Fuel economy is an important factor that increases or reduces the costs vehicle owners spend on their cars. It has become important for Nigerian drivers, especially with the pump price of fuel hitting over N650 per litre after the removal of the petrol subsidy.
To cut down on the amount people spend on petrol daily when fuel prices are at an all-time high, every car owner seeks optimum fuel economy.
Since the removal of the petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, car buyers in the country have always been highly focused on fuel efficiency before buying a new car. However, having optimum fuel use depends on how the car is driven and maintained.
Read also: NNPC, marketers blame logistics as petrol scarcity disrupts businesses
While many car owners complain about not getting the desired fuel economy out of their vehicles, it is often because of their wrong driving habits.
Here are the five best ways to improve the fuel effectiveness of your car:
Don’t drive aggressively
Aggressive driving is considered one of the key factors behind low fuel economy. While pushing the accelerator to metal to get more power and drive faster is thrilling, this puts pressure on the engine, which results in the components of the power working hard to churn out extra power.
This in return consumes more fuel resulting in low fuel economy. Hence, it is recommended to drive light-footed if you want to get the best fuel economy out of your car.
Shed unnecessary weight
Every gram of weight counts for a car when it comes to fuel economy. The heavier the car is, the more the energy requirement is, which leads to more fuel consumption resulting in lower fuel requirement, which leads to more fuel consumption resulting in lower fuel economy.
Hence, it is recommended to shed the unnecessary weight from your car. Unnecessary accessories are one of the first things you should avoid putting in your car. Many car owners tend to equip their vehicles with accessories such as roof racks and bull bars that impact the efficiency of the vehicle’s aerodynamics and hurt fuel economy.
Don’t drive with under-inflated tyres
Driving a car with under-inflated tyres can directly impact its vehicle. This can result in the engine working overtime leading to poor fuel economy.
Hence, it is recommended that you fill the tyre with the right pressure as suggested by OEM. Therefore, car owners should often check the tyres’ air pressure to ensure they are not running with low air pressure.
Choose the right engine oil
Choosing the right grade of engine oil is crucial in improving fuel economy. All the cars have an owner’s manual that lists the recommended engine oil grade, and it’s essential to follow. Using the right oil grade can lower friction in the engine, which, in turn, improves fuel economy. Also, using synthetic oils reduces friction in the engine and provides better fuel economy.
Read also: Fuel price hit N800 in FCT as scarcity worsens
Avoid idling at signals
Idling the engine is a practice many drivers follow when standing at a signal for the light to be green. Frequent start and stop of car engines often result in poor fuel economy, but long idling can also lead to low fuel efficiency.
The majority of the traffic signals come with timers. It is best to shut down the engine if the timer is showing the green light to come up after more than 30 seconds or so. Therefore, idling for more than 30 seconds multiple times can result in a significant amount of fuel consumption, especially if the AC is turned on.
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