Plan your Journey
A well planned journey will allow you to get to your destination in the quickest and easiest way, saving on unnecessary fuel emissions.
- Consider that ten minutes of unnecessary driving in a one-hour trip results in a 14% decrease in fuel efficiency.
- Fitting Global Positioning system (GPS) units such as JAMNAV in your car allow you to know in advance the easiest route to a set destination.
Check Tyre Pressure Frequently
A well inflated tyre decreases the rolling resistance and thereby increases efficiency.
- Driving on tyres, with air pressure lower than it should be, decreases fuel efficiency by 2% and 4%, respectively in urban and suburban areas.
- Consider fitting your car with tyre pressure monitoring systems that allow you to know when you need to refill your tires.
- A correctly inflated tyre increases the grip on the road, making it a safer tyre.
Accelerate gently and keep your speed constant
Gentle driving uses less fuel and will allow you and your passengers to reach your destination in more comfort.
- Start off gently and avoid abrupt, heavy accelerations while driving.
- Avoid tailgating as it causes unnecessary acceleration/deceleration, which costs 2% and 6 % less fuel efficiency, respectively, in urban and sub urban areas.
- Use the highest gear possible in any given situation.
Don’t warm up you engine before starting up your car
Modern cars no longer need to be warmed up before starting off. This is required only in extremely cold conditions.
- Slow running may be required after starting the engine; this style of driving will also increase fuel efficiency.
- Modern cars constructed with a fuel injection engine no longer require the accelerator to be pushed when starting up. Doing so will only confuse the on-board systems and increase fuel consumption.
Don’t idle your engine
When you are not using the engine of your car, it is still using fuel.
- Idling for more than a minute uses more fuels than is needed to restart the engine.
- Ten minutes of engine idling (in neutral, with the AC off) wastes 130cc of fuel.
Clean brake dust off regularly
If you leave brake dust too long, the combination of road grime, moisture and heat from your brakes will bake it on to your wheels.
Brake dust normally clings to wheels with static electricity, so a damp sponge and clean cold water is the best way to get it off.
Check your tyre pressures regularly – once a week is ideal. Bad tyre pressures can affect fuel economy, handling and comfort.
Timely Vehicle Maintenance
Every vehicle has a car maintenance schedule that should be followed. In most cases, scheduled maintenance is required at 30,000 miles, 45,000 miles, 60,000 miles and so on.
Adhering to your car maintenance schedule will ensure that your vehicle is in proper working condition.
The Bottom Line: Following the car maintenance tips will ensure proper functionality of your vehicle. Preventative maintenance is easy to do and will save you from the stresses of premature repair costs and vehicle breakdowns and will help you get the most out of your car.
It’s almost probable that you will have to replace your car’s battery at some point, but there are ways to prevent it from happening too quickly.
Clean the battery cables with a wire brush and a mixture of one tablespoon baking soda and one cup water. Be sure to disconnect the cables from the battery before cleaning. Adding some petroleum jelly to the posts will make reapplying the cables easier.
Check the connections. If the cables are loose, tighten them. If your car comes with a bar that holds the battery down, be sure it’s secure. Both of these car battery maintenance tips will help when it comes to prolonging the life of the battery.
