Monday, June 9, 2008

Ways To Beat PETROL Price Hike

BEAT PETROL PRICE HIKE (Reference: Treats2u e-magazine Oct 2006)

Here are smart tips to maximize every liter of fuel and stretch your petrol ringgit much further.

AIR IN YOUR TYRE
Tires inflated to the maximum recommended pressure can improve petrol mileage by as much as 6 percent. Periodic wheel alignments, up to 10 percent.

LOSE WEIGHT
Take out unneeded items that only add weight to your vehicle. Extra weight decreases petrol mileage. Just as many people would be healthier without that "spare tyre" round the waist, many cars are lugging around too much unnecessary junk. These should be removed from the boot as they in turn adds up to a higher fuel bill. Extra weight means poorer acceleration too !

BE A DIFFERENT DRIVER
No more aggressive driving style. Accelerate gradually, drive smoothly and you’ll see as much as a 20 percent gain in fuel economy. NOTE: I'll be writing more on this topic in the upcoming posts.

DRIVE SMART
Don’t waste fuel by sitting in that drive-thru lane at McDonald’s or any other drive-thrus. Park and go inside instead. Engine idling uses more fuel than turning the engine off and then restarting it if you’re waiting for someone.
QUIT SMOKING
Smoking costs us dearly both in health & economic terms. Vehicles are designed to perform well aerodynamically with the windows closed. An open window increases air resistance, which results in poor fuel economy. If you can quit smoking, so should your vehicle. A smoky car is a sure sign of an engine that has been neglected.
REGULAR OIL CHANGE & SERVICE
This is important and must be carried out regularly since new oil reduces engine friction and aids in prolonging engine life. Money spent on regular servicing is an investment on which the profit is fuel savings.
ACCESSORIES THAT SPOIL
Fitting unnecessary accessories that are not approved by the vehicle manufacturer is a good way to waste fuel. After-market spoilers and huge "GT wings", wider wheels and big-bore exhausts may make a vehicle look more macho but, in the long run, you may end up with a vehicle that has poor aerodynamics and has to shift a lot of extra weight around, increased rolling resistance on the road and also wastes fuel.
PLAN AHEAD
Combine your errands into one trip and try to go out only during less-congested times of day.

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