Basic Rules To Help Save Fuel

[marshbags]

List compliled with the help of save-petrol.co.uk and the AA, 27-05-2008

Ten easy ways to drive down your petrol costs

With the most expensive unleaded petrol now at 126.9 pence per litre, many motorists were horrified at how much it cost to fill up their tank this bank holiday. But there are ways of making petrol go further. Here are Times Money's tips on how to cut the cost of fuel:

1. Find your cheapest station. Go to ( * edited ) to find the cheapest fuel in your area. It covers 9,704 petrol stations and has 8,000 daily updates. The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest price per litre can be as much as 15 pence.

2. Pump up your tyres. Under-inflated tyres create more rolling resistance and so use more fuel. Go to your local petrol station and use their pump – it is normally free.

3. Lose weight. Every extra 50kg will increase your petrol consumption by an average of 2 per cent, according to ( * edited ) So keep all your golf clubs – or anything else littering your boot – at home.

4. Streamline. Roof racks and bicycle carriers create extra wind resistance and so increase fuel consumption. If you do not need it, take it off.

5. Turn off the air-conditioning. It increases your petrol consumption by as much as 10 per cent – so if it is only mildly warm, put the fans on or wind down your window. That said, if you are travelling over 60mph having the window down increases drag which increases your fuel consumption – so air conditioning would be better.

6. Stick to the limits. The faster you go, the more fuel you use. Driving at 70mph uses up to 9 per cent more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15 per cent more than at 50mph, according to the Department of Transport.

7. Change your oil. Clean oil reduces the wear caused by friction of moving engine parts, helping to improve fuel consumption. You should change the oil in a petrol car once a year or every 7500 miles. For a diesel engine it is recommended you change the oil every 6 months or 3000 miles.

8. Drive Smoothly. Acceleration and deceleration is what uses most fuel – so try to slow down gradually at lights, avoid heavy braking and try not to rev too much.

9. Avoid rough surfaces. Gravel or heavy dirt surfaces can increase your fuel consumption by up to 30 per cent – not to mention the affect on your paintwork. If there is a route involving smooth tarmac, even if it is slightly longer, then take that.

10. Rather obviously… use your car less. Combine short trips – such as buying the paper, dropping-off the recycling, or collecting the kids – rather than making multiple short trips.

By Lauren Thompson

Unquote

While i appreciate it doesn,t mention other fuels, the above common sense list should help to conserve them as well.

Apologies to those who already apply them.

marshbags

* Url,s edited out in case of forum rule abuse.

[Cuban]

4. Streamline. Roof racks and bicycle carriers create extra wind resistance and so increase fuel consumption. If you do not need it, take it off.

On this point I am surprised that so many pickups in Thailand do not have rear load space covers, the carry boy lid things. I would have thought having an empty box behind you every km would create drag.

[Crossy]

4. Streamline. Roof racks and bicycle carriers create extra wind resistance and so increase fuel consumption. If you do not need it, take it off.

On this point I am surprised that so many pickups in Thailand do not have rear load space covers, the carry boy lid things. I would have thought having an empty box behind you every km would create drag.

According to that bastion of scientific experimentation "Mythbusters" those covers make no measurable difference to fuel consumption

[clausewitz]

7. Change your oil. Clean oil reduces the wear caused by friction of moving engine parts, helping to improve fuel consumption. You should change the oil in a petrol car once a year or every 7500 miles. For a diesel engine it is recommended you change the oil every 6 months or 3000 miles.

By Lauren Thompson

OMG, hilarious. Changing your oil will reduce fuel consumption!! Best one all day.

Is that by 10% or 20%?

[culicine]

Last week I returned on a trip from Ratchaburi. Normally, on this trip I will be doing at least 100 km/h, up to 120/130 km/h or so. This last trip I sat in the left lane and did 80-90 km/h. It has had a significant effect on consumption, thought I'll be filling up today so can work out the approximate consumption. However, this fill will include some BKK stuck in traffic crawling as well. I tried this because the i-vtec mechanism in my car will run on one intake valve when it's below 2200 rpm. At 100km/h it runs at this rpm. I'll post the results when I get them.

