i don't mean to brag but, I usually get pretty good mileage from the cars that I drive.
I'm not really sure what it is but it's probably a gift or a special mutant ability of some sort. ok, yeah i'm bragging!
I never really thought much about it until a friend of mine told me about his experience driving the same car I'm currently driving.
I own a Hyundai Getz 1.3 auto which I bought about 5 years ago. no major modifications except a k&n drop in air filter, which i've used since day 1, a pivot volt stabilizer with earthing kit recommended by a friend and a lightweight cam pulley. no special spark plugs or cables, no ECU tuning, no fuel saving gadget or fancy gizmo. just the standard 14-inch rims and tyres (japan made dunlops - really great tyres).
my friend gets only about 280km on a full tank and I've been told by a couple of people driving many different auto makes that they get between 350km and 400km per full tank. these aren't people driving those super fuel efficient Honda city's or toyota's. it's other cars. I guess you could call them normal cars.
I consistently get about 11km per liter of petrol which is about 450km - 480km per full tank of petrol (40-45 litre).
I don't do any crazy stuff or use extreme techniques. I don't turn my engine off whenever I stop. I don't turn off my radio, aircond or lights to reduce the loading on my alternator.
In fact, I always drive with the aircond on. I don't understand how anyone can drive around without their aircond on. not even early in the morning or at night. whenever I see people driving around with one arm
hanging outside their window I think 2 things. they are either retarded or their aircond is broken. observing how they drive eventually answers my question. most of them are retarded.
well, to be fair I normally manage to fit 45 litres into that tank. it's a small car with a surprisingly large tank. and I usually drive until the low petrol warning light has been on for so long that it starts burning the static image to the back of my skull.
when i notice the occasional passenger in my car getting worried and showing symptoms of imminent anxiety attacks I just put them at ease by telling them it's ok, my car doesn't need petrol to continue running. just the smell or the fumes left behind by the petrol is enough. for quite a long distance, in fact. I've tried.
anyway back on topic. I've got a couple of theories why my petrol consumption is lower than others. i would like to share this information with everyone else with hopes that it can help everyone reduce petrol usage and produce less CO2 and pollution. save the planet, people! (yes, i'm still in my green revolution phase)
here they are in no particular sequence.
1. I'm a pretty steady driver, if I may say so myself. I very rarely do sudden overtaking manoeuvres. I must admit that getting provoked to do it is a very common occurence. it is a daily test of patience because of the driver who plods along the freeway at 40kmh in on the fast lane, the typical Malaysian driver who merges blindly into your lane (totally oblivious to their surroundings as though they were in some sort of hypnotic trance). The worst thing is that they don't even bother to follow the speed of the traffic they merge into and force the drivers who have the right of way to brake hard! and speedbumps, man don't get me started on speedbumps! (read my earlier post about speed bumps)
anyway cruising at constant speed is guaranteed to get you good mileage. stopping and accelerating is bad. those who have those fancy news cars with the high tech instrument panels should have an instrument that shows the fuel consumption per km or mile. practicing good driving habits is key!
2. I drive for greater comfort, not greater speed. I don't like sudden acceleration and braking. I don't do high G force manuevers. let me clarify that I don't drive slow. I just don't see the smarts in doing a 0-60 under 5 seconds each time the red light turns green. I know, my car couldn't do it anyway. Go on, rub it in.
Increase speed gradually and allow the car to gain momentum. there is also less strain on the car therefore lower maintenance cost.
3. I like to coast to a stop. i think it is moronic to continue speeding towards the red light. it's not like you are trying to get less penalty points or someting. you're gonna have to stop anyway and you'll just end up using more brakes.
when coasting to a stop I like to shift to neutral. some people may cry out abuse and accuse me of doing unforgivable damage to my car but it doesn't seem to have caused me any problems in all the years I've done it. heck if I could do it I would turn my engine off when coasting to a stop but my steering and brakes won't work. anyway my aircond must NEVER be off.
4. i make sure my tyres are always properly inflated. Remember those times when cycling was your only means of transport? i'm sure you noticed how much harder it was to cycle when the tires were flat. you can't really tell when driving a car because it doesn't use more of your energy to step on the gas pedal when the tire pressure is low. this so important yet so often overlooked. for me, I have these neat little tyre valve caps that indicate yellow when the tyre pressure is low and red when I should really really do something about the tire pressure. its pretty cool. i don't have to wonder whether my tires are a little under, or when was the last time i pumped them because i can just look at the valve caps and know that my tyre pressure is alright. I highly recommend it to everyone!
5. My aircond temperature is never set to max. at the most it is on 3/4 to the max. normally its only at about 1/4 coolness. feels comfortable enough for me. sure as hell beats driving without aircond and with the window down. i'm not sure exactly how much can be saved but I do know the aircond uses up precious horsepower which your car automatically compensates for by increasing the engine RPM. and here's a tip - vkool. can't do without it. under our sun, going without it is insanity. by keeping heat out your aircond does a bit less work.
to be continued...
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