10 Tips to save on fuel/gas

1. Accelerate gently
Avoid high revs. Automatic trasmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car is moving. To maintain low revs in manual cars, you should change up through the gears as sson as the car is comfortable with the next higher gear.
2. Flow smoothly with the traffic
be aware of traffic conditions ahaead so you can anticipate the next stop and avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking. Driving a good distance from the car in front means you can see what is happening ahead.
3. Avoid excessive speed
high speeds result in high fuel consumption. where it is safe to do so, cruising slightly below the speed limit will save you fuel.
4. Avoid lengthy idling
Turn off your engine when stopped for an extended period and not in traffic. by having the engine switched off, even for a short period, you will save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel involved in restarting the engine.
5. Avoid congested traffic and driving more than necessary
the best way to reduce fuel consumption is to reduce the amount of driving you do. Consider combining trips, car pooling or using other modes of transport. replacing short trips with walking or cycling is particularly good as cars are least efficient and most polluting when the engine is cold at the start of trips.
6. Keep your car well maintained.
If your vehicle is runnig correctly, it will use less fuel and be more reliable. Have it serviced in accordance with the owner's manual (usually every six months or 10,000kms, whichever comes first) and regularly check oil, coolant and other fluid levels. Watch out for any changes in the way the car handles or sounds as these changes could indicate a problem that needs fixing. A smoky exhaust means the engine needs checking.
7. Keep tyres properly inflated
Inflate your vehicle's tyre to the higher end of the manufacturer's recommended range of tyre pressure and make sure your wheels are properly aligned. Looking after you tyres will not only reduce your fuel consumption, it also will extend tyre life and improve handling.
8. Use the air conditioner sparingly
Air conditioners can increase fuel consumption by between 5-10 per cent, particularly on very hot days, however, at higher speeds, use of air conditioning is better for fuel consumption than an open window. Leaking air conditioner gases can contribute to the greenhouse problem. to keep the air conditioner operating properly and avoid leaks, you may need to use it regularly throughout the year for a short period as well as having it regularly serviced.
9. Minimise wind resistance
Remove roof racks and ohter attachments when they are not being used. Additional parts on the exterior of a vehicle such as roof racks or sun visors, or having the window open when travelling at higher speeds, increase wind resistance and fuel consumption.
10. Remove unnecessary weight from the car
Remove unnecessary items from the boot. The more weights a vehicle carries the more fuel it uses.

Hope these facts may help you save fuel/gas.

[BLACK 6]

thanks man,
I never drive with my aircon on, its all windows down
But I watched an episode of Myth Busters... which is better for fuel effiecieny... I forget the answer though :P

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Originally Posted by Phatwagon

3. Avoid excessive speed
high speeds result in high fuel consumption. where it is safe to do so, cruising slightly below the speed limit will save you fuel.

Will also reduce your chance of getting a speeding fine, particularly in "The speed-camera state" Victoria, where only a few km/h over the limit is enough to be fined.

Originally Posted by Phatwagon

9. Minimise wind resistance
Remove roof racks and ohter attachments when they are not being used. Additional parts on the exterior of a vehicle such as roof racks or sun visors, or having the window open when travelling at higher speeds, increase wind resistance and fuel consumption.

My understanding is that keeping your windows up will help in this regard, although it does depend on the car, if winding your window down while travelling at 100km/h introduces a lot of wind noise into the cabin, then it may make a slight difference, if it doesn't make much more noise, then it probably won't make much difference. The worst car I have ever driven in this regard was a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, the only car I have ever driven which was impossible to drive at 100km/h with the drivers window down because of all the noise and wind flooding into the cabin. Actually, that would have to be the worst car I have ever driven full stop, LOL!

[pauljh74]

11. Don't have any fun while driving

[red_october]

Good tips.

Using your a/c brings your revs up, therefore you use more fuel... :-)

doesnt higher speed save fuel over distance travelled. maximum economy is at 80-110 so driving at 60 will use more fuel over distance travelled.

[Biggoggs]

3. Avoid excessive speed
high speeds result in high fuel consumption. where it is safe to do so, cruising slightly below the speed limit will save you fuel.

Unless you're going downhill. In this case, altitude becomes velocity, and you can save energy by not wasting it braking

btw, does anyone else think short-shifting is a waste of time?

