Tips for Saving Fuel

With the price and petrol constantly rising, motorists are ever aware of more ways to save fuel. Here are some of the major ways to save fuel:

Switch off you engine when waiting for long periods

Did you know, a car uses 15 seconds worth of fuel to start when it is cold? This figure is less when it is warm so when you are sitting at the traffic lights or railway crossing, turn your engine off.

Speed limits are limits, not targets

Cars are at their most economical around 55 - 60mph. 25mph is also usually more economical than 30.

Adopt a smoother driving style

A lot of people think that driving in a higher gear is the most economical way to drive. This isn't true. In a petrol car, the amount of throttle allows more air into the engine and the computer adds the right amount of fuel to mix with the air. In a diesel, the throttle actually controls the amount of fuel going into the engine. This means, when driving at 30mph in 5th gear and using quite a lot of throttle to keep at that speed, is just wasting fuel.

Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment should be checked at least once a year. Knocking the kerb, driving over speed humps to fast and driving over potholes can all affect wheel alignment. If the wheels are mis-aligned this can affect fuel consumption as well as tyre wear. Suttonz offers a wheel alignment check service.

Tyre Pressure

Under or over inflated tyres increase fuel consumption as well as increase tyre wear and shorten the life of your tyres. A regular check of tyre pressures can prevent tyre wear and reduce the risk of an accident. The recommended tyre pressures can be found in your vehicles handbook. This check is carried out when new tyres are purchased from Suttonz.