordinary. If you could lose a few kilos yourself, now might be the right excuse. Making your car pull around an extra 20kg all the time has a noticeable difference on your fuel bill over the course of a year.Aerodynamic vehicles consume less fuel, so consider removing things like roof racks, bull bars, tow bars, roof storage bubbles, side skirts, driving lights, window louvers, bonnet protectors, and bicycle racks. Put them back on the vehicle when you intend to use them. For example: if you intend to do some towing, bolt or slide the tow bar back on. These measures will also make your vehicle much lighter too. A bull bar, tow bar, and roof rack can weigh 200kg together. And keep your windows up if your speed increases over, say, 40km/h. Not only will you decrease drag, but it is much safer in a collision.Firm tyres create less drag on the road so consider slightly over inflating your tyres. Most manufacturers quote inflation pressures which lean towards a softer ride rather than better fuel economy. In my vehicle the manufacturer states a cold inflation pressure of 55psi but I regularly inflate mine to 60psi. The ride is a little more firm but my fuel economy increased from 920km per tank to 980km. For country driving I get a cool 1185km comfortably. Make sure you inflate your tyres when they are cold (since air expands when it becomes warm), and check your tire pressures regularly, say once per month. The added benefit of slightly over inflating is your tyres will also last longer. I used to get 60,000km out of a set of tyres and from my last set I nearly did 70,000km. It also helps to get a wheel alignment and balance every 20,000km.Just like in your house, appliances consume more energy in your car too. While I like having my interior fan on while my windows are closed, my fuel consumption is considerably better if I switch the fan off and leave the fan set on vent only. Other appliances which use a lot of power are mobile phone battery chargers, CD players, GPS navigators, DVD players, LCD screens, additional lighting like fog lights or driving lights, and the big killer is air conditioning. Actually, from a thermodynamics point of view, if you are sweating, you will cool off much faster with the windows down compared to air conditioning even if its 40C outside. I should know, I mow lawns in that sort of heat.Im not suggesting youshould listen to the radio more and CDs less, but if Holden can do it to improve their fuel efficiency figures, it might be worth a thought.If you appreciated the time and effort it took to write this guide, please take the time and effort to vote.
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