The Joker

With every chance in the world of fuel hitting a 100+ Naira in only a few weeks, you’ll be making more stops to the Fuel station, or you’ll review what you spend weekly on fuel or you’ll just go out less.

Either way, it’s an unwelcome development. There are a few ways to ensure you reduce the frequency with which you’ll be making stops at the fuel station and they’re listed below:

1. Loose Weight: I don’t mean you: your car. Take out anything of no Mechanical importance. i.e. your wheel covers, floor mats, CD pack, umbrella, newspapers, shoes etc. Any additional weight to the weight of the car affects the fuel consumption. If you offer lift to people, STOP!!!
2. Use the AC less: Factory fitted or not, the use of AC increases fuel consumption. The reason simply being the engine is made to do more work when the AC is turned on. Its not a question of that “the manufacturers would have factored that value in”. it’s a case of you can lift two buckets up a stair case, if you lift one and another instance you lift two, which would you have spent more energy?
3. Keep those windows wound up: on hot days this is near impossible, but on cold mornings and evenings, you’d save some fuel by keeping your windows up. Especially when you’re cruising on the highway. Wind drag causes the car to do more work. When the windows are up, the vehicle cuts through air with less drag doing less work and consuming less fuel in the process.
4. Cruise control: what this does is to ensure your car maintains a constant speed. Fluctuating between speed values makes the engine work harder. It’s like an early morning road walk where you run, walk, and jog as against one where you maintain a constant jogging pace. You’ll achieve a longer distance without tiring yourself out. Ensure you keep the car fixed at a certain speed as much as possible.
5. Go slower: the more you open the Taps (throttle) the more fuel gets sent to the engine, the more you burn, the more you visit the petrol station. You’ll get to your destination a bit later but you’ll save up that time by visiting the fuel station less.
6. Have regular Service: that engine will definitely not give you the kind of economy you seek if the car is poorly maintained. Ensure you make scheduled trips to the Service garage.
7. Tyres: under inflated tyres are a means by which you’ll loose out on the fuel game. Under inflated tyres cause excessive drag causing more fuel to be burnt. However, do ensure that your tyres are not over inflated as this can lead to a noticeably harsher ride and cause excessive thread wear.