10 tips on how to save on petrol or diesel

With fuel prices at record levels, everyone is looking for some way to save fuel. The cheapest gas station in the area has just begun to be discovered, although paying less for each liter of fuel is an important aspect of saving your vehicle’s operating costs.

But he is not the only one, neglect of others can easily reset his contribution. At the same time, some of them do not involve any immediate investment. So what else can be done?

Low-air tires have greater rolling resistance, and therefore increase fuel consumption. You can easily find out and adjust the tire pressure at every gas station – as long as it doesn’t have a damaged compressor hose end. After delivery of course no air must escape for the measurement and inflation to be correct.

Is it possible to further reduce tire resistance and, with it, fuel consumption, by increasing the pressure above the specified value? In theory, yes, and the tire manufacturer’s Barum website suggests adding 0.3-0.5 bar above the specified value, but care must be taken here.

Hyperpneumatic tires are stiffer and have a smaller contact area with the asphalt, so they have less grip, so trying to save less gas means less driving comfort and longer braking distances.

This tip may sound a bit princely if you want to save, but investing a few thousand crowns in a car service can pay off in the long run. We’re talking, for example, about modifying the geometry so the wheels roll straight, or servicing the brakes so that the pads don’t rub against the discs when they don’t. Both increase the vehicle’s resistance and thus increase fuel consumption.

The greater the benefits of the car, the more energy is required to start it. So – are you carrying five-liter oil and coolant or a pile of tools in the car? If you have all the experience you could ever need, that’s okay. But if you’re pulling it out just in anticipation, try replacing the fluid supply with a smaller package and carrying only the necessary tools, if any at all.

The same goes for snow chains, a shovel, a blanket and a sleeping bag. Winter is over, and if you’re not going to the mountains, leave this equipment in the basement. Together, you can save more than ten kilograms.

When driving at higher speeds, the car takes the most energy to overcome air resistance. This means that anything extra you have in your car, especially roof rails or even a “coffin,” increases fuel consumption. The same goes for different flags or similar decorations – anything that disturbs the smooth shape of the car in any way increases its aerodynamic traction and therefore fuel consumption.

Some cars leave the air conditioning on permanently even if it is not necessary in terms of temperature to prevent fogging of the windows from the inside. However, turning on the air conditioning means increased demand for the engine, and, accordingly, increased fuel consumption. In hot summer, it is difficult to avoid the use of air conditioning, but until it is hot, regular ventilation is usually sufficient.

Or, at city speeds, ventilate through open windows. In the spring it is enough even in the summer. If you turn it off in an instant, at least the air conditioner will have less work to cool the inside. However, outside the city, it is better to close the windows and use air conditioners, because open windows significantly increase air resistance, which has more weight the faster a person travels.

When we competed for the lowest fuel economy possible behind the wheel of the Mazda 3 and Mazda CX-30 at the end of the summer, we quickly found that the best way to reach the lowest fuel consumption possible was to drive and cruise smoothly. Each time the brake pedal is depressed, it converts the car’s kinetic energy into heat, and the car will have to recover that kinetic energy from the fuel. So: the less you use the brakes, the less you put pressure on the throttle.

Just follow the road ahead as far as possible and prepare in advance for what lies ahead. Do you see the barriers in front of you at the intersection of the level? Let the car cruise to it in neutral, instead of driving at the same speed and then having to brake. If you’re lucky, the barriers will go up before you cross the crossing, so you won’t have to stop at all and you’ll save more fuel.

The same is true of city traffic. If you see a red traffic light ahead, sail and you may not need to stop at all, because the green light will turn on before you reach the traffic light. And then – there is no need to drive as fast as possible up to 50 km / h when you stop again at the next red light.

But it is necessary to bear in mind that some cities have been able to synchronize the traffic lights relatively successfully on the main streets so that the so-called green wave can be caught and many traffic lights can pass at 50 km / h without slowing down. You definitely know the best way to work in your city.

Cruise control is a good helper for a comfortable ride, whether normal or adaptive. But in an effort to keep fuel consumption as low as possible, it is not very efficient, because it reacts only to road conditions – it compresses the slopes and adds uphill.

The driver man is able to drive more smoothly and economically, because the earlier he reacts, for example, to heavy traffic on the highway in front of him – the faster he begins to slow down. Or it allows the car to go on more slopes and then not have to add the same amount of gas uphill.

The higher the driving speed, the higher the air resistance. This means that if you are used to driving on the highway of 150 km / h, you can achieve fuel savings of a few deciliters per 100 km by decelerating to 110 or 120 km / h. Yes, the ride will take a few minutes longer, but it’s always something for something.

Every modern car has an on-screen gear indicator, which is there for one reason only – to keep fuel consumption as low as possible. By following them, you will reduce fuel consumption. However, in some cases, this means underestimating the engine, which does not prove this in terms of longevity, therefore, like everything, it is necessary to approach this with common sense.

If the engine vibrates and makes rattling at the correct speed, the engine is undercooked – and you need to downshift. Saving a few crowns on fuel isn’t worth risking more expensive repairs in the future.

If you have several stops in front of the city or surrounding area, plan them so that the total trip is as economical as possible. This does not necessarily mean the shortest, because it is better to drive a little further on the plain than to shorten a steep hill.

It is also advisable to plan so that the first stop is the farthest. This is because you will get there with a warm engine, which will stay warm for a few minutes and you will not need to reheat it. A warm engine uses less fuel than a cold engine.