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10 Fine & Easy Ways To Reduce Fuel Consumption & Bil


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An expert (Dr Brace) reveals ten essential tips to increase your fuel economy - and reduce your bills

1 Treat your car to some TLC

'You should have your car regularly serviced and carry out maintenance checks of your own. Fresh oil will better lubricate the engine, while the correct tyre pressures ensure optimum rolling resistance for your rubber.'

2 Lighten up

'You may carry your life around with you in the boot of your car, but you'd be better off leaving it at home. The heavier the car, the harder the engine has to work, so a 15 percent weight increase will see economy fall by the same amount.'

3 Starting and idling

'People are tempted to leave their car to warm at idle before a journey, but it's better for the engine and economy if you warm it up on the move. And when you come to a halt again, switching the engine off at the traffic lights saves you wasting fuel. Around a litre an hour is burned at idle.'

4 Smooth mover

'When you're driving, smoothness with the controls is key to making your fuel go further. Acceleration should be measured and progressive and you should aim to stay within the engine's peak torque band - typically 1,500 to 2,500rpm in a diesel and 2,000 to 3,000rpm in a petrol-powered car. Another tip is to avoid coasting in neutral. It's a common misconception that this saves fuel, but actually modern engines don't consume fuel when coasting in gear.'

5 Slippery customer

'Think about how long designers and aerodynamicists spend trying to make a car's body cut smoothly through the air. By opening your window or sunroof, or piling bikes and boxes onto the roof, you're ruining all that hard work. And it can heavily impact on the car's economy.'

6 No drain = no pain

'As a rule, anything that puts a drain on the Battery will put a drain on your economy - for example, air conditioning or lights ablaze. But worse still is a Battery in poor condition with relatively little charge. If the alternator is busy working away trying to charge the Battery, it places a drain on the engine which hits the economy.'

7 Timing is everything

'Driving in heavy stop-start traffic is going to hurt. So if you're a commuter and can possibly avoid the rush hours, you'll really notice the improvement in fuel consumption. Needless to say though, that's easier said than done!'

8 Open your eyes

'Looking ahead and anticipating obstacles is key to cutting your fuel bills. Find the path of least resistance and keep plenty of space around you. That way, you can dictate your own pace and always react calmly and in a measured fashion to changes ahead. Roundabouts and traffic light junctions are prime examples of where you should be aiming to maintain momentum. And when driving across country, try and maintain a steady, composed pace which eliminates the need for constant braking and acceleration.'

9 No need for speed

'The speed limits are there for everyone's safety, but those who flaunt them are not only endangering theirs and others' lives, they are consuming more fuel. Stick to the limits.'

10 The fuel rule

'Cheap, non-branded fuel may perform poorly, so try and search out a mainstream supermarket or fuel company before filling up. High performance ‘super-type' petrol and diesel fuels such as Shell V-Power can burn more efficiently and improve your engine's economy, but shop around for the lowest price first or you won't feel the benefit!'

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Good advice but not the stopping the car at hold ups and traffic lights etc (one hell of a drain on the battery and short starter life and they aint cheap) :whistling:

I had a Toyota Yaris recently (while my Lex was in the body shop). It had a stop/start feature to automatically stop and restart the engine when you were stationary. It worked well, but did make me wonder about the life of the starter motor.

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Good advice but not the stopping the car at hold ups and traffic lights etc (one hell of a drain on the battery and short starter life and they aint cheap) :whistling:

Nor this one "a 15 percent weight increase will see economy fall by the same amount."

There is some loss of efficiency related to weight, of course, but they are not directly related. Marginal weight is a significant issue only during periods of acceleration. When a vehicle is moving at constant velocity, internal friction and air resistance contribute far more to the demand for energy.

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Good advice but not the stopping the car at hold ups and traffic lights etc (one hell of a drain on the battery and short starter life and they aint cheap) :whistling:

I had a Toyota Yaris recently (while my Lex was in the body shop). It had a stop/start feature to automatically stop and restart the engine when you were stationary. It worked well, but did make me wonder about the life of the starter motor.

i'm just back from a course on the stop start!amazing system but now you have a warning light on the dash telling you when to replace your starter!!!its constantly engaged its the ring gear thats on a a type of clutch thats how the starter stays engaged.

NO DRAIN NO PAIN theirs going to be a lot of crashes now that people are going to be running about with no lights on!!

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anyone buying a lex makes a conscious decision to stick two fingers up to fuel economy

FACT

bleating after purchase is tough titties :winky:

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anyone buying a lex makes a conscious decision to stick two fingers up to fuel economy

FACT

bleating after purchase is tough titties :winky:

agree with that :lol: :)

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i agree. i tried all that fuel saving stuff and could never get better than about 31mpg in my 250 se-l. so i decided to hell with it and this weekend i didn't think about it once during my round trip to an airshow - and hey ho, it hit 39mpg on the way home LOL

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A good quality remap will do wonders for fuel consumption and performance. I am getting between 35-40mpg now with the supra engine running nearly 500bhp. this is only when the car is driven as described above though. The main reason being that the fuel is being used more efficiently. Car manufacturers have to allow for different grades of fuel and operating conditions so the maps have more fuel added to be safe. This can be sorted with a re-map.

Of course when I put the foot down the needle literally drops immediately LOL.

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