How to beat the increasing fuel prices!!

-Chris- · 10-03-2011 10:14pm #1

We've seen so many threads in this forum over the last few days regarding fuel prices and how to change them, from blockades, to no-buy days to endless amounts of complaining and analysis.

But complaining is easy, action is hard - and action we can take ourselves will have a much faster effect than actions we take to try and lobby the gov't to change the tax rates on fuel.

You can argue for a 10c decrease in fuel prices (not particularly likely imho) or you can strive for a 7% improvement in fuel economy (probably achievable for most of us) and the effect will be the same on your pocket.

Soooo....

What are the best ways you know of improving fuel economy?
What have you tried?
What works and what doesn't work (or what works really well and what barely works)?
What is largely regarded to work that can be proved to be largely bull?
Have you any measurable results you can share with us all?

I've had a quick look online and I can see the following hints...

http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Fuel-Mileage-on-a-Car
http://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/ag_top_fuelsave.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy/how-to-get-better-fuel-economy1.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_4810926_increase-cars-fuel-efficiency.html
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=703421
http://www.djron.com/13WaysFuel.html
http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hypermiling-driving-tips-ecodriving.php
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml
http://www.10spot.net/articles/improve_fuel_economy_tips.html

...anything jumping out at you? Anyone have something to add??

MagicMarker · 10-03-2011 10:17pm

Get the bus.

Max_Damage · 10-03-2011 10:18pm

Run it on veggie oil / pure alcohol.

Or buy a bicycle.

bladespin · 10-03-2011 10:19pm

Agri diesel

mickdw · 10-03-2011 10:19pm

Drive less, Drive efficiently and if you really must, drive a diesel.

alias no.9 · 10-03-2011 10:20pm

The simplest is to eliminate or combine journeys where ever possible. Do shopping on way home from work. Get petrol when passing a petrol station, a special journey to buy cheaper petrol will probably burn more than the savings.

MarkR · 10-03-2011 10:22pm

No fat chicks. Cuts down on weight in the car. I find a helium baloon in the backseat also helps.

Matt Simis · 10-03-2011 10:25pm

Take off roof racks, fit an under body tray (or make sure its in good shape), try to plan the route ahead by not braking and accelerating continuously.. if you brake you have to speed up again.

10-03-2011 10:33pm

Limiting my revs to 3000rpm max and gentle acceleration brought my mpg from 19ish to 21 ish mpg. I went back to giving plenty of right foot again so 19mpg is the average again. I spend €60/€70 a week on petrol so 10% saving isn't to be sneezed at but still it's not a hugely significant difference. K&N panel filter made no difference, nor did new plugs just before the recommended interval (they're 50k mile jobbies).

A 2.0 diesel would save me over €30/week in fuel costs and almost €400/year in tax so I do see myself in a diesel MG ZS in a year or so. Although I have an inkling (project kicking off in one of my old haunts) I may be working closer to home within a year too (less than 2 miles away) so if that happens I might get the bus to and from work and get a 1.4 little petrol yoke as I don't do much driving really.

What does work
- cut out all short spins of a few hundred yards (local shop, library, Mass etc).
- get the bus into town if you are near a bus stop, eliminate parking charges too. Have only done this once in the last 10 years and there is a bus stop a hundred yards from home and town is only a mile and a half away.
- car pooling (obviously)
- servicing on time and before the car starts feeling like it's due a service

Seth Brundle · 10-03-2011 10:35pm

Tailgait very closely and reduce wind resistance*

* don't try this folks!

Plug · 10-03-2011 10:37pm

I keep my engine running on 2 cylinders just disconnect the injectors, job done:pac:

squod · 10-03-2011 10:38pm

Siphon hose, crowbar and a three gallon container. Shop around for lower fuel costs.

Big Nasty · 10-03-2011 10:39pm

RoverJames wrote: »

Limiting my revs to 3000rpm max and gentle acceleration brought my mpg from 19ish to 21 ish mpg. I went back to giving plenty of right foot again so 19mpg is the average again. I spend €60/€70 a week on petrol so 10% saving isn't to be sneezed at but still it's not a hugely significant difference.

I would spend similar to you on fuel James but I enjoy driving too much to do the whole 'taxi driver quick gear change' thing. It costs me €10 / day to drive to and from work and I hit the loud whenever I want to and can. If I was to drive a little easier, saving me €6/€7 per week I would be better off driving a Micra and screwing the nuts outta it for 'emjoyment' - not gonna happen.

Big Nasty · 10-03-2011 10:41pm

kbannon wrote: »

Tailgait very closely and reduce wind resistance

And slingshot around just before you reach your exit!

