How to Save Money on Gas - 29 Tips

HOW TO SAVE GAS,HOW TO SAVE C.N.G,HOW TO SAVE L.P.G GAS.

Brake the right way

1. A car consumes most gas as it accelerates. It's a simply law of physics (force equals mass times acceleration). A moving car doesn't require much gasoline to keep moving (due to the inherent inertia). In real life this means, in order to improve your mileage you need to keep the ride smooth. Let me give you some examples.
About 30% of the drivers I see in somewhat heavy traffic apparently cannot control their speed with the accelerator pad alone. Instead I see those guys speed up and slam on the brakes all the time. Obviously, that makes the guy following too close behind very nervous and he too needs to brake and accelerate constantly. In really heavy (but still moving) traffic about 90% of the cars do this. It is relatively easy to hold a speed in a long line of cars without stepping on the brake. Just keep a little bit more distance and try to practice this. If the traffic moves along, you rarely need to brake, unless everything slows down. If you pay attention to the cars ahead of you (not just the one right in front of your nose, but the other cars ahead of that one), you can anticipate when things will slow down and you can ease off the gas. This means you won't lose all that power to friction (on the brakes) and you can keep your speed without having to accelerate. In heavy traffic this is the most efficient way to save gas and can easily get you 10% - 20% better gas mileage.

Hybrid drivers

2. If you own a hybrid powered car, the statement above applies even more to you. Try to avoid fast braking. Hybrid cars have the ability to convert braking power into electric energy and store them in their batteries. However this (induction) will only give yo so much braking power. If you need to decelerate faster, your brakes will engage and energy will be lost.
So the next time you are approaching a traffic light, start braking a lot sooner and don't slam on the brakes the last minute. This will significantly improve the efficiency of your hybrid car.
By starting to decelerate sooner, I can often avoid coming to a complete stop (regular car), before the traffic light switches to green and the cars in front of me start rolling. This way I can keep some of my inertia and don't have to accelerate as much (<- more gas saved).

Turn off your air condition

3. This tip might be somewhat impractical in some areas. I would never dare to switch off the air condition of my car in Arizona in the Summer. However I also know that the compressor for the air conditioner loads the motor of my car more, which will reduce my fuel economy. I try not to use the air conditioner if I don't have to.
Park your car in the shade if you can, so you won't have to keep the AC working as hard when you go somewhere.
Roll down the windows just a tiny bit, so the air can circulate through your car while you are parked (might not be a good idea in areas with a high theft rate).
Turn off the AC 5 minutes before you reach your destination and don't keep it working until the last second.

Shifting Manual

4. A manual transmission is truly fantastic. I can only encourage everyone to try it out. You can pretty much determine if you want a sporty shifting (at higher RPM) or a fuel efficient shifting (at low RPM). No matter how "intelligent" automatic transmissions are, they aren't as smart as you. Due to the way an automatic transmission shifts, there are also higher losses associated with automatic transmissions. Overall a manual transmission can be a lot more fuel efficient.
If you have a manual transmission and want to save some gas, you need to shift up early and shift down late.
Most people get taught that they need to shift at a certain RPM, which is, excuse me, complete BS. You need to feel the car and the load condition to figure out when you need to shift. A car that goes uphill needs to pull a lot more and should be driven at a higher RPM (or else it jumps). On the other side, if you are gliding along an empty road, you can drive at extremely low RPM (high gear). Then if you want to accelerate (you need a bit more power), you quickly shift down, get up to speed and shift up again. I always shift by feeling the car and I rarely ever look at the RPM (except for my amusement or out of boredom, or if I really want to race and need to shift before the red line).

Shifting Automatic

5. If you have a cruise control and there isn't a whole lot of traffic, you probably should use it (it will keep the speed constant and hence doesn't need to accelerate).
6. Use the overdrive gears, as this will generally keep your RPM down and your wallet happy.
7. Shift into neutral when you are standing still to reduce transmission strain and cool off the transmission.

I added some more information on shifting, down in the comments below this post.

Reduce weight

8. Coming back to the force equals mass times acceleration. We already established that one shouldn't accelerate as much. You can also try to reduce the mass of your car by emptying out the trunk and removing heavy items that you don't need (keep your spare tire and car lift, but get rid of the gardening equipment).

Turn your car off

9. When you turn on a car, it uses a bit of gas. When the car is idling, it uses a fixed amount of gas over a period of time (especially with the AC on).
In most scenarios (depending on the car), the energy balance will be positive if you turn off your car for more then 20 seconds.
That means you can save gas if you turn off you car while waiting at long traffic light sequences, railroad crossings or while your better half pulls money from the ATM. Any time you can foresee that you will not be moving for more then 30s or 1minute you should turn off the engine to help your vacation budget.

Drive slower

10. Yeah right. Obviously thats not something I am all that fond off being the leadfoot driver I am. Well, it's a proven fact that driving fast will increase the drag (turbulence) and thus increase your fuel consumption, however I simply cannot bring myself to drive below the legal speed limit. It's your choice. There is not that much difference between 60mph and 65mph in terms of fuel consumption. However I grew up in Germany (no speed limits). A car racing along at its maximum speed of 200km/h (depending on the car), would consume about twice as much gas as if it were driven at 160km/h. At the upper end of the power spectrum engines become very inefficient.