[RSgerry]

12. Buy a Mini

[LuvinmyEB]

Fall pregnant then find out you're not allowed to drive because you're 'High Risk'. :

[outback_ute]

Maddestman, the wind noise with the window down will be caused by air flow over a few specific areas, it is worse on newer cars that have the window glass closer to the outside of the car because the outer lip catches more air. You are spot on, avoiding a speeding fine will save a lot more $$$ than fuel use.

drphil, wind resistance increases as a cube of speed. The most efficient speed will be the lowest speed in top gear that the engine will pull easily (too low a speed and you will need more throttle) which is a ballpark figure of 80km/h for many cars. At 110 you will use noticeably more fuel.

Biggoggs, going down hill means you can use less throttle (& save fuel) while maintaining the same speed. On steeper hills you may still pick up speed with 0% throttle, yes this does build momentum but beware of the Maddestman's point 3A speeding fines! Short shifting works because more revs = more fuel & air going through the engine.

In hilly areas at highway speeds, you will save fuel if you let the speed drop off rather than put your foot down hard to keep at 100km/h, and on the other side of the hill you pick the speed back up again thanks to gravity as mentioned above. Don't take the idea too far though or on steep hills you will need to change down etc and use more fuel. Also for courtesy if you are doing this don't hold up other cars, there is nothing worse than sitting behind a Falcon driving like a side-valve Morris Minor, keep it for when you are on your own.

The best tip I can think of for saving fuel that relates to a lot of what Phatwagon posted is avoiding situations where you are running late! Guess what happens then - all those fuel saving ideas go out the window lol. Yet another example where time is money!

[Thunder]

Another fuel saving tip. You know how putting a brick in your toilets cistern will reduce the amount of water it uses when you flush, then just shove a brick in your petrol tank to reduce the amount of fuel you use :voldar02:

[merlin]

Originally Posted by Phatwagon

3. Avoid excessive speed
high speeds result in high fuel consumption. where it is safe to do so, cruising slightly below the speed limit will save you fuel.

I remember reading a study that concluded the most fuel efficient speed to travel at was 80km/h in top gear.

Originally Posted by Phatwagon

4. Avoid lengthy idling
Turn off your engine when stopped for an extended period and not in traffic. by having the engine switched off, even for a short period, you will save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel involved in restarting the engine.

Thats an intersting one - I was always under the impression that starting the car used more fuel than you would save by turning it off - whats the source on this one?

[Psycho Chicken]

Sell the I6/V8 and buy an Echo. Seriously, we're driving fairly large capacity family sedans then turning off the aircon and winding the windows up to save fractions of a cent per km? Turning the car off at the lights? BUY AN ECHO PEOPLE!

As for speed, I was getting better L/100 at 120 kph than 100 kph.

[Fairlane]

Bah I dont think I could go to that much trouble, turning off motors at lights, driving at 80kmh, no aircon. Some of them are valid like tyre pressure and smooth driving but genarally i find it to be a waste of time, cause when I get the Freeway Onramp all my fuel savings go right out the window .

My theory is keep your car well maintained, drive on better roads and enjoy your car; and if not enjoying your car or you cant financially cope with it youd better look at a different car.

[outback_ute]

merlin - there would need to be a minimum time for it to be worthwhile of course.

Some very helpful & constructive input here guys, not... What is wrong with people wanting to save a few bucks here & there on their travel for more worthwhile purposes? I certainly don't do all these things, but the info is here for people who are interested.

For what it is worth I think you would want to be going from a 1959 tank Fairlane to an Echo for buying a new/different car to save you money overall.

[Psycho Chicken]

Some of them are perfectly sane. I don't accelerate hard in traffic and coast to the lights. But worrying about air con and stuff is getting a bit silly in my eyes.

Turning the engine off at the lights is plain stupid. What happens when you need to get out of the way in a hurry? I'm pretty sure it's also illegal.

[BF MKII UTE]

[QUOTE=Phatwagon][b]4. Avoid lengthy idling
Turn off your engine when stopped for an extended period and not in traffic. by having the engine switched off, even for a short period, you will save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel involved in restarting the engine.

I take this to mean more like waiting to pick someone up or waiting will the Mrs. ducks into the shop, not at the traffic lights.

