Reduce Your Fuel Consumption

03 March 2017

Enjoy fewer trips to the fuel pump with these helpful tips from Setyres to reduce your fuel consumption!

Vehicle Maintenance

The condition of your vehicle has an impact on the amount of fuel that you use. Your car has to work harder if components are not performing optimally, excess fuel being used to help power it, so if you want to keep your vehicle healthy and fuel costs down, you should follow these tips:

Have your car serviced regularly

It is advised that you have a full car service every 12 months, or 12,000 miles, whichever comes sooner, to keep your car performing optimally. A car service will enable a qualified technician to look at your vehicle and ensure that all components are working effectively and not using excess fuel. In addition, during a service, your oil and other essential engine fluids are replaced if necessary and this enables the engine to run much more efficiently. If you frequently drive long distances we would recommend also undertaking an interim service or booking an oil and filter change to help restore the condition of your engine.

Check your tyres

Under inflated tyres require extra fuel to power their movements and can increase the rolling resistance of your vehicle, so it is crucial that you check your tyre pressures every three weeks and inflate them if necessary. In addition tyres that are over or under inflated tend to wear more rapidly and can be more susceptible to damage, so you should keep them at the correct pressures to enhance tyre life.

Be aware

Issues with your air conditioning, a worn out clutch or a leak in your exhaust system are amongst the many problems that could cause an increase in fuel consumption. For this reason and to keep your vehicle healthy, you should take your vehicle to a specialist whenever you suspect something is not right with any component of your vehicle.

Reduce Vehicle Weight

We are all guilty of leaving a bike rack on the roof of the car or neglecting shopping in the boot, but these heavy items can impact your fuel consumption. This is because under heavy load, your vehicle has to work harder and this uses excess fuel.

Driving Tips

After preparing your vehicle, you can further reduce your fuel consumption by addressing driving habits such as reducing the amount of short journeys you take or trying to drive more gently.

Filling up

When it comes to petrol and diesel you can’t beat shopping around! Make sure you know where in your area offers the best price per litre on fuel and where you should avoid. Generally, supermarkets tend to provide the best prices whereas service stations on motorways can be the most expensive. When you fill up, you should allow fuel to pour after you have finished pumping the nozzle, as often there is a small amount of excess liquid.

Watch your speed

Driving at high speeds uses more fuel as does frequently speeding up and slowing down. Try to maintain a constant steady speed if you want to enhance your fuel economy.

Avoid short journeys

Combine small car journeys or walk if possible, as heating up the engine burns a large amount of fuel. This may not always be possible, but reducing your short journeys may enable you to see a decrease in your fuel consumption.

Check travel updates

Before setting off on a journey you should check travel updates to gauge the traffic. Sitting in traffic or frequent stop/start is detrimental to your fuel efficiency, if you can, choose a different route or consider travelling at a different time to reduce fuel consumption.

Air Conditioning vs Windows

It is important to know whether driving with your windows open or your air conditioning on is more fuel efficient, and this choice is based on your speed and type of journey.

Air Conditioning

You should use your air conditioning when driving at high speed as this is more fuel efficient than opening your windows and sunroof, as this increases the drag on your vehicle.

Windows

When you are driving at low speeds, you should open your windows and turn your air conditioning off.

If you have noticed a drastic increase in fuel consumption and you have not increased your mileage, you may have a problem with your vehicle. In this case, visit your local Setyres branch where our trained specialists will be able to offer advice.