Drafting

11. Drafting has given me some excellent mileage when I used to commute long distance a long time ago. Obviously, it requires a bit of skill and it's not exactly recommended, since you should pay attention to the road and we all know, most people who read this just don't. However it is probably one of the best "secret" fuel saving tips I can give you.
This technique is frequently used by race car drivers to gain speed and truck convoys to save fuel.
Every car has a certain amount of drag (or wind resistance). This drag, the rolling resistance of your tires (see below under maintenance) and the friction in your engine are the three main causes of reduced efficiency. A car moving through the air causes the air to split around the car and turbulence behind the car. If you drive your car into another cars slipstream, both cars will save fuel (less turbulence). The following car saves the most gasoline.
Now remember, I am not advocating to tailgate. However, you can try to find a large truck (more turbulence and a longer slipstream tail) and slip in there. Now you can still keep some distance (unlike the NASCAR driver) and still save gas.
However, many people cannot regulate their speed without braking (see above). In this case you are probably better off just keeping your distance and not braking.

Close your windows

12. Believe it or not, but opening your windows will increase the turbulences and eventually cost you fuel. If you can, use only the ventilation system of your car. I cannot really gauge this against using the air conditioner. I believe that opening your windows at low speeds and using the air conditioner at high speeds gives you better fuel economy.

Fill up at Arco

13. Year after year Chevron and Shell are making new record earnings while squeezing the poor motorists for every penny. They advertise their expensive gasoline with buzzwords such as Techron, V-Power and some other BS words. Basically, that means they put some expensive stuff into the gas to sell it at a better profit. In fact, the gasoline of all gas stations flows through the same pipeline and the only difference is the magic stuff they poor into the gas to claim a cleaner burning fuel or better fuel efficiency. At the same time their average gas price is about 10c - 30c above other cheaper gas stations in the neighborhood. I can see no difference in my gas mileage when I empty a tank of Arco vs. a tank full off Techron enhanced souped-up high tech additive gas spritz. And if it cleans anything then certainly my wallet, which is all squeaky clean after filling up.
Well, I am tired of financing the billions of those mega empires. I am getting my gas at the Arco and I have never had any trouble with the quality. Of course you are free to throw your hard earned dollars at Chevron (pay 10% more and save 3% on their rebate cards - another scam to tie the customer to their high priced gas) or Shell in the hopes their magic bullet fuel additives do anything for you.
Now let me back up a second. Sometimes I actually go to Chevron to fill up. I put exactly 8 gallons into my tank so I qualify for a discount at the car wash.

14. When I am on the road, I try to keep an eye open for gas prices along the way. If I see the price jumping down, i usually fill up. Some gas stations offer free coffee with fill up or a free hot dog, and if their gas costs the same as the gas across the street, I go for the coffee with my gas.

Pick a better route

15. Avoid heavy traffic and lots of traffic lights. The shortest route is not always the most fuel efficient if you have to stop a lot.

Cheap Car maintenance

Why cheap car maintenance? I don't believe that spending a lot of money on fuel additives or special tires or whatever I see suggested elsewhere will really help you to improve your bottom line, and that's what this article is about. For instance I do not believe that your fuel economy suffers much if you change your oil every 5000 miles instead of 3000 miles (but it does save money not to change oil that often).

Pump it up

16. Inflate your tires to the specified level (I usually go about 0.2 PSI above). This will reduce the contact area of your tire to the road and therefore reduce the friction. It will help you to get a slightly improved gas mileage.
17. If you don't need Snow Tires or Chains, remove them. Don't drive around all summer with Snow Tires. They are softer and have a deeper profile which will increase friction.

Rent a smaller car

18. Remember that mass and acceleration equation? Well, a small car always has a better fuel economy due to its smaller mass. Smart budget travelers therefore rent smaller cars and don't care much about the status a shiny big car conveys. They rather indulge in a good drink at the end of the day (when they don't need to drive anymore) with all the gas money they saved. Their vacation pictures look just as glorious, but they still have pocket change for bigger prints.

Reduce drag

19. Why are you driving around with that ski-, bicycle- or luggage-rack on your roof if you don't need it? Didn't you know that this increases the wind resistance of your car? Well now you do. Seriously, removing those will save you quite a bit of gasoline.

Eco tuning

20. Chip tuning for your engine used to be pretty big way back when gas cost less then water. These days the buzzword is eco tuning. Many tuners offer replacement chips for your engine computer that increase the power while at the same time saving gas. How is this possible? Well to cut this already long article short, they improve both ends of the curve. At the upper end they give you more power (with reduced efficiency) and at the lower end a better efficiency. You choose with the gas pedal which mode to use. Make sure you use manufacturer approved tuners if you don't want to lose your warranty.

Use the correct grade of motor oil

21. The grade of the oil pretty much tells us about the viscosity. If you use the wrong grade, you may increase the friction in your engine. It gets hotter and uses more gas.

Air filters

23. Replace your air filter when you need to, or your mix won't be right. However don't replace it every time the mechanics tell you to (they make money with it). Try to find out how often you need a new filter.

Turn off the lights

24. Well, this one might be a safety concern. Many Rental Car companies have daylights enabled on their cars which are rather efficient. However every electrical equipment is powered from the alternator which will increase its load on the engine to produce more power. So when you can do it safely, turn off those headlights.