Originally Posted by The MaDDeSTMaN

Will also reduce your chance of getting a speeding fine, particularly in "The speed-camera state" Victoria, where only a few km/h over the limit is enough to be fined.

im not talking about the speeding fines. im talking about saving fuel. if this wanst about fuel then i would list a tonne of other stuff. stay with the topic mate.

Originally Posted by merlin

I remember reading a study that concluded the most fuel efficient speed to travel at was 80km/h in top gear.Thats an intersting one - I was always under the impression that starting the car used more fuel than you would save by turning it off - whats the source on this one?

i got all this info from Thursdays Herald Sun (October 27 2005) page 76
i found it interesting so i decided i would share it with everyone else.

[94EDxr6]

two words - gas conversion

Unfortunately i still remember the days where you would find petrol at 90 cents and now if you found that it would be on headline news. Hopefully it wont hit $1.40 by mid next year like they have been saying.

It's a shame we have to talk about saving fuel and how to do it best and tips so much because Johnny not budging on price.

[M14A-Mclaren]

Originally Posted by Show&Tell

Unfortunately i still remember the days where you would find petrol at 90 cents and now if you found that it would be on headline news. Hopefully it wont hit $1.40 by mid next year like they have been saying.

It's a shame we have to talk about saving fuel and how to do it best and tips so much because Johnny not budging on price.

NZ recently hit $1.55, but it is on the decline at the moment but is still above $1.40. NZ dollars that is (NZ$1 = Aus $.93)

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Originally Posted by Phatwagon

im not talking about the speeding fines. im talking about saving fuel. if this wanst about fuel then i would list a tonne of other stuff. stay with the topic mate.

Sorry to offend you mate, I would have thought that anybody interested in saving a dollar or two would also be interested in noting that by travelling a few km/h slower not only could they save a little bit of money by not using as much fuel, an added incentive to do this would be the fact that they are less likely to receive a speeding fine, simple as that. So it was on topic, it was supporting what you originally posted. Mate.

[1TUFFUTE]

I like No4 alot... cus i live in qld an i PARK on the ipswich motorway :

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by red_october

Good tips.

Using your a/c brings your revs up, therefore you use more fuel... :-)

Say what? At idle turn the aircon on and see what happens. Idle revs DROP due to the load on the engine which in turn uses more fuel as it has to work harder to operate the aircon compressor!

13. Drive like you have an egg under your right foot.

[Doogstar]

Hey, what about high-octane fuels like BP Ultimate (98), does it really give better fuel economy? or are any savings offset by the higher pump price? Has anyone done the math on this.

If I could run high-octane fuel in my BA XR6 to enjoy the performance benefits and at the end of the day , it costs near enough the same, that would be cool.

Anyone want to share their high-octane fuel experiences?

[Keepleft]

* The switching off of the motor at traffic lights is a no go, 'starting' the thing again - uses *more* than any fuel saved, generally.

Easy on the accelerator, and coast to a stop. This means to scan and read traffic well ahead, as one does.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by merlin

Thats an intersting one - I was always under the impression that starting the car used more fuel than you would save by turning it off - whats the source on this one?

My dads old AU Falcon was left sitting at idle for about 15 mins and the distance to empty display didn't drop at all. But those bloody things seem to be all over the place. I'd rather leave the engine on anyway as far as long term reliability goes.

If your real anal about it shifting an auto into N at the lights helps too.

Originally Posted by The MaDDeSTMaN

Sorry to offend you mate, I would have thought that anybody interested in saving a dollar or two would also be interested in noting that by travelling a few km/h slower not only could they save a little bit of money by not using as much fuel, an added incentive to do this would be the fact that they are less likely to receive a speeding fine, simple as that. So it was on topic, it was supporting what you originally posted. Mate.

nah, you didnt affend me . i was just saying you should stay on topic. and it wasnt suppose to sound harsh or nothing. just remember, im talking about saving fuel and not how fast you're going.

[LuvinmyEB]

Originally Posted by Phatwagon

nah, you didnt affend me . i was just saying you should stay on topic. and it wasnt suppose to sound harsh or nothing. just remember, im talking about saving fuel and not how fast you're going.

Mate, if you expect anything to stay on topic around here you're deluding yourself. Pull your head in and lighten up.

Originally Posted by LuvinmyEB

Mate, if you expect anything to stay on topic around here you're deluding yourself. Pull your head in and lighten up.

so if what you say is true, then the rules dont really mean $h!+ ?