10-03-2011 10:43pm

I agree

I only did it for a tankful, was awful really, there's a hill just before work that I enjoy booting up it in the overtaking lane, for the efficent week I used to hit the cruise control at 30mph and crawl up it, awful awful awful. I love the noise off the (archaic :pac:)V6 in the ZT when the revs rise.

Merrion · 10-03-2011 10:45pm

Make sure your three are fully inflated and clear the cr@p from the boot..

JJJJNR · 10-03-2011 10:49pm

Ditching the 18's is a good start for better economy, I hear waxing your car regularly can decrease wind resistance, also not running a full tank of fuel, replacing you air filter regularly.

Don't use cruise control on long hilly parts or roads, do use cruise control on flat roads, change up in gear asap, inflate your tires, reduce your speed to 90kph.

Big Nasty · 10-03-2011 10:50pm

JJJJNR wrote: »

Ditching the 18's is a good start for better economy, I hear waxing your car regularly can decrease wind resistance, also not running a full tank of fuel, replacing you air filter regularly.

Don't use cruise control on long hilly parts or roads, do use cruise control on flat roads, change up in gear asap, inflate your tires, reduce your speed to 90kph.

You left out boring yourself to tears for the sake of a fiver!

JJJJNR · 10-03-2011 10:53pm

yep, its awful, and its the hardest thing to do, but in the spirit of the thread title and I used to live by the 180kph rule..

10-03-2011 10:55pm

JJJJNR wrote: »

Ditching the 18's is a good start for better economy,

f that, I like my 18s:pac:

JJJJNR wrote: »

I hear waxing your car regularly can decrease wind resistance,

I really doubt that would do much, better off skipping breakfast and having a large poo before getting in the car :pac:

JJJJNR wrote: »

also not running a full tank of fuel,

makes sense, carrying around the weight of a jockey without need would have an effect on small engined yokes

JJJJNR wrote: »

replacing you air filter regularly.

one of the most important things not to overlook when servicing

JJJJNR wrote: »

Don't use cruise control on long hilly parts or roads, do use cruise control on flat roads, change up in gear asap, inflate your tires, reduce your speed to 90kph.

these together with the clean air filter could make 10% savings for some folk.

Good suggestions sir

Cookie_Monster · 10-03-2011 11:01pm

get your fat ass on a treadmill

get the gf to drive her car so she has to pay for the fuel

And in best troll science mode: drive faster, the quicker you get there, the short period of time your engine is on, the less fuel it burns :pac:

garancafan · 10-03-2011 11:07pm

JJJJNR wrote: »

I used to live by the 180kph rule..

Would be grateful for an explanation of that rule.

PaulKK · 10-03-2011 11:08pm

RoverJames wrote: »

f that, I like my 18s:pac:

...
I really doubt that would do much, better off skipping breakfast and having a large poo before getting in the car :pac:

I LOL'd

blackbox · 10-03-2011 11:09pm

RoverJames wrote: »

I really doubt that would do much, better off skipping breakfast and having a large poo before getting in the car :pac:

Definitely don't do this after getting in the car!

.

Seth Brundle · 10-03-2011 11:18pm

eeeeewwwww
http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/28/indipod-in-car-toilet/

JJJJNR · 10-03-2011 11:28pm

garancafan wrote: »

Would be grateful for an explanation of that rule.

I made it up.

Bigus · 10-03-2011 11:37pm

you do this to your honda civic and get 95 mpg

http://ecomodder.com/

jaffa20 · 10-03-2011 11:40pm

I always think about trying to increase my mpg by keeping the revs low and lowering speed on motorway but it's just too damn annoying and fun not to rev the mx5. So rather saving a few mpg, i'd rather just forget about and enjoy driving.

squod · 10-03-2011 11:53pm

kbannon wrote: »

Tailgait very closely and reduce wind resistance*

There's a special lane for that on the M50

Seth Brundle · 10-03-2011 11:58pm

Oh, I thought that it was all lanes except lane 1 (which very few drivers use)!

Owen · 11-03-2011 12:24am

Buy my car

But seriously I use the throttle/coast/throttle/coast when I'm really trying to save, and it does make a huge difference to me. And with the Auto, I kick it into N every now and again on flats and downhills where I have momentum - it drops the throttle to idle, otherwise on the instantaneous mpg readout, it tells me I'm still using fuel even with my foot off the throttle.

Don't use aircon, don't use the radio up loud, all those sorts of things help, close the windows, check your pressures, have a mahoosive poo and pee before you leave. Burp a lot before you go. Wear thin socks, wear no shoes. In fact, go nekkid.

How to beat the increasing fuel prices!!

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