[Naam]

7. Change your oil. Clean oil reduces the wear caused by friction of moving engine parts, helping to improve fuel consumption. You should change the oil in a petrol car once a year or every 7500 miles. For a diesel engine it is recommended you change the oil every 6 months or 3000 miles.

By Lauren Thompson

OMG, hilarious

plain bullsh╬t

[groovyc]

6. Stick to the limits. The faster you go, the more fuel you use. Driving at 70mph uses up to 9 per cent more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15 per cent more than at 50mph, according to the Department of Transport.

Good point. I just would like to add that it is not strictly a linear relation ie. 10mph obviously would not give you better fuel efficiency than say 40mph.

Essentially at 0mph (idling) you would get the worst fuel efficiency. The car consumes the minimum energy to keep the engine rolling, but you are not putting that into use as per distance travelled. At 1mph, the engine is consuming a little bit more (per unit time) but you are moving, ie better efficiency. At 2mph, more consumption (per unit time) but you are doing double the distance in that time, so better efficiency (per unit distance) as consumption per unit time wouldn't have doubled from 1mph to 2mph. So it will be better efficiency with higher speeds at the start.

Then comes the resistance (friction, drag etc). This is in the order of the cube of the speed you are travelling, thus needs considerably more power to fight it at higher speeds. Once this catches up with the more-or-less linear upward trend in efficiency at lower speeds, "the faster you go, more fuel you use". This is the point where your car will give its best fuel performance. This speed depends on the car, and is lower for cars with higher drag.

[snowflake]

How much money will you save by going 110kmph instead of 140kmph in a car that would have about 2500-3000rpm over a distance of 150km?

Sounds like a <deleted> maths test.. Just wondering!

I for myself tries to drive slow in town but it never seems to work... I like to floor it and if it costs me 1000B more a month, I really dont care...

When I travel between larger citys, I dont care how much money I spend on petrol, as I only care about getting there fast and safe...

[Garry]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

[Steele404]

There's another decent but extreme technique, this requires abit of intuition and will-power. It's called Hypermiling.

Some of the technique is abit dangerous and should only be attempted only when you know what you are doing and the risks involved.

- Braking is avoided at all cost, that includes going into a curve at 50 mph to reserve car momentum.

- The moment you see the car infront brakes, release the accelerator immeadiately while keeping distance beforehand.

- The instant you see a red light at an intersection, release the accelerator immediately and let it coast to a halt.

- Only start the engine when you're absolutely ready to drive the car. No warming-up time. This means, make sure all the passengers are in the car, doors closed and everything checked.

- Turn off the car engine if you're parked at a red-light for more than 10 seconds. Research proves that starting a fuel-injected car engine uses as much energy as letting it idle for 6 seconds with aircon. Remember this 10-second rule.

- Driving dangerously close to a truck / bus for drafting. (reduction in wind resistance)

- EXPERTS ONLY! Shutting down your car engine when you notice a red light from a distance so the car coasts to a complete stop right infront of it. This requires abit of work as the steering wheel is no longer powered.

I for one, think this is absurd. I just traveled less, enjoy the stay in my own home with family and friends. The above technique will work, but decide on your own if it's worth to the expense of your sweat and work, and maybe safety.

[wilko]

7. Change your oil. Clean oil reduces the wear caused by friction of moving engine parts, helping to improve fuel consumption. You should change the oil in a petrol car once a year or every 7500 miles. For a diesel engine it is recommended you change the oil every 6 months or 3000 miles.

By Lauren Thompson

OMG, hilarious. Changing your oil will reduce fuel consumption!! Best one all day.

Is that by 10% or 20%?