Drive less

Here comes the discussion we don't like to read as much.

Carpool

25. Well, if two people are riding in a car, the gas used per person is immediately cut into half. If 4 people are sharing a ride, their individual gas bill becomes only one third. Since they can now use carpool lanes, they won't have to spend as much time in traffic (idle engines use gas too) and get an even better gas mileage, plus they get home sooner. Its not always feasible though.

Combine Trips

26. Try to combine trips. If you live outside of town, try to go into town only once and get everything you need done.

Fuel Efficient Cars

27. If you are in the market for a new car, you definitely should consider fuel efficiencies. However I wouldn't buy a hybrid just for the better fuel economy if I weren't in the market for a new car. You can easily calculate how much money you would save a year and weigh that against the cost of the car (plus the potentially higher maintenance cost).

28. Its not commonly known, but Diesel engines can give you a much better gas mileage than Hybrids on long distance drives. That's one of the reasons, hybrids aren't popular in Europe but Diesels are.

Bonus:

29. Don't fill up unless you are on empty, since all this gas weighs a lot and as we have already learned (force equals .... - you know it). However I usually only do this when gas prices are falling or constant (so I can wait longer and get cheaper gas). When gas prices are rising, I fill up sooner. Due to the psychological impact of rising gas prices, people usually do the exact opposite, which will eventually cost them more.

30. The list still grows. Someone made an excellent suggestion for trucks in the forum. Dropping the tailgate of his small truck, Ronald is able to improve the aerodynamics and thus get a better gas mileage. Sounds plausible.

31. I also noticed that the first gas station you encounter after a long thirsty stretch is almost never the cheapest. After you leave a national park and didn't have a chance to pump gas for a long time, the first station will often have slightly higher prices as everyone pulls over to fill up as soon as they can. I usually drive a little further to find a cheaper station.

32. I do not fill up on gas stations visible from the Interstate I am driving on or from the main freeways. I usually take an exit at a moderately sized city when I am on a road trip and head for the city center. Before I actually get there, I usually find much better deals. Location and Competition are the factors that determine local price fluctations. This means you need to look for places with lots of competition (hence moderately sized city) and avoid prime locations (get away from the main roads). Large cities often have higher gas prices and are harder to navigate. On my last trip, I pulled over whenever I saw a station that had significantly lower prices then I had seen previously, even if my tank was only half-empty. On road trips, the rules are slightly different. Fill up whenever and wherever it is cheap and do not wait for yout tank to be empty.

10 Quick Fuel Efficiency Tips to Beat the Gas Crunch

The summer season of highway hell has officially arrived—and $4/gallon prices at the pump certainly aren't making life on the road any easier. As the next generation of hypermilers develops new ways to hack your car's fuel economy, our guest MPG geek breaks down the vehicle mods, driving habits and common-sense fixes you need to know to max out your tank.

 

1. Track Your Mileage in Real Time

Knowing what your consumption looks like from tank-to-tank is important, but that's really not enough. Knowing what mileage you're getting in real time--being able to compare it to what you got yesterday or even 10 minutes ago--is the new way to drive these days.

Luckily, ecomodding combines the love of saving money and adding gadgets to my car. People with cars made after 1995 have it relatively easy: All you need to do is throw some money at a fuel-economy computer like the Scangauge, and you're instantly instrumented. For older cars, you may need to get your knuckles dirty by installing a vacuum gauge, which measures how hard the engine is working, or explore the growing world of DIY fuel-economy electronics, like the arduino-based MPGuino. Either way, a conscious mind combined with instant feedback should get you that instant 10 percent.

2. Only Brake When You Have to

I recently found myself fighting against a 20-mile backup passing through Hartford, Conn. The traffic wasn't exactly stop-and-go, but the pack was constantly speeding up and abruptly slowing down. So I did something a little different.

When everyone started taking off, I gave myself a 10- or 15-second buffer before hitting the gas and accelerating. By accelerating slowly and leaving space ahead, I could see the brake lights ahead before I expended a significant amount of gas, coasting right back up to the car in front of me. If I timed it just right, my Honda would meet the car just as it started up again, without using the brakes at all. My gas mileage actually went up to over 70 mpg while sitting in traffic!

3. Always Stay Alert on the Road

To drive without brakes or coast toward stops effectively, you have to know what's going on around you and be able to anticipate how traffic will play out. That means paying attention to the lights on your daily commute--heck, memorizing them--and trying to anticipate whether they will, say, turn green by the time you get there. And, again, always look several cars ahead to see if the brake lights are starting to come on in anticipation of a coast.

4. Drive Like You're on a Bike

OK, don't necessarily go 20 mpg out there, but try to imagine biking over the same route that you're driving on: When you're headed uphill, it takes a lot more effort to maintain speed than it does going down, so give the car a break and let yourself lose a few mph on the way up. Relax, you'll easily get it back on the other side. Your car burns the most gas when it's forced into high-load situations, so try to remember what makes biking difficult (like going really fast, accelerating really hard and speeding up hills), and make those situations as painless as possible by laying off the gas.

