Minimize your vehicle use
Plan to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips and save both time ad fuels. Try to avoid short vehicle trips by walking and cycling, this will save short a quarter of kilogram of greenhouse gas emissions per kilometer of vehicle driving it replaces. Also avoid peak-hour traffic whenever possible.
Drive in high gear
The engine runs most efficiently between around 1,500 and 2,500 rpm (lower in diesels). To maintain these low revs you should change up through the gears as soon as practical and before the revs reach 2500 rpm. Automatic transmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car gathers momentum.
Develop smooth driving habits
Sudden braking or gearshift moves and abrupt stops and starts will add up to reduced economy. Drive at a good distance from the car in front so you can anticipate and travel with the flow of traffic. This avoids unnecessary acceleration and frequent repetitive braking that ends up wasting fuel. It's also far safer. Comparative tests in the same vehicle using "aggressive" compared with "smooth" drivers showed differences in fuel consumption of up to 30%.
Minimize fuel wasted in idling
Keep idling to a minimum. Evidently, idling for more than 10 seconds burns more fuel than it takes to restart the engine. Have shouldn't start your car until you really need to. Start it just before you're ready to drive away.
Speed kills economy
Drive at or below the posted speed limit. According to studies, increasing speed from 100 km/h to 120 km/h can increase fuel consumption by 20 per cent.
When refilling a fuel
When refilling with fuel, fill only to the first "click off" of the pump and ensure that the fuel tank cap is replaced securely. More recent vehicles have a ratchet mechanism which freewheels when the cap is tight enough.
Minimize aerodynamic drag
Additional parts on the exterior of a vehicle such as roof racks and spoilers, or having the window open, increases air resistance and fuel consumption, in some cases by over 20%.Look after your vehicle's tyres Inflate your vehicle's tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the manufacture and make sure your wheels are properly aligned. Looking after your tyres will not only reduce your fuel consumption it will also extend tyre life and improve handling.
Use air conditioning sparingly
In urban areas when the weather is fine, switch-off the air-conditioning and open the windows - this reduces fuel consumption by up to 10%. At higher speeds, open windows can create as much drag as air-conditioning so there's little advantage in turning air-conditioning off.
Travel light The more a vehicle carries, the more fuel it uses; an extra 50 kg of weight can increase your fuel bill by 2 per cent.Service your vehicle regularly Keep your vehicle well tuned. Fluid levels also should be checked every month and kept in line with manufacturer recommendations. The simple things like replacing a dirty air-filter can increase fuel consumption by up to five per cent .
Keep tire pressures.
Tire pressures are another key area when it comes to saving fuel. Tire pressures should be checked monthly using a good pressure gauge - the equipment at gas stations is often not as accurate as it should be. Every two psi of under-inflation ads up to a one per cent increase in fuel consumption. Just imagine the fuel wastage when tire pressures are seriously under the recommended level - it can really add up.
Take off roof-racks and bullbars
If they're not required - they increase aerodynamic drag and weight, which, depending on the type of driving you do, increase fuel consumption by up to five per cent.
Stuck in traffic
When stuck for any length of time in traffic - peak hour, switch off the engine. Turn the key to the "accessory" position, (not completely to "off") and shift the automatic transmission to "park" or "neutral". This way, when the traffic starts moving again, the engine starts straight away. Vehicles fitted with this feature as standard, typically reduce fuel consumption in urban areas by up to 15%.
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