I can normally tell when my oil needs changing on my diesel engined vehicles by the extra smoke and fuel consumption.

I would be carefull too about over inflating tyres. - A very Thai thing and quite dangerous.

as for coasting with the engine off - you will lose your power assisted brakes TOO!!!

[wilko]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

I asked about a diesel making kit a few weeks ago and got ZERO response.

BUT there is one thing I'm not clear on.......

Do I need to convert my vehicle (diesel) in any way for it to run on bio-diesel?

I notice it is available a the pumps at my local JET station.

Will it mix with ordinary diesel?

[nakhonsi sean]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

Why? Just about all diesels can run on biodiesel. If you wish to run a modern diesel on vegetable oil you do need a conversion kit. The main issue with biodiesel is it will clean out your fuel tank and lines. You need to check the fuel filters regularly and change them more often at first. After that the fuel system will stay much cleaner. Biodiesel is a good solvent and you may find some fuel lines and seels deteriorate if they are rubber based. This is no great hardship, just have them replaced with better quality items.

I asked about a diesel making kit a few weeks ago and got ZERO response.

No need to buy kits, one can actually make small quantities in the kitchen. For larger bathches you can easily gather up what you need localy.

[wilko]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

Why? Just about all diesels can run on biodiesel. If you wish to run a modern diesel on vegetable oil you do need a conversion kit. The main issue with biodiesel is it will clean out your fuel tank and lines. You need to check the fuel filters regularly and change them more often at first. After that the fuel system will stay much cleaner. Biodiesel is a good solvent and you may find some fuel lines and seels deteriorate if they are rubber based. This is no great hardship, just have them replaced with better quality items.

I asked about a diesel making kit a few weeks ago and got ZERO response.

No need to buy kits, one can actually make small quantities in the kitchen. For larger bathches you can easily gather up what you need localy.

OK - what do I need?..many of my friends are making their own diesel but they are buying a make-it-at-home kit.

[nakhonsi sean]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

Why? Just about all diesels can run on biodiesel. If you wish to run a modern diesel on vegetable oil you do need a conversion kit. The main issue with biodiesel is it will clean out your fuel tank and lines. You need to check the fuel filters regularly and change them more often at first. After that the fuel system will stay much cleaner. Biodiesel is a good solvent and you may find some fuel lines and seels deteriorate if they are rubber based. This is no great hardship, just have them replaced with better quality items.

I asked about a diesel making kit a few weeks ago and got ZERO response.

No need to buy kits, one can actually make small quantities in the kitchen. For larger bathches you can easily gather up what you need localy.

OK - what do I need?..many of my friends are making their own diesel but they are buying a make-it-at-home kit.

Mostly pretty basic stuff. A couple of 45 gallon oil barrels, various other pots, large clear plastic containers, a heat source, sodium hydroxide (drain cleaner), methanol, PH testing kit and a few other bits and bobs. There are loads of clear instructions on the net. Do a search for home made biodiesel. Much better to get the info like that from experienced people.

I think by the time you purchase a kit from overseas, pay transport and local taxes you are going to have to make a lot of biodiesel to break even.

[wilko]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

Why? Just about all diesels can run on biodiesel. If you wish to run a modern diesel on vegetable oil you do need a conversion kit. The main issue with biodiesel is it will clean out your fuel tank and lines. You need to check the fuel filters regularly and change them more often at first. After that the fuel system will stay much cleaner. Biodiesel is a good solvent and you may find some fuel lines and seels deteriorate if they are rubber based. This is no great hardship, just have them replaced with better quality items.

I asked about a diesel making kit a few weeks ago and got ZERO response.

No need to buy kits, one can actually make small quantities in the kitchen. For larger bathches you can easily gather up what you need localy.

OK - what do I need?..many of my friends are making their own diesel but they are buying a make-it-at-home kit.