5. Make Your Car Your Own

Every mainstream passenger car is a compromise built with many different drivers in mind. Because there are all too few vehicles built specifically with gas mileage as the primary design element, there's a lot of improvement to be had in modifying your existing ride. Some people will do little things to improve aerodynamics, like adding a grill block, smooth wheel covers or rear-wheel skirts. Others will remove alternators, swap engines or convert their car to run all-electric. Either way, optimizing the design of your car is one of the most effective ways to improve fuel economy. After all, it was my automatic-to-manual conversion that really boosted me from the high 30s and low 40s to that 55-mpg territory.

6. Pump Up Your Tires--Really

One of the biggest areas in which manufacturers compromise fuel economy for comfort is in tire pressure. That 32-psi rating is mainly there to make the ride smooth as silk, even as you run over potholes and pedestrians. It can be controversial, but believe it: To get the best mileage out of your car, up the pressure to the maximum listed on the sidewall. The ride will get a bit rougher, but your rolling resistance will be reduced and you'll get better gas mileage. But don't just do it once and forget about it! Make sure to check your tire pressure every other time you fill up, or you could be leaking air and losing MPGs.

7. Use the Right Ride for the Job

It may seem like a no-brainer, but it may be the ultimate fuel-saver: Why take a gas-guzzling SUV to work when a smaller, more efficient fuel-sipper will do? And if public transportation or carpooling is an option, you'll not only save on gas, but also wear-and-tear on your vehicle.

8. Multi-Task With Your Daily Routine

Are you going out to run weekly errands, or are you just dropping one letter off at the post office and coming right home? You will essentially cut distance traveled and fuel usage in half by making all your stops at once, instead of taking lots of short roundtrips.

9. Plan Your Route Ahead of Time

Take the path of least resistance. That's one with fewer stoplights, not as much traffic and, yes, lower speed limits. Even if you save 0.1 gallons of gas each day, you'll save more than $130 per year.

10. Avoid Rush Hour at All Costs

These days, many offices are offering flexible hours, so errands can be run at any time. Try to avoid being stuck in traffic if all you have to do is leave 30 minutes earlier or come in 30 minutes later. And, yeah, set those alarms and take off for the beach early this summer. With those prices at the pump, you deserve it.

 

12 Tips To Save Petrol!

HOW TO SAVE PETROL

 

12 Tips to save Petrol

1 ) Pump up your tyres
Keeping your tyres inflated is one of the easiest and most important things. Saving petrol means saving money one can do to improve fuel economy.

If a range is recommended by the manufacturer, the higher pressure should be used to maximize fuel efficiency. Deflated tyres run hot and jeopardize safety. It will also cause the tyres to wear out prematurely, affect the vehicles adversely, and hurt the fuel economy by increasing the rolling resistance.

Tyres lose about 1 psi pressure per month due to air loss caused by the tyre hitting holes, bumps and kerbs. Therefore, the tyres should be checked at least once a month. Just 1 tyre deflated by 2 psi will result in a 1% increase in fuel consumption.

2) Drive at moderate speed
Avoiding high speeds on open roads resultsin safer driving and better fuel economy. In highway driving, over 50% of the power produced by the engine is used to overcome erodynamic drag. Drag and thus fuel consumption increases rapidly at speeds above 90km/h. On the average, a car uses about 15% more fuel at 100km/h, and 25% more fuel at 110km/h compared to when it is doing only 90km/h.

However, this should not lead one to conclude that the lower the speed, the better the fuel economy - because it is not. The fuel consumption of an average car increases sharply at speeds below 50km/h.

3) Clean the air-filter regularly
Clogged air filters increase fuel consumption by restricting airflow to the engine, and thus should be cleaned/replaced when necessary. Clogged air filters can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.

4) Use thinner tyres
Tyres with thick width will improve the handling of your car. However, it will also increase your car's fuel consumption. Thicker tyres mean more rolling resistance! , and thus will consume more fuel.

5) Start up the car properly
With today's cars, it is not necessary to prime the engine first by pumping the accelerator pedal repeatedly.Do not crank the engine excessively This only wastes fuel.When starting the engine, idle it no more than 30 seconds to warm it up. An engine will warm up faster on the road. However, avoid sudden acceleration before the engine has warmed up sufficiently.

6) Drive in high gear (overdrive)
The engine runs most efficiently between around 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. To maintain these low revs you should change up through the gears as soon as practical and before the revs reach 2500 rpm.

For automatic transmission cars, you should always switch on your overdrive to help save fuel. Overdrive will allow your engine to change gears at lower revs. It also puts your transmission into an "economy" mode and lets it engage the final "overdrive" gear when cruising to ! keep the rpms extra low, thereby increasing fuel economy.

7) Travel light
Avoid carrying any unnecessary weight in your car. On the average, every 50kg added load in your car will increase fuel consumption by 2%.

8) Anticipate traffic ahead
A driver can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% by anticipating traffic conditions ahead and adjusting the speed accordingly, and avoiding tailgating and thus unnecessary braking and acceleration.

Accelerations and decelerations waste fuel. Braking and abrupt stops can be minimized by not following too closely and slowing down gradually when approaching a red light. It takes up to six times as much fuel to move a car from a dead stop than it does for one moving at just a few km/h.

9) Avoid strong acceleration
The fuel consumption remains at a minimum during steady driving at a moderate speed of about 90km/h. Keep in mind that every time the accelerator is hard pressed, t! he engine goes into a "fuel-enrichment" mode of operation that wastes fuel.The vehicle should always be gradually and smoothly accelerated. Using cruise control on highways can help maintain a constant speed and reduce fuel consumption.

