Some proven tips for getting great fuel mileage from your car

While the share prices will have shares of falls and climbs, there is no way that petrol price or the diesel price will come down. October month in fact has witnessed two revises of the petrol prices and they are skyrocketing by the day. Besides, there is also increasing need to save the perishable and fossil fuels.



While car makers have been coming up alternative fuels including gas and CNG, it is wiser to have a control on the petrol usage as well as getting the maximum from every drop your car spends. What's more? This is possible and not very difficult. We will see some simple yet proven tips for getting great fuel mileage. Follow them diligently and you will save good money too.

Gentle and smooth acceleration
We don't want to say go slow, but go smooth and go easy. Don't accelerate roughly as well as at unwanted places. According to research hard acceleration drinks away your petrol and trims mileage by as much as 30 - 40 per cent. While on the other hand, going easy increases the fuel efficiency. Remember even if the car is stuck in a small road pit, hard acceleration doesn't give any advantage besides if you didn't know hard accelerating could even ruin the auto transmission of the car. Even in the troubled situations gentle and smooth acceleration gets you off it.

Keep the engine working and busy
If you are parking the car for under a minute don't switch off the engine. You may have been told that switching off the engine when idle is a way to save fuel, but its absurd and well proven that an engine needs more fuel for starting - greater than the fuel that is needed to keeping engine without accelerating for say 30 seconds. Besides an engine that is in function mode will be more efficient and helps save on the fuel.

Manual transmission works best whenever the revving is low
Give it a rethought on up shifting should the car feature a manual gearbox. As a thumb rule it should be remembered that for the best mileage, the RPMs should be kept minimum or as low as possible without having to drag the engine. It maybe not everyone's favorite thing to do - controlling the revving, but you could save a lot on your fuel as you control the engine using the manual transmission.

Keep an eye on the Miles too
Today's cars come with meters that determine the mileage. But, we have been so used to looking at just the fuel dial and the speedometer. It should be learnt that having an eye on the miles will help you self assess as regards the drive habits and it can act as checks on your bad driving habits, and soon transforms the drivers into more responsible and careful drivers who try to extract maximum possible mileage.

Braking sense
If you know that you will have to stop in a few seconds and still continue accelerating, it is going to do nothing but drain the fuel. Remember that a sudden stop and an aggressive takeoff will eat away the mileage. Sudden braking is considered as a bad driver's habit besides costing on your mileage. Give that habit away and you will save fuel.

Constant speed is the key
If your car should have the feature of cruise control; use it without hesitation. Driving at constant speeds is the key to fuel efficiency and you can save as much as 15-20% of fuel by driving at uniform speeds. Quite the contrary, driving the car with variable speeds causes a strain on the engine and drains the petrol tank. Should the traffic permit, and should the road be good, follow this proven tip and save on the fuel.

Retain the car's natural aerodynamics
Rooftop carriers, bug shields, extra luggage on the rooftop will distort the natural aerodynamics of the car. Some of the accessories could even be your style or lifestyle statement but then they aren't going to add to the car's mileage. Do not alter the aerodynamics when it comes to city and day to day driving. Part with the unwanted and not so needed things from your car rooftop, and you will witness that your mileage is growing better. So retain the natural aerodynamics of your car and drive cheaper.

Plan your route before taking off
Before starting the car try and figure out good and shorter routes. You can draw a route in your mind so to avoid the traffic zones and low-speed roads, because such routes can eat away your car's mileage. Try and figure out shortest routes possible to a destination and you can drive cheaper and smarter besides saving on your time too. Who would want to drive for long in the traffic anyways?

Inflate the tyres according to recommended tyre pressure
Fill the tyres with appropriate air. Follow the owner's manual for recommended tyre-pressure settings and inflate the tyres of your car accordingly. Fill in with just the needed air and do not excess or under inflate the tyres which can prove very risky. Right tyre pressure will return best fuel efficiency while giving handling comfort and safety. Notwithstanding the longevity of the tyres will also be good.

Lighten the load
Do not carry unwanted luggage all the time in the car. This can hurt on the mileage. Get away with unwanted cargo, whenever possible. Adding weight to the car will reduce mileage directly so travel with the much-needed ones and witness your mileage shoot up.

Use AC smartly
Turn off the car air conditioner when the external weather is pleasant. To have the AC running means extra load on the engine that eventually uses more fuel. AC is known to reduce fuel mileage by around 10%.

Service and maintenance
If you want your car to give best service, you shouldn't ignore its maintenance and care. Ignoring car maintenance schedule could hurt the fuel efficiency. See that the tyres are properly balanced and ensure that the vehicle is aligned properly to get the best gas mileage. Also get the car serviced regularly. Replace the air filters and fuel filters as recommended. An air filter replaced at right time can save fuel by about 10%.