Petrol prices have always been an issue for Malaysians, especially with our need to drive everywhere. This means that every time you pump petrol at the station, money is literally flowing out of your pocket. Well, today, we’re here to help you cut down on those petrol costs.

The first thing you should know is that the average fuel consumption of a 1,600cc car is between 10km/litre to 13km/litre. If your car is consuming anything more than that, you really should get it checked out. Also, contrary to popular belief, a higher grade of petrol does nothing to improve the performance of your car, so you can probably save some of that money as well.

Well, let’s get down to it!

1. Try to judge the traffic before traveling

You can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% if you don’t brake or accelerate unnecessarily. It’s good to be able to anticipate traffic conditions ahead and adjust your traveling speed accordingly. Multiple accelerations and decelerations can waste fuel, while braking and abrupt stops can be minimized to prevent this.

2. Reduce the car’s weight load

You should always try to avoid carrying any unnecessary weight in your car. It’s been noted that every 50kg added load in your car will increase fuel consumption by a whooping 2%!

3. Lower aerodynamic drag

It may be cool to add a nice spoiler or a roof rack on the top of your car, but additional parts on the exterior of your car will increase aerodynamic drag, which means that you’ll need to accelerate more to overcome it. It’s good to be able to minimize the additional drag and save more fuel.

4. Drive moderately

You should always drive at a moderate speed for better fuel economy. Not only is it safer, your fuel can take you further. For highway driving, over 50% of the power produced by the engine is used to overcome aerodynamic drag. For this reason, fuel consumption increases rapidly at speeds above 90km/h. On an average, a car uses about 15% more fuel at 100km/h, and 25% more fuel at 110km/h as compared to when it is cruising at 90km/h. However, this is not to say that the lower the speed, the better the fuel economy. The fuel consumption of an average car increases sharply at any speed below 50km/h.

5. Using thinner tyres

Did you know that while tyres with a thicker width will improve the handling of your car, but it will also increase your car’s fuel consumption. Thicker tyres mean more rolling resistance, and naturally higher fuel consumption.

6. Don’t leave your car idling

You can minimize fuel wastage when idling by stopping the engine whenever your car is stationary, like in a car park. If your car is idle for more than a minute, it consumes more fuel than simply restarting the engine.

7. Start up the car properly

You should always make sure your car is started up properly. When you’re starting the engine, you should leave it idle for no more than 30 seconds to warm it up. New engines will warm up faster when it’s being driven on the road. However, take care to avoid sudden acceleration before the engine has warmed up sufficiently or else more fuel will be used.

8. Keep your tyres inflated

One of the best ways to reduce fuel consumption is to keep your tyres inflated. Check the range as indicated by your car’s manufacturer, because a higher tyre pressure helps you maximize fuel efficiency. Flat tyres decrease the fuel economy by increasing the rolling resistance. A tyre deflated by two psi will result in a 1% increase in fuel consumption.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

8 Ways To Save Money For Petrol

Well, let’s get down to it!