December is a season for driving upcountry for the long Christmas holiday. Usually it involves having a full-load, family, friends, and neighbours, and all the gifts for grannies.
Most cars feel the pressure for the first time after months of cold-driving when they do short town runs from home, office/school, and shopping.
Fuel consumption
Usually, even those days when fuel was Shs 1,750 a litre, the cars consumption becomes an issue as the budget for the journey is drawn-up. The current Shs 3,900 per litre of petrol actually makes this the issue this Christmas. Last year, the usual November price hikes amidst claims of scarcity pushed the price to Shs 4,000 per litre from Shs 2,400 in mid-year. It’s therefore likely to be higher this year.
What you must know is that, apart from distance covered, how you drive, the roads, and the condition of your vehicle, affects how much fuel you consume.
Before the journey
Before the journey, make sure the vehicle is serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the correct tyre pressure is used. A non-serviced vehicle will use more fuel than necessary.
Under inflated tyres increase drag and therefore can increase fuel costs. Inflate your vehicle’s tyres to the recommended pressure 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 and safety.
New cars
I know some of us drive new cars around this time. That too, adds to the cost. A car consumes more fuel until it is driven in conditions that demand optimal performance from the engine. That is when a new engine frees up – usually around the 10,000km mark. The consumption is higher if the vehicle is an automatic. Manual transmission is more fuel-efficient.
Accelerating
Accelerating sharply to overtake one vehicle and ramming on the brakes a second later because of the next one will take more fuel. Better to drive more smoothly.
The engine runs most efficiently at low revs, you should change up through the gears as soon as practical and avoid strong acceleration, particularly from a cold start. Automatic transmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car gathers momentum.
Keep distance
Drive at a good distance from the car in front so you can anticipate traffic changes, rather than reacting to them at the last moment. Driving smoothly, and avoiding hard acceleration and braking, can achieve fuel savings. Hard acceleration and revving can use significantly more fuel.
In case you have to stop, in a jam do not keep the engine idling for more than two minutes. By having the engine switched off, even for a short period, you will save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel involved in restarting the engine.
Open windows
Additional parts on the exterior of a vehicle such as roof racks, or having the window open, increases air resistance and fuel consumption. Modern vehicles are wind tunnel tested to develop the most fuel-efficient shape so altering these contours will lead to increased fuel consumption.
Although the latest air conditioning units are designed to be efficient, their use will increase fuel consumption slightly. However, at higher speeds the use of air conditioning is better for fuel consumption than an open window.
This article is adopted from the Internet
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written by wholesale jerseys, December 12, 2011
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