10) Minimise aerodynamic drag
Additional parts on the exterior of a vehicle such as roof racks and spoilers, or having the window open, Roof racks are bad for fuel economy increases air resistance and fuel consumption, in some cases by over 20%.

11) Don't let your engine idle
Minimize fuel wasted in idling by stopping the engine whenever your car is stopped or held up for an extended period of time. Idling more than a minute consumes much more fuel than restarting the engine. By having the engine switched off, you will save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel involved in restarting the engine. The net increased wear and tear from this practice is negligible.

12) Use the air-con sparingly
Air conditioners can use about 10 per cent extra fuel when operating. However, at speeds of over 80 km/h, use of air conditioning is better for fuel economy than an open window

Fuel Saving Tips for Drivers

We count on our cars to get us where we want to go, when we want to go. That sense of freedom is important to us, but we also want to be sure we do our best to conserve natural resources for future generations.

Following are a few simple steps you can take to meet these goals.

• Have your car tuned regularly. An engine tune-up can improve car fuel economy by an average of 1 mile per gallon.
• Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tired can decrease fuel economy by up to 1 mile per gallon.
• Slow down. The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 65 miles per hour rather than 55 miles per hour reduces fuel economy by about 2 miles per gallon. 
• Avoid jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts. 
• Pace your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to 2 miles per gallon. Stay alert and drive steadily, not erratically. Keep a reasonable, safe distance from the car ahead of you and anticipate traffic conditions. 
• Use your air conditioner sparingly. The use of air conditioning can reduce fuel economy by as much as 2 miler per gallon under certain speeds and operating conditions.
• Plan your trips in advance. Combine short trips into one to do all your errands. Avoid traveling during rush hours if possible, to reduce fuel-consumption patterns such as starting and stopping and numerous idling periods. Consider joining a car pool.
  

Top 10 Fuel Saving Tips

Whether you drive a tiny hybrid or a three-ton SUV, chances are you can squeeze a bit more distance out of each gallon of fuel -- and at today's gas prices, an improvement of just one or two miles per gallon (MPG) can really add up. These ten fuel saving tips have served me well over the years, and they can help you improve your car's fuel economy and take some of the sting out of high fuel prices. Most of these tips will give you a very slight increase in MPG -- but use several together and the gas mileage improvements will really add up.

1. Slow down

One of the best ways to save gas is to simply reduce your speed. As speed increases, fuel economy decreases exponentially. If you one of the "ten-over on the freeway" set, try driving the speed limit for a few days. You'll save a lot of fuel and your journey won't take much longer. (Just be sure you keep to the right, so you won't impede the less-enlightened.)

 

2. Check your tire pressure

Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored causes of crummy MPG. Tires lose air due to time (about 1 psi per month) and temperature (1 psi for every 10 degree drop); under-inflated tires have more rolling resistance, which means you need to burn more gas to keep your car moving. Buy a reliable tire gauge and check your tires at least once a month. Be sure to check them when they are cold, since driving the car warms up the tires along with the air inside them, which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading. Use the inflation pressures shown in the owner's manual or on the data plate in the driver's door jamb.

3. Check your air filter

A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. Air filters are easy to check and change; remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can't see light coming through it, you need a new one. Consider a K&N or similar "permanent" filter which is cleaned rather than changed; they are much less restrictive than throw-away paper filters, plus they're better for the environment.

4. Accelerate with care

Jack-rabbit starts are an obvious fuel-waster -- but that doesn't mean you should crawl away from every light. If you drive an automatic, accelerate moderately so the transmission can shift up into the higher gears. Stick-shifters should shift early to keep the revs down, but don't lug the engine -- downshift if you need to accelerate. Keep an eye well down the road for potential slowdowns. If you accelerate to speed then have to brake right away, that's wasted fuel.

5. Hang with the trucks

Ever notice how, in bad traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down, while trucks tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace? A constant speed keeps shifting to a minimum -- important to those who have to wrangle with those ten-speed truck transmissions -- but it also aids economy, as it takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving. Rolling with the big rigs saves fuel (and aggravation).

6. Get back to nature

Consider shutting off the air conditioner, opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you'll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof. If I'm going someplace where arriving sweaty and smelly could be a problem, I bring an extra shirt and leave early so I'll have time for a quick change.

7. Back off the bling

New wheels and tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they'll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep the old ones. I have fancy sport rims and aggressive tires on my own car, but I keep the stock wheels with a good narrower-tread performance tire in the garage. For long road trips, the stock wheels give a smoother ride and better economy.

8. Clean out your car

If you're the type who takes a leisurely attitude towards car cleanliness -- and I definitely fall into that category -- periodically go through your car and see what can be tossed out or brought into the house. It doesn't take much to acquire an extra 40 or 50 lbs. of stuff, and the more weight your car has to lug around, the more fuel it burns.

 

 

9. Downsize or hybridize

If you're shopping for a new car, it's time to re-evaluate how much car you really need. Smaller cars are inherently more fuel-efficient, and today's small cars are safer and roomier than ever. And if you've never considered a hybrid, maybe it's time -- hybrids really do work, and new entries like Toyota's compact Prius c and SUV-sized Prius v the sporty Honda CR-Z make it easier than ever to find a hybrid you can live with.