Mostly pretty basic stuff. A couple of 45 gallon oil barrels, various other pots, large clear plastic containers, a heat source, sodium hydroxide (drain cleaner), methanol, PH testing kit and a few other bits and bobs. There are loads of clear instructions on the net. Do a search for home made biodiesel. Much better to get the info like that from experienced people.

I think by the time you purchase a kit from overseas, pay transport and local taxes you are going to have to make a lot of biodiesel to break even.

I'm told it works out at about 15 cents (Euro) on top of the oil your convert........so it depends largely on how you get/what you pay for that......yes shippping large amounts of stuff obtainable here would be pointless.

[nakhonsi sean]

I'm dealing with a company in the US to get a BIODEISEL conversion kit for my Isuzu. They have all the details on my engine and are going through their developement section to see what will be the best package for my engine, this includes the equipment for making the biodeisel.

Why? Just about all diesels can run on biodiesel. If you wish to run a modern diesel on vegetable oil you do need a conversion kit. The main issue with biodiesel is it will clean out your fuel tank and lines. You need to check the fuel filters regularly and change them more often at first. After that the fuel system will stay much cleaner. Biodiesel is a good solvent and you may find some fuel lines and seels deteriorate if they are rubber based. This is no great hardship, just have them replaced with better quality items.

I asked about a diesel making kit a few weeks ago and got ZERO response.

No need to buy kits, one can actually make small quantities in the kitchen. For larger bathches you can easily gather up what you need localy.

OK - what do I need?..many of my friends are making their own diesel but they are buying a make-it-at-home kit.

Mostly pretty basic stuff. A couple of 45 gallon oil barrels, various other pots, large clear plastic containers, a heat source, sodium hydroxide (drain cleaner), methanol, PH testing kit and a few other bits and bobs. There are loads of clear instructions on the net. Do a search for home made biodiesel. Much better to get the info like that from experienced people.

I think by the time you purchase a kit from overseas, pay transport and local taxes you are going to have to make a lot of biodiesel to break even.

I'm told it works out at about 15 cents (Euro) on top of the oil your convert........so it depends largely on how you get/what you pay for that......yes shippping large amounts of stuff obtainable here would be pointless.

Yes, I think it would, the whole idea is to save money. I am hopping to set up with a friend to start a small supply for ourselves.

[snowflake]

Go for it Sean, start up a little business, I do know many people that will come and buy from you... C'mon...

I thought you said a few bits and pieces... Your list looked quite long and I think it might be a bit more complicated than you want it to be... Besides if you do mess it up, you might damage your car...

If you have friends that have their own kit, and you can afford your own kit and they can help you, GO FOR THAT... I am sure many people can make their own diesel at home with a bottle of pee and a milk carton from last year... I would not try to do that...

[nakhonsi sean]

Go for it Sean, start up a little business, I do know many people that will come and buy from you... C'mon...

I thought you said a few bits and pieces... Your list looked quite long and I think it might be a bit more complicated than you want it to be... Besides if you do mess it up, you might damage your car...

If you have friends that have their own kit, and you can afford your own kit and they can help you, GO FOR THAT... I am sure many people can make their own diesel at home with a bottle of pee and a milk carton from last year... I would not try to do that...

Simple my friend, basic chemistry. If you take a little care your product will be superior to the stuff sold at the pumps. Selling it would not be a good idea, tax implications.

Anyone can do it if they can be bothered. All you need to do is get rid of the white Japanese shopping trolly and buy a real car with a diesel engine. Maybe a good old Mercedes that will last the rest of your life. Just think, will not have to buy another car - ever again.

[snowflake]

I love my white little shopping trolly and I do think it is better than the algerian taxi...

Dont want diesel anymore... Dont care if the petrol costs 44B pr. liter... 1.5L will save me a lot.. and the new car thing will make sure that I can start the car every morning without worrying... If you like to tinker on your fossil that is ok... My car starts every time, does your car start everytime???

By the way, I like to have a new car once in a while... Its nice...