12 Tips to Better Fuel Economy

Tip 9: Smother Running Drives Your Longer – New Oil and Oil Filter

A better lubricated engine will drive you further & for longer.

Even though changing your oil and oil filter will not directly lead to any significant improvement in fuel economy, they will assist to keep the engine well lubricated and minimise internal engine friction and resistance. Most car models recommend the oil and oil filter being replaced every service or every second service. Call 13 20 42 for your ACE Mobile Mechanics should your car be due for a service.

12 Tips to Better Fuel Economy

Tip 8: Keep The Spark Alive – New Spark Plugs

Spark Plugs Light Up Your Engine

Spark plugs are placed within the engine, delivering spark to the combustion chamber in an environment that is extremely hot and pressured. Over time the spark plugs build up carbon deposits and impurities that reduce their effectiveness and the effectiveness of the engine to produce power.

There are many types of spark plugs, most maintain their performance for 10,000km to 20,000km and should be replaced during a regular service.

Note: there are some premium spark plugs, like platinum spark plugs, that last longer such as up to 100,000km. Call 13 20 42 for your ACE Mobile Mechanics should your car be due for a service.

12 Tips to Better Fuel Economy

Tip 7: Ultrasonic Cleaning for your Fuel Injectors

Fuel Injector Spray: Dirty vs Clean

Clean fuel injectors, provide a more even fuel-air mix which results in more predictable and efficient burn in the cylinder and better fuel economy. The top picture show the spray pattern of a dirty fuel injector and the bottom picture shows the full flow spray pattern from a clean injector.

Fuel injectors become dirty, mostly not from dirt or debris in the fuel, but from the fuel itself. Petrol contains waxy compounds that can leave varnish deposits at the injector pintle when the fuel evaporates, tending to be form when after the engine is turned off. Heat from the engine causes residual fuel in the injector tips to evaporate, leaving a varnish deposit. These deposits in the nozzle build up and restrict fuel flow or disrupt the injector’s spray pattern. On many late-model engines, the shape and direction of the spray pattern is critical for clean combustion and good performance. If the injector nozzle is dirty, the pattern may be distorted or deflected to one side, causing a lean spot in the combustion chamber that can cause misfire, or even pre-ignition or detonation.

It doesn’t take much of a restriction in an injector to lean out the fuel mixture. Only an 8% to 10% restriction in a single fuel injector can be enough to upset the air/fuel mixture and cause a misfire.

The fuel injectors can be cleaned on an inline basis (on car) or better still by having them removed and given and ultrasonic bath. If your injectors have performed close to or over 100,000 km without being thoroughly cleaned, your fuel economy will certainly improve once serviced and cleaned, translating into direct savings.  Call 13 20 42 for your ACE Mobile Mechanics should your fuel injectors are due for a clean and service.

12 Tips to Better Fuel Economy

Tip 6: Breathe Easier and Drive Further

Clean air filter allows your car to breathe easier and save fuel.

Hidden away, usually within a plastic mounted box is your car’s air filter. It filters and cleans the air that the car’s engine uses for combustion, protecting your engine from dirt, dust, particles and other imperfections in the air.

Over time the air filter will collect these imperfections, and this build up will lead to resistance of airflow and hence a reduction in the amount of airflow through to the engine. To compensate for the reduced airflow, the engine management system will make the mixture richer, using more petrol to keep the engine running smoothly.

Replacing the air filter regularly will improve the car’s fuel economy. Most car models recommend the air filter being replaced every service or every second service. Call 13 20 42 for your ACE Mobile Mechanics should your car be due for a service.

12 Tips to Better Fuel Economy

Tip 4: Tyres to Drive You Further

Correct Tyre Pressures reduce rolling resistance and tyre wear.

The first thing is to check your tyre pressures. It is simple and easy, and should be part of a regular routine such as once a week. It could be done as frequently as every time you fill your petrol tank or every second or third time.

Low pressure in the vehicle’s tyres will increase the rolling resistance of the tyre against the road surface, increasing the amount of energy the engine must produce to overcome the resistance. Check the manufacturer recommended levels and ensure your tyre pressures are maintained to this level as a minimum.

In addition to the inflation level of the tyre, there are tyres that are designed for low levels of rolling resistance. Tyre manufacturers are able to achieve this through a mixture of the design and material of the tyre. This is becoming more and more common feature and is proven to have a positive impact on fuel economy.

When Petrol prices are so high who wouldn’t want to save money on fuel costs?

The following tips will assist in improving your fuel economy (fuel consumption and fuel costs) so that you can drive further for less. Just like the old Budget Rent-A-Car slogan, by following these tips you can  “drive your dollar further”.

12 Tips to Better Fuel Economy:

Preparation – measure your Fuel Economy (litres of petrol consumption per 100 kilometres)

Not many people measure their average fuel economy (litres of petrol consumption per 100 kilometres) on a consistent basis. Most cars nowadays have an onboard computer that provides a readout or display of the car’s petrol consumption per 100 kilometres. In many cases these have been found to be optimistic and on average may vary 5% or more from actual results.

So how do you measure your average fuel economy? It’s a lot easier than most people think.

1.    Start with a full tank (always fill your tank until the petrol bowsers pump cuts off), then zero your trip computer. This is so you have a consistent point of reference as the pump will generally cut off at the same point and fill the car to the same level each time.

2. Next time you fill up, fill the tank until the petrol bowsers pump cut off and take note of the number of litres you have put in and the trip counter reading.

3. Divide the number of Kilometres travelled since the last fill up by 100.

4. Then divide the number of litres used to fill up the car by the number you calculated above,  and you have a true figure for L/100km.

L/100km = Litres / (Kilometres / 100)

5.    Reset the trip computer again and keep a note of the L/100km calculation.
Each time your refuel, fill the tank to the petrol bowsers pump auto cut off and make a note of the amounts that went in and the trip counter reading and then calculated L/100km.

Once you have at least 5 calculated L/100km readings, you can calculate your cars running average for certain period such as every 3, 6 or 12 months.

To see what a difference the following tips make, you should have at least the average taken from the last 5 full tanks to give the initial benchmark to compare the future results with.