Tips to reduce Car Petrol Consumption

Tips to reduce your car petrol consumption:

1. Use Air Conditioner sparingly. Air conditioners can use about 10 per cent extra fuel when operating and is a super drain on your engine's efficiency, so don't use it unless you really need it. If you're within one or two minutes of your destination, turn off the air conditioner and let the fan continue to circulate the cold air in the car. It won't become unreasonably warm in that length of time. And don't buy into the myth that it always takes as much gas to drive with the windows open as it does using the air conditioner. There is some disagreement on the subject, but most advice says that at low speeds and stop and go traffic, it costs less to drive with the windows down, but on the highway, using an air conditioner is cheaper.
2. Drive slow and steady. Drive between 45-55 kmph. The faster you drive, the more wind resistance your vehicle will face. If you speed above 60 kmph, you will waste your petrol. Tests have shown that you can get up to 40% extra mileage at 45-55 kmph as against 80 kmph. I know this will be frustrating to all our dear Malaysian drivers, but heck, isn’t this all about petrol saving tips? I'm not saying we should all travel around at 55km per hour, but if you reduce your speed by even a small amount the rewards are substantial.
3. Switch accessories before start. Switch off all power consuming accessories before switching on the ignition so as to minimize battery load during the next start.
4. Purchase and install strut tower and anti-sway bars. They increase control, which allows you to corner without loosing speed - which makes it easier on the brakes and requires less gas to accelerate.
5. Avoid Jack Rabbit Start. Eliminate jack rabbit starts (sudden acceleration from idle). It wastes fuel. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don't push pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel. This allows carburetor to function at peak efficiency. Roughly 1% in fuel economy is lost for every mile per hour driven above 55 mph.
6. Putting your car gear into neutral or park position. When sitting at a set of traffic lights or in traffic for an extended length of time, put your car into neutral or park. This can save a significant amount of fuel. Clutch and Accelerator play Don’t manipulate the clutch and accelerator to stay stationary because it wastes fuel. Use handbrake instead.
7. Shut your Windows. Shutting all your car windows while driving will make your car more aerodynamic. This will improve your car's fuel efficiency. Driving with them open drastically reduces your fuel efficiency, far more so than putting the air conditioning on when motorway driving. An open window can increase fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent. For a person who spends RM100 a week on petrol, 20% savings could mean saving RM20 a week, which adds up to RM80 a month. That is money one could pay towards his/her bond or be money saved for a rainy day.