How to beat the increasing fuel prices!!

PaintDoctor

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Buy my car .............otherwise on the instantaneous mpg readout, it tells me I'm still using fuel even with my foot off the throttle.

Buying a diesel 75 would indeed be a frugal move for many

I don't have an instantaneous mpg reading on the ZT, only an average one (unless it's there and I don't know how to get to see it)

Mr Benevolent

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Buy my car

I would, but that price is mental for an '02 75, even if it's a Conn SE. I can source 3 in the UK that would cost a fair bit less than that to bring into the country. But €5250 for a 2002 car with meteoric depreciation? Heehaw!

I do hope you sell the car soon, but it'll be for closer to €3500 imo.

Confab

Confab wrote: »

I would, but that price is mental for an '02 75, even if it's a Conn SE....................

I do hope you sell the car soon, but it'll be closer to €3500 imo.

For a start they don't depreciate that much when they get to that age. No doubt the asking price has a tad of bargaining built in too. You won't find many with 85K miles on them either. I actually have seen PaintDoctors car a few times, most recently last Friday (Friar's walk 3pm ish, you were driving against me) and previously I have seen it parked up in Paul Street (months back). Savagely straight example.

It's a 45mpg+ rare estate in superb condition, it's not bad value at all, if I bought it I'd save €2000 in a year compared to the ZT. I'd get €2000 for the ZT so over €4000 isn't at all out of the way for a minty diesel tourer.

Cheaper in from the UK is neither here not there really.

Owen

Confab wrote: »

I would, but that price is mental for an '02 75, even if it's a Conn SE. I can source 3 in the UK that would cost a fair bit less than that to bring into the country. But €5250 for a 2002 car with meteoric depreciation? Heehaw!

I do hope you sell the car soon, but it'll be for closer to €3500 imo.

It won't be. There's 99 A4 estates selling (Actually selling) for up to 3k these days. I'll burn it before I sell it for 3500. It's value for what it is, and a great car. As RJ said, these cars have done all their depreciating at this stage - so 'meteoric depreciation' is a bit of a non-starter IMHO. I've already had one offer close to my asking today subject to him selling his own car already, and I've a trade bid on it for about 1.5k less which I'm not interested in, as he'll sell it for 1.5k more anyway.

Which ones can you get in with the same spec? Including VRT, transport costs, sterling conversion and time off work costs? I'm not being an ass, I'm genuinely curious.

bazz26

Here you go lads, pedal power while still being cool (and fit):



http://www.geekologie.com/2010/06/great_fuel_economy_terrible_ev.php

Duckjob

I've recently gone on an economy drive with the car.

While I didn't go overboard with the granny-driving (I get up to speed fairly briskly, then into high gear and cruise), I did cut out the sh**ty little 5-10 min trips that I had got into the habit of doing in the car and did them on foot instead. I've been simply amazed at how much longer a tank of fuel stretches out now....

I guess because those trips are all nearly always on a cold engine, and in built-up areas, over speed bumps etc, it's going to be seriously inefficent milage, as well as being hell in wear and tear on the engine itself...

Owen

Confab wrote: »

I can source 3 in the UK that would cost a fair bit less than that to bring into the country.

Just checked every touring on Pistonheads. Most basic I can find is still nearly 3k sterling, and that's baaaaasic. Most are selling for upwards of that. The only car I can find with a similar spec, is a 03 saloon, and that's 5k sterling. And still doesn't have all the toys mine has. Drop it back 1k for the difference in year and the fact that the tourer's more valuable, and my price (Which RJ's right, is negotiable) - is still realistic.

padma

My job is driving and I buy my own petrol, so it's been light foot for the past month or so. One thing we could do to make the pumps take notice of us is boycott a certain brand of petrol for one month ie, Topaz, then the next month Maxol etc. This would make them wake up a bit and take notice of who has the real buying power. I know I know its the governments tax that has us by the goolies but would a boycott of a certain brand make the govt see?