10. Don't drive

Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you'll save gas. Take the train, carpool, and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car, always ask yourself: "Is this trip really necessary?"

 

Decoration ideas for your car

Decorating a car is not just restricted to special occasions like wedding and Christmas. With multiple accessories available, you can make your car look absolutely trendy.

Decoration is an art in itself and may be that is why none of us actually dare to make our cars looks out-of-the-box and unusual from the league. But with the latest accessories accessible, you can keep the interiors and exteriors of your car updated.

From graphics, paints, seat covers, flashy wheels to soft toys, stuffed animals and dazzling decorations, you can transform your car into a jiffy.

Graphics and colours: The one thing that first catches the eye on a car is its colour and if gelled well with some trendy graphic design, it can make the exteriors of your car rocking. But to experiment with some bold colours you really need to be a sportier kind of a person to carry it off.

Flashy wheels: With some funky looking rollers, you can accessorise your car. Don’t forget to add the rims as they will definitely enhance the look of your wheels.

Colourful decorations: Soft toys, designer cushions, funky stickers and hangings all catch the eye and increase the style quotient of your car. But the whole idea behind this is to choose something that would compliment the interiors.

Unique seat covers: While choosing the colour and pattern for your car covers, create a balance between the colour scheme of the cabin and the equipment present.

Neon lights: Neon lights look very eye-catching and can instantly stylize your car. You can also make good use of some underbody LED kits.

Cool gadgets for your car

Want to make your car look more stylish and classy? Here are some cool gadgets and accessories for you to accentuate your car.

There were times when enhancing a cars look and getting it personalized with the latest accessories and gadgets were all a matter of pride for the rich and the elite. And not only this, they were by default fitted only in the very high-end cars. But not anymore, you can now either buy cars that come with factory fitted accessories or you can buy base-line variants and later add on gadgets or gizmos as and when you want to. Here are a few ultra-cool gadgets for 2010 that you would definitely like to get fitted in your car.

The 5 Inch HD Touch Screen GPS Navigator (Direct WIN CE Access)

With GPS software packages, FM transmitter, Bluetooth functionality, direct access to its WIN CE operating system, high definition 800 x 480 screen resolution, 5 inch touch screen and DVD player alternative; this awesome portable GPS device handles all of this and much more.

Features:
•    800 x 480 screen resolution on a 5 inch display
•    Direct access to WIN CE operating system!
•    Free 2GB TF/microSD Card
•    Free car kit
•    Runs most GPS software and maps
•    Handles most popular video and audio formats
•    eBook reader

Car Inverter

With the never ending jams, this is bliss for all those who are always on a go and are over occupied with their meetings and social life. This new gadget should definitely make long waits in traffic jams a bit more bearable.

Features:
•    Charges cell phone or palm pilot
•    Helps you finish reports on your laptop and let you print it out on a small printer as well
•    Cools water by hooking up bottle cooler and also comes with a coffee maker
•    Hook up a game boy or Car TV to keep kids occupied
•    You easily use digital cameras, camcorders, electric lights, MINI DVDs, massagers, medical equipment, soda makers and even vacuum cleaners.

CD-4300 Car DVD Player with LCD, TFT and Touch Screen

This gadget is for all those music and gadget lovers who want something new and the best in their life. This allows you to enjoy music at a whole new level altogether.

Features:

•    4.3 in-touch panel fully automatic slide pane DVD
•    Player with AM/ FM/ TV/USB Slot/ DIVX/ 4*60w amp
•    Motorized front panel / detachable
•    DVD / DVD- R/MP3/MP4 (DIVX)/VCD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW Compatible
•    Repeat/ Program/ Random/ Intro Play
•    Subwoofer Output
•    Bluetooth included

How to get the most from your car

In this world of soaring fuel prices along with your dream car getting more expensive by the day, you would surely want to get the best out of your car while keeping the running and repair costs to the minimum.

In this world of soaring fuel prices along with your dream car getting more expensive by the day, you would surely want to get the best out of your car while keeping the running and repair costs to the minimum. After all, with the prices of today’s cars, they’re well said to be one of your biggest investments in life - which you would like to protect at any cost.

The best thing is that you don’t need to be an auto expert or learn some exceptional tricks to achieve that milestone. Instead, just following the owner’s manual as well as paying heed to some useful tips would do the needful. Here they go:

Start it up properly and drive conservatively

One of the best things you can do for a car's longevity is start it up properly and drive conservatively -- easy on the accelerator as well as the brakes. Jackrabbit starts and hard braking do more than wear the obvious parts more quickly, and thus can lead to more repairs down the road. "This is why buying a used sporty car can be riskier than usual. Cars like this are likely to have been flogged more than the average family sedan," says world-renowned automotive expert Joe Wiesenfelder.

 Drive regularly

If you are one of those who prefer to keep their vehicles in the garage, be prepared to shell out more on repair jobs. Simply because not driving your car regularly can be as damaging as driving it too hard and recklessly. If not more, it may weaken the battery of your car as also lead the brake rotor to rust which will need to be replaced immediately. A new battery will leave you poorer by at least Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,500, depending on the type of car you have.

