How To Improve Fuel Consumption
If you want to know how to improve fuel consumption you should first consider that it is not all about the way you drive. Even before you have set off on a journey you can be more fuel efficient simply by removing unnecessary weight from your vehicle. If you have unused heavy items in your boot, take them out, and if you are not taking kids on a journey remove their bulky car seats and buggies to reduce the load you are carrying. If bike racks and roof boxes are not going to be in use for a while you should also consider removing these if you are looking to improve your fuel efficiency.
Keeping your car well maintained is a key factor in keeping your fuel costs down. Although you may have to pay a small fee to get your car serviced, getting a regular service will keep everything running at an optimum level. This will keep your car fuel efficient which will save you money in the long term.
Being prepared and planning a journey will help you avoid traffic and driving further than necessary, both of which have a detrimental effect on fuel efficiency . Make sure that your tyres are always inflated to a near perfect level will help reduce resistance against the road; soon you will notice your MPG start to rise. Using your air con as infrequently as possible, and refraining from using heated seats, demisters and other electrical functions that your car has will also help you burn less fuel.
From a driving aspect; drive gently and stick to the speed limits if you want to improve your MPG. You need to avoid harsh acceleration and braking. Keep a fairly low amount of revs without dropping too low and making your engine struggle. As we all know, changing to a high gear early will help you to save fuel, but you should stick to the speed limit on motorways as every 1mph you go above 55mph decrease fuel economy by 0.1mpg.
Another simple driving tip is to use declines to your advantage. If you are driving down a hill, come off the accelerator and let the decline propel your vehicle and take some of the strain off your engine. If you spy an incline try to accelerate before you reach the slope, therefore seeking to reduce acceleration whilst directly on the ascent. It is also a useful tip to try and anticipate obstacles and hazards while driving. By doing this you will avoid the need to harshly brake, coming to a more gradual stop will greatly reduce fuel consumption.
Take all these tips to account and you will start to see your fuel costs plummeting.