steph1

Well thats all fine and well boycotting a particular petrol station but what do you do when you drive for a living and the particular station is the only one open 24 hours and the next station is three quarters of an hour away. Unfortunately doesn't work like that

padma

steph1 wrote: »

Well thats all fine and well boycotting a particular petrol station but what do you do when you drive for a living and the particular station is the only one open 24 hours and the next station is three quarters of an hour away. Unfortunately doesn't work like that

I do drive for a living but fortunately I live in an urban population which has a choice. In your case you could make sure you are filled up before 11pm at night.

shedweller

Short trips are a killer. I use third of the fuel on a 4km return trip as i do on a 55km commute to work. That example wouldn't hold true for bigger engined cars but applies all the same.

So combine trips as best you can. Do the furthest away errand first if possible, then work your way back.

Carpooling. Not always doable but that halves your fuel bill straight away!

Use engine braking where possible. This is not to say drop gears and rev the nuts off the engine. Just lift off the throttle and let the engine slow you down. Used in conjunction with looking ahead as best you can and you will cut down fuel use. Not to mention brake wear.

Anticipation. Look ahead and see two or more cars in front of you. Did someone brake? Well duh, start engine braking!
Did the lights go red? Engine brake!

Turn off the engine at the lights. If you know the sequence and it's going to go green soon then leave it. Actually, wouldn't it be nice if the red light had a timer counting down to green? Then you could make an informed decision whether or not you should shut down the engine. I like...

PaintDoctor mentioned "pulse & glide" and it does work. But there are safety concerns (by some, not me...). You have to know what you're doing and be mega aware of your surroundings. But if you are serious about this then you will have been anyway!
Clutch wear is increased too but it's hard to get a figure on it.
I've tried P&G for a year but it got tiring on a commute. My fuel use was good though: 3.2L/100k tanks were regular. Now i don't P&G and get 3.4 to 3.5L/100k tanks. Hardly worth crying about to be honest but the pro's swear by it. I suppose if you had a guzzler a tiny difference would save a lot of juice.

Matt Simis mentioned undertrays. I have also dabbled in this and i think it did help but my tanks were lasting a month at the time so it was hard to tell what gains i got. They were small but i'm no aerodynamicist! Also, it would be a modification and i would wonder what an insurance company would have to say on the matter. If it's a green light from them then i will certainly look into it again.

What doesn't work?

Those stupid vane yokes that goes into your air intake. Does nothing except increase the risk of your engine inhaling metal.

The box of tricks that plugs into your cigarette lighter socket. I mean really..... Supposedly it evens out the voltage......

I'm tempted to say those low rolling resistance tyres but it's not strictly true. The do save fuel but you pay so much for them that you end up paying more overall. Whats the point?

HHO. Say no more.:pac:

Wolverine_1999

steph1 wrote: »

Well thats all fine and well boycotting a particular petrol station but what do you do when you drive for a living and the particular station is the only one open 24 hours and the next station is three quarters of an hour away. Unfortunately doesn't work like that

Planning and good organisation! (Oh wait that's not Irish..)

-Chris-

padma wrote: »

My job is driving and I buy my own petrol, so it's been light foot for the past month or so. One thing we could do to make the pumps take notice of us is boycott a certain brand of petrol for one month ie, Topaz, then the next month Maxol etc. This would make them wake up a bit and take notice of who has the real buying power. I know I know its the governments tax that has us by the goolies but would a boycott of a certain brand make the govt see?

Did you even read the opening post?? :rolleyes::)

Bullseye1

Empty the boot and car of unnecessary weight. The amount of rubbish people carry around in their boot could make the difference over a year.

Gulliver

If you have a big family, hold a daily lottery to see who gets dropped to school/work and who has to walk. €2 entry. You'll have fitter (albeit colder and wetter) kids, less passengers in the car and a steady income.

