The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
Zimbabweans have a quick reaction to any kind of shortage, they used to join any queue then ask later why people were queuing. It’s like a “thing” for us Zimbos.
Now, nobody knows if the fuel shortage was real or it was just Zimbos quickly reacting and playing out that queuing game but anyway we’d all appreciate a few tips on how best we can let that last drop go far.
First of all, every car owner needs to take care of their car, that means you need to service your car as per manufacturers instruction. In the long run you will realise you use less fuel when your car is in tip top condition. For a car to run you need oxygen, fuel and spark for ignition. Delivery of air and fuel is via filters that get dirty over time and clog up the system and that is why you need to service your car regularly.
Reduced airflow means you will start burning too much fuel for oxygen available. The mixture will be too rich and the result is incomplete combustion. The overall result is wasted fuel and loss of power. If you use dust roads and or dirty fuel from street corners you need to reduce your service intervals.
Newer cars have mass airflow meters, they measure the airflow to provide the right amount of air at the right time every time.
These also get dirty and at times need cleaning or replacement. At times a faulty or dirty meter can cause rough idle and generally poor performance and ultimately your car will use more fuel than normal. You need to keep them in check.
Spark plugs on the other hand fire as many more times than you breathe in and out and they suffer from wear and tear like everything else on earth, sometimes they get dirty and need cleaning. A dirty or worn plug will cause a car to misfire. A misfiring engine will hit your pocket hard due to the increased fuel consumption. It is wise to replace these or clean at regular intervals. Your wallet will thank you.
Tyres are also a very important part of a vehicle. It’s important to keep the correct air pressure every time. It helps reduce your fuel bill and helps increase the life of your tyres. Every car has different tyre pressure inflation. Usually you find this information on the driver’s door.
It is well to always check that your fuel cap is airtight. Petrol evaporates quickly and the fuel tank needs to be airtight. If it’s not, you may as well be wasting your money for petrol to evaporate right out of your tank.
Driving style also affects gas mileage. An aggressive style of driving with rapid acceleration and braking wastes fuel. A gradual acceleration not only increases engine life, it will save on fuel too. Speeding generally takes its toll on your fuel consumption.
Most cars reach optimal fuel efficiency between 50 and 80km/hr. Optimum speeds vary with different vehicles however, one will notice more fuel consumption when travelling over this optimum speed. A car uses more fuel as the speed increases.
Some researchers note that at 120km/hr a motor vehicle uses 20% more fuel than it does at 100km/hr. The percentage increases as the speed increases and it is quite a significant increase.
Still on driving styles, we learn at the driving school how to “change down” when coming to a stop. It is using the engine power to bring the car to a stop or to reduce speed. One would notice as you change down a gear the engine RPM go up while the car slows down.
That is fuel being burnt; sometimes you need to know and plan your journey before hand, even if it is just going round the corner. Sometimes putting the car in neutral and letting it glide to a stop saves you some fuel by taking advantage of the momentum you have built already while driving. The change down trick is the same recommended by manufacturers for automatic transmissions.
First, you switch overdrive off then it will kick down to third gear, you will notice the engine rpm change up as the speed decreases then you go to Drive 2 and so on. Whether its auto or manual it still wastes a bit of fuel doing that. While putting a car in neutral leaves you with less control, it leaves you with more fuel. Some people argue that not using the engine power to slow down the car takes it’s toll on your brakes.
Most of us think that idling does not use that much fuel but if ever you’ve found yourself stuck on the roadside out of fuel then you know that every drop of that precious liquid counts. City driving with a lot of start and go traffic chews too much on your fuel; it’s wiser to use less congested roads.
Manufacturers have started manufacturing cars that completely shut down when the engine is supposed to idle, it starts up again in real time as you press the accelerator without having to start the car again . . . clever? Well, wait until the cars start flying.
Lastly, always aim at travelling light; remove unnecessary things that add weight to your car. More weight simply means you car will work harder to avail the required power to haul your consignment. Roof racks, opening windows, sunroofs at highway speeds also add a little to your fuel bill.
All these create drag and the engine will again have to work harder wasting fuel at the same time. Closing all windows and using air-con has been proven to actually save on fuel because it does not affect the aerodynamics of a motor vehicle in any way. So let’s save on fuel and maybe the environment too . . . so drive well and keep your car in shape — you will save a lot.
@lovert116
Automart Used Spares Centre – Quality Used Japanese Spares
+263 772 33 99 38 – [email protected]
Facebook: @automartusc