Avoid riding the clutch as far as possible. Simply because holding in the clutch for extended periods or touching the clutch pedal unnecessarily may weaken clutch springs and also wear it prematurely, which is not cheap to replace. For beginners, thus, it would help practicing proper co-ordination of pressing of accelerator and release of clutch pedal. It would also help to remember that clutches and transmissions are not made to slow and stop the car - a job better done by the brakes. And it is much cheaper to replace the brakes than the clutch.

Be careful about tyre pressures

You should always be careful about tyre pressures. Under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption by up to 10 percent and also effect stability during drive. Excessive air pressure, on the other hand, results in faster wear of treads, giving a hard and bumpy ride.

Keeping your tyres properly inflated, therefore, can increase fuel mileage and help reduce flats caused by uneven tyre wear. "You should also avoid fitting oversized tyres or nutty accessories. They may impress a few, but not your car's performance," warns automotive expert Murad Ali Baig.5. Keep the engine tuned

Always keep your engine tuned. A fouled spark plug or plugged/restricted fuel injector can reduce fuel efficiency as much Serious damage could also result if you don't pay heed to the warning lights, such as the oil pressure light and charging light. These lights come up when you turn on the ignition and fade away after a few seconds of engine operation. You should sense a problem if either a light doesn’t come on during ignition or doesn't go away even when the engine is started.

For instance, if you operate the engine with the 'oil pressure light' on, this can result into severe engine damage. Experts say that when the oil pressure warning light illuminates, it is signaling that the engine has lost the pressure that supplies lubricating oil to vital engine parts. Likewise, if the 'malfunction indicator' light comes on when the engine is running, there is a problem with the emission control system itself.

 Remove excessive items

Remove excessive items from the vehicle so far as possible. Experts say that an extra 100 pound in your car could reduce your MPG by up to 2 per cent.

Regularly change oil, air filters

Oil and air filters prevent dirt and harmful particles from damaging the engine and should be changed twice a year or every 3,000-5,000 kms. Also, the engine should maintain the amount of oil it is programmed to receive. True, "changing your oil and filter religiously doesn't guarantee that you’ll get more than 200,000 miles out of a car, but I can tell you that all the people I've met who have racked up well over that amount had been diligent about it," observes Wiesenfelder.

Modern cars, in fact, are believed to be exceptionally well made. In the past decade alone, maintenance intervals for things such as spark plugs, emission and cooling systems have been stretched out to 100,000 miles. Still the need for periodic maintenance hasn't changed.

"In fact, given the longer life expectancy of the typical vehicle today, the need for periodic maintenance has never been greater if you expect to get the most from what has become the second biggest investment most individuals will ever make," according to the US-based National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Vehicle maintenance, therefore, is the most important aspects to its safety, longevity and value.

Get serviced on time

Your owner's manual itself lists specific time or mileage intervals between major and minor services your vehicle requires. Make sure all these jobs are done in tim e. "More because the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule is based on normal driving, whereas very few of us drive normally," says Rajiv Gupta, works manager, Basant Motors, a Delhi-based authorized service station of Maruti.

Moreover, in a country like India, even driving conditions are pathetic, leading to a fast wear and tear on your vehicle. This can be prevented only by proper maintenance. If not more, a well-maintained vehicle - apart from speaking volumes about you as an owner - will at least not desert you when you need it most!

Tips to keep in mind

Everything from features the car offers, to the warranty offered by the manufacturer right, down to the after market sales, spares and service to keep a few pointers while buying/selling your car. Zigwheels helps you to break down this daunting process in a much simpler manner.

Step 1: Starting out
Once you have determined which car suits your needs you would have a good idea of what to pay for your car. Narrowing down further will help u get closer to the exact car you want.

Step 2: Discounts
With the current market being crowded and competitive, many new cars are offered with attractive discounts. The discounts could be in the form of cash or low interest financing. You can watch out for ads on the TV as well in the newspapers for available discounts.

Step 3: Get only what you need
By now you should have a specific idea of the car you want to buy. You should know all the make, model, trim and options available. The top end variant might be having the most features and options but it’s not necessary that all of them are useful. It can always be that one of the lower variants is more value for money. Choose according to your needs.

Tips to buy a new car

It's a buyers market so you can bargain with the dealers for a better deal. But it's never going to be easy. Never shy away from asking for freebies or cash leverages.

The deal may differ at different dealerships so make sure you inquire at more than one dealership.

Getting Finance

Not many can af Ford to buy a car on outright cash. For the rest of us Finance is the best bet. Find out what suits you better, lower EMI or a lower down payment. Look out for banks offering the lowest Rate of Interest so you don’t end up shelling out too much interest. Finance through dealers can get to be an expensive affair whereas Independent finance companies specializing in car loans often have the lowest Rate of interest with quicker approvals.


Authorized dealer or Private dealer, which is a safer bet?

Buying from a dealer is usually the safest best. Be it in terms of warranty, ownership or after sales service. All though private dealer can offer u a better deal the same cannot be said about the above parameters. There are cars available on auctions as well but we wouldn’t even like to mention it here so AVOID.

TomTom launches satellite navigation units in India

TomTom has spent a lot of time in research and development for the Indian market to understand what the consumer wants before launching their products. Their systems use very accurate algorithms and up to date maps along to take you quickly and safely to your destination. Read on to know about TomTom's product range and plans for the Indian market

The typical scene of Indian roads is one where people stop hastily on the side of the road, roll down the window and ask for directions. 70% of the streets in India do not have names and this creates a big confusion in finding an exact location. Stopping on the side of the road in a hurry is also a safety hazard to pedestrians, two wheels and cars alike. 