Drive really fast over speedbumps. When the car takes off, kill the engine. Has to be a big speedbump though.

+1 on the poo/pee but let's not forget the wimmins. Cut that long hair off if present and get rid of them bra yokes - there's metal in them! Ban handbags, jewellery and heavy makeup. Breathe out and hold breath when going up hills.

:pac:

Sesshoumaru

kbannon wrote: »

Tailgait very closely and reduce wind resistance*

















* don't try this folks!

Probably the way forward

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJwWBzfTnMk

cojomo2

[QUOTE=Gulliver;71107715 If you have a big family, hold a daily lottery to see who gets dropped to school/work and who has to walk.[/QUOTE]

Or better yet, hold a lottery to see who will be paying for the next refill:D

padma

-Chris- wrote: »

Did you even read the opening post?? :rolleyes::)

yes, but I had to throw it in :cool:

no1beemerfan

I currently have two cars on the road so I fill both tanks to the brim and drive both every other day. Makes it seem a long time till I have to fill up again giving me a false sense of not having to spend as much on petrol

maidhc

-Chris- wrote: »

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

Establish stable democracies in the Middle East!

Shane732

Never ever brake.....

Just think of the wasted petrol every time you hit the brake pedal, braking just isn't worth it!

On a serious note - take a guy who spends €70/€80 (me) on petrol a week; if i drive like a 90 year old nun I'll save, say, 10% by increasing my fuel economy; that's €8 a week or €416 a year.

There'd want to be a much greater saving before I'd even consider giving up the heavy foot.

What is €416 going to buy me that I'll enjoy more than driving?

Solnskaya

Have a van with a very accurate l/100km indicator, drove it to Belfast from Kildare today and did the first 50 km in economy mode, ie low revs, 100kph, coasting etc. Got bored after 50 km and wanged it up to 120 kph all the way there and back. Ecomiling is just sooooo Booooring. Funnily enough, at 120 on cruise control, the economy was very little worse than at 100, and I only burnt 3/4 of a tank there and back. And I got home sooner, to spend time with my kids. Well worth the extra tenner.

Daegerty

RoverJames wrote: »

- car pooling (obviously)

Yes indeed driving it into a swimming pool will certainly keep the running costs down

JJJJNR

Shane732 wrote: »

What is €416 going to buy me that I'll enjoy more than driving?

A hooker or maybe hookers ??

galwaytt

Shane732 wrote: »

Never ever brake.....

Just think of the wasted petrol every time you hit the brake pedal, braking just isn't worth it!

....if you've ever ridden a Vespa, you'll know just how true that is !!

12gauge dave

to be honest buying a diesel is the only way your goin to save money compared to a petrol if your putting up more than 300miles a week get a diesel!

if your putting up very small mileage then drive what ya want i put up give and take 400miles or so and i used to be spending 120 in my ek9 civic type r while its only like 60euro in my diesel thats 60 euro a week!

3000 a year more to waist on booze:cool:

bladespin

Get out of the car and onto a moped, 90+mpg can be got, wouldn't really suit urban driving but in the city you'd be mad not to.

scoobymunster

Invest in a spare(fake) set of number plates. Take yours off and put them on, go fill up the car and drive off without paying(and change the plates back of course!);). The savings made by the first visit alone covers the outlay costs! Best way to save yourself some money!
I don't actually own a car, and even if I did, this would still be intended sarcastically

Gulliver

Do NOT strap excess children to the roof rack. The resulting drag can raise the cost of a weekly trip by 16-18%. This is even more evident on the motorway. If you don't have enough seats, try and place them where the drag coefficient is the least. Flat against a hatchback window is good, but reduces visibility and makes getting the ones in the boot difficult.

Hoof_Hearted

Well, if unecessary weight really makes a difference then it doesn't make sense to fill the tank, just get enough for your trip and top up when you're on the road. Water is 1kg/litre so fuel must be roughly the same - no?