Thrifty Motoring Save fuel and wear on your car
Reduce your motoring costs
This document is to help you see your motoring costs and help you cut them dramatically by selecting the right,
Car model. Fuel type. Driving style. additives Amendments
you and your car
Just take a moment to think about the car you own and drive, is it really the right car for you? If, for example, you have a two-liter gasoline euro box and drive only sixty miles a day to work, you’re wasting a lot of fuel. It would make much more sense to use a small diesel with much better fuel consumption, cheaper insurance and lower road tax. Over a year, the savings would be considerable, probably enough for a holiday in the sun.
Going back to the original question, what do you want your car to do for you?
Do you carry passengers? Do you bring materials for home or work? How often do you use the car?
From these questions, you can narrow down the type and size of vehicle you need.
Fuel type
Diesel
Diesel cars tend to be a bit noisy in the cold, but when warmed up, the modern diesel engine is quite refined. The important factor is that the diesel engine is economical on fuel and compared to its gasoline counterpart. The common rail diesel engine has revolutionized motorsports and has resulted in constantly advancing technology. This engine gives a high power output [torque] at low engine revs and is still very fuel efficient.
An associate of mine travels 100 miles a day in his VW Passat Tdi and consistently returns 61MPG. It’s a prime example of having the right car for your budget. The high torque produced is also great for towing so if you have a caravan I would recommend a diesel.
We are now looking at the latest smaller diesel engines from France which are producing very respectable performances and economy. On the top scale, Audi built its 2.0 TDI which now produced a massive 170BHP.
Gas
The most important advantage of gas is that it is about HALF the price of gasoline. Propane is now available throughout the UK at many outlets and is a viable fuel. Some car manufacturers offer the option of gas-powered vehicles. Vauxhalls Duel Fuel is one of them. Gas is an excellent fuel for the motor as no carbon has been burned so emissions are clean. The lack of carbon also leaves the inside of the engine clean, drastically reducing wear on engine components. The downside is that the gas storage tank usually has to be installed in the luggage area, reducing your trunk space. A gas system can be retrofitted to a gas powered car, but it can be expensive and only if your annual mileage is high will you be able to recoup the cost of installation.
driving style
How we got out because it seriously affects fuel consumption. On the UK’s busy roads, we spend much of our time in slow-moving traffic; this is an excellent opportunity to correct our driving style to give the best in fuel economy. The secret is very simple and it is to do everything in our driving carefully!
Accelerate smoothly, brake smoothly, shift gears smoothly, and don’t rev the engine unnecessarily. Do not go downhill, this does not save fuel, but leave a gear in gear and use the engine brake. There is something called an overdrive cutoff that stops the fuel supply to the engine when you take your foot off the accelerator! Modern air conditioning systems are much more efficient than those of the past. It is better to use the air conditioning than to open a window, since the drag factor of an open window can consume more fuel.
additives
There are many products available to improve vehicle efficiency, but their effectiveness can depend on many factors. If your car has been neglected and not serviced properly, it will benefit from an engine oil flush at the time of maintenance. With modern motor oils there is no reason to add additives to the oil, as the quality of the oil is usually very high. Make sure to install the correct oil in the engine, also refer to the car manual and check the oil specification is correct when filling it. A fuel additive is occasionally recommended to clean the injection system, as dirty injectors cause fuel waste.
amendments
There are several types of fuel saving devices available that fit into fuel lines, but their effectiveness is unknown even though they are marketed. Replacing the exhaust system with a modified system can alter back pressure and effective combustion. Changing the air filter to a modified one can also have the same effect. Chipping of the engine management unit can also have little effect on fuel consumption and be expensive.
A new idea for the UK is to use an easy-to-build kit that generates hydrogen in small, controlled quantities. This is using “Browns Gas System” [do you remember this from school]. On this website I am going to build this kit and test it to see how effective it is. Over the next few weeks I will update this site with progress and results. I have purchased a 3900cc petrol RangeRover which I am going to use this system on.