TomTom has been in India for ten years now and over the years they have studied the Indian traffic psyche to understand what would be of most use in a satellite navigation system in India. TomTom has also built their maps from scratch because according to their survey the biggest problem in India was the lack of a reliable map. 

TomTom is a company based in Amsterdam, they have been around for twenty years now and are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Their research and development units are based in Holland, USA and in Pune, India. TomTom’s strategy in India has been based on the long run which is why they took time to develop an India centric system as a whole.

TomTom believes in developing driver friendly satellite navigation systems to make the experience of commuting and looking for a place easy. TomTom have launched their ‘Via Series’ in India, which consists of three units, the Via 100, Via 120 and the Via 125. The satellite navigation units will be priced at Rs. 15,000, Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 19,000 respectively. 

The new systems will have a unique feature developed for India called ‘Landmark Navigation’, this feature will help people find locations on unnamed streets by being able to input a landmark near the destination. Other standard features in these systems will allow drivers to change maps and share it with their friends. The systems will also provide real time traffic information to drivers

The maps of India developed by TomTom for their systems cover nearly a 100% of more than 5000 towns and cities in India. The systems can be had with an 11cm screen or a 13 cm screen. The Via 120 and 125 models come with Bluetooth phone connectivity and Voice Control functionality which lets drivers seek destinations by voice commands without taking their hands off the steering wheel. 

Apart from making satellite navigation systems TomTom sells its map to companies on the internet such as Google. They also sell their maps to mobile phone companies and to the Government for planning purposes. TomTom has 33 million kilometres of road network on the face of the earth recorded on their database. 

TomTom has had global experience in manufacturing and selling their satellite navigation (sat-nav) systems. They came up with their first Portable Navigation Device (PNV) in 2004. In Europe 15% of passenger vehicles from Renault used to be equipped with a sat-nav system. Today, 50% of Renault cars leave the factory with an integrated sat-nav system from TomTom. TomTom plans to bring about a similar revolution in India. They are in talks with car makers across the price band in our country. Jocelyn Vigreux, General Manager and Senior Vice-President of TomTom India said that they are in talks with car makers in India and the response is positive. It should not be long before the average passenger vehicle in India comes equipped with a satellite navigation system. 

TomTom satellite navigation systems will be available at Reliance Digital, Reliance Autozone and in about 70 more car accessories shops across India. 

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Driving your vehicle for maximum fuel efficiency

By the way fuel prices are rising, in another ten years banks would also give loans for fuel. Having said that, ZigWheels cannot bring the fuel prices down, however, can tell you how to get the maximum fuel efficiency out of your car.

Driving in rush hours on your way to office or back, probably the only thing to run through your mind would be to turn off your car for a few minutes until the clog starts to move, it is wise thing to do, not only for the environment, but, for your pocket. The maximum fuel consumption during morning starts and cold starts. However, while stuck in a jam, the best thing to do is to turn off your vehicle. It is a difficult task in hot and humid weather, and when the temperature reaches an uncomfortable level, we suggest you turn on your vehicle and your air conditioning till it gets back to normal.

A number of things like these kept in mind, not only save you the time and money, but, also the decrease your frequent trips to the gas station that put a hole in your pocket every time. Here are the other dos and donts that will improve you car’s mileage.

1. Don’t Rush: Going reckless, whether in the city or the highway would not only be hectic, but dangerous for you and others on the road. You also end up with a higher fuel consumption figure. Having a steady speed without hard braking and acceleration would get you the right figure and you don’t have to complain the car for a bad performance otherwise.

2. It’s a clutch, not a foot rest:  Again, whether on the highway or the city, use your clutch to the bare minimum unless you have no option. Also, get your clutch plates and flywheel replaced at regular intervals. A worn out clutch plate also reduces fuel efficiency as the car has to work harder to get a decent speed.

 3.  Look around:  Look around on what is the average speed of the traffic around you. Keep in a speed band where you’re neither too fast nor too slow. Also, while coming to a halt, assess the distance to your halt point, slow down and use your brakes and engine braking, rather than stopping abruptly.

4. Check air pressure:  Make sure to get the air pressure in your tires checked on a weekly basis. Under inflated tires make a huge impact on the fuel efficiency. Also a better way would be to fill nitrogen (Read about the benefits of Nitrogen in tires here) instead of air, since it is denser and makes your ride smoother as well.

5. Change your gears quicker: Gear shift at lower rpms don’t give you the punch you need, but you’re not racing here? Over-revving would not only increase the fuel consumption of your car, it would also adversely affect the engine in a long term. At the same time, avoid knocking in the engine as this damages the engine from the inside.

6.  Remove excess baggage:  Things that are not used in your everyday use can be kept in the storage room till the time you don’t need it again. For example a luggage carrier or a baby seat which you might not need, can be kept aside. Lesser torque is required by the engine to roll or move around and thereby reducing fuel consumption.

7. A stitch in time, saves nine:  Keep your car in a good running condition. A regularly serviced vehicle consumes less fuel.

8. Walk if you can: Taking the car out for a shorter distance is not a very good idea. Walk if your destination is nearby.

With these tips in mind, your car's mileage will surely improve and it will run for a longer period of time.