How to scrimp on fuel after the price hike
Arief Hidayat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The recent soaring prices for fuel, telephone, electricity, water and LPG gas has given more headaches to most people. No matter how much one earns, one must be prepared to scrimp due to the hikes.
The increasing fuel price has forced car owners to start saving. But how? Here are some tips on how to maintain your vehicles in a bid to save on the use of fuel.
* Make sure your car tires meet the volume required by the manufacturers (information is available in each car's manual). Tires that have less volume will create more drag, thus making the engine work harder and using more fuel. Insufficient tire pressure will also make the cars less stable when making a turn.
* You don't necessarily need to warm up your engines in the morning to reach their ideal temperature as required in the manual, which on average is around 80 Celsius degree. If you do, it will take between five and 10 minutes to reach the ideal temperature, meaning you waste the fuel and cause pollution. Today's automotive technology has advanced enough that, in general, owners need not spend the extra time warming up the engine. Just start the engine and if the lubricating oil indicator is switched off, you can drive your car slowly. Just don't exceed 4,000 rotation per minute (rpm) while you start driving the car!
* Maintenance is important. Keep your air filter clean. It's easy to know when your air filter is filthy. If you feel the car is "heavy" when it is about to move, it means the air filter is dirty. Don't throw away the filter. Just soak the filter in soapy water for 10 minutes, rinse with clean water and then dry it in the sun. Clean it once a month and your filter can last two times longer.
* Never drive like a racer! Be relaxed. increase speed gradually when the car is already on the move. Shift the gears (if you have a manual transmission) at between 2,500 and 3,000 rpm. The sooner you shift the gear to a higher level, the less fuel you consume.
* If you have a car with a fuel injection system, never change the ignition time by yourself. Just take your car to the nearest authorized workshop for regular tune-ups, which are usually after every 5,000 to 10,000 kilometers on your odometer.
* Check the sparkplugs every 5,000 kilometers. If you see your sparkplug's tip is getting rounded off, it needs to be changed. An outdated sparkplug will make the engine inefficient thus consuming more fuel and also causing pollution. Before installing the new sparkplug, make sure the gap is correct for your engine and sparkplug.
* Try not to load up your car with too much unnecessary baggage. Make your vehicle as light as possible because it will help reduce fuel consumption.
* Switching off the air conditioner will help your car save between five and 10 percent fuel consumption. Of course, you'll get sweaty inside the car.
* Avoid driving with the windows all the way down (if you do switch off the air conditioner) as it will create aerodynamic drag.
* Never open the thermostat valve to get a cooler engine temperature. Thermostat valve enables the engine to reach its ideal temperature at around 80 degrees Celsius. At this heat, the piston and cylinder will expand as expected, giving enough space for the lubricating oil to lubricate the piston. It will make the piston moves smoothly and efficiently. The consequence is a smooth engine will save fuel and it will last longer.
Good luck!