DRIVING SAFE IN GHANA SERIES: Fuel Saving Tips That Make More Mileage. PT-2.

DRIVING SAFE IN GHANA SERIES: ARTICLE No. 3: Fuel Saving Tips That Make More Mileage. PT-2.

Make Fewer and More Efficient Trips

Combine tasks into a single trip rather than making several trips throughout the day. Because an engine also consumes more fuel during its warm-up period, try doing your shopping on your way home from work instead of making a special trip. Avoid using separate cars to lunch when you can use one. You may also choose using public transport if you have to get into town to shop during your lunch break.

Drive Smarter

Don’t warm up your car unnecessarily. Driving the vehicle slower and keeping the engine speed low until its normal operating temperature is reached, is a more fuel-efficient way to warm up your car especially during the mornings. Also avoid revving your engine immediately after starting it otherwise you would burn more fuel. I always hear some of my neighbours revving their engines every morning to warm it up because they are in a hurry to drive off … this is a very bad practice and it will cause a lot of damage to your engine.

If you have a choice of vehicles, take the one that gets the best fuel economy. Plan routes so you can travel at constant speeds and bypass congested areas. Unless you're taking a scenic drive, try to avoid roads with lots of stop signs, traffic signals, rush hours and peak driving days.

Vehicle Pooling

In some advanced countries like USA, Europe, Japan, Korea and Malaysia, this system is widely in use. Cars, vans and mini bus pools are other potential ways to cut down on fuel expenses and consumption. Many families may use such car pools to transport children to and from school and other social activities. Starting one can be as easy as talking to your neighbours who travel to the same destinations.

When available, public transport may be the least expensive and most fuel-efficient way to commute. If there is none near your home, consider joining a car pool that can take you to your destination as mentioned earlier.


Walk All Short Distances

Avoid driving if your destination is within walking distance. Not only do you save on fuel, it is a good form of exercise too.

Adjust Your Speed Steadily

Research has shown that about 50% of the fuel consumed in city driving is used during acceleration. When accelerating, do it gently and steadily. Driving on the highway at 100 km/h rather than 120 km/h can reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%.

Carry Lighter Loads

Lighten the load, and avoid carrying non-essential heavy items. Remove roof racks and carriers when they are not being used. Keep luggage inside the vehicle, rather than strapped to a carrier on the roof where it will create wind resistance. I know most people carry “Kufuor gallons” (the yellow cooking oil gallons) to fetch water from their work places and this puts a lot of weight on the vehicle. But if you can help it, this will save you more on fuel.

Air Conditioning

Use your air conditioning unit sparingly. Shutting off the air conditioning unit and rolling down the windows will save you a lot of fuel in city driving or in heavy traffic situations. But unfortunately, in this part of our world, that is a time when we need the air conditioning even more, because of the hot weather. At highway speeds, however, the air conditioning may be more efficient. Research has also shown that driving at 55mph will save between 10%-15% as against driving at 65mph or more.

Unless your car has a climatronically controlled air conditioning unit, do not use it because it will not provide adequate cooling in extremely hot weather such as those experienced in Ghana during the hot season. Most of the older auto air conditioning units were designed without such temperature extremes in mind and as such you may think that the unit isn’t working well. You would be wasting money and time trying to resolve such problems.

Always turn off the air conditioning unit shortly before you arrive at your destination and avoid starting your vehicle with the air conditioning unit switch already in the ON position. It will consume much fuel because your engine is still cold and it will also shorten your battery life. Always allow the engine to warm up first before turning on your air conditioner.

Use Your Gears Wisely

Driving in the highest gear possible (i.e. 3rd to 5th) without labouring the engine is a fuel-efficient way of driving.

Always keep a manual transmission in the highest gear possible without straining the engine. Research has shown that driving at 80km/h in 5th gear (approx. 2,500rpm) uses 25% less fuel than driving at 50km/h in 3rd gear (also 2,500rpm) because the engine turns fewer revolutions per kilometre.

It is also best practice to avoid engine braking (downshifting to slow the car down). Just step on the brakes instead. If you are driving a manual transmission, try shifting the gears slightly earlier, as this will keep your revs down and if you have an automatic transmission vehicle, use the overdrive gear as much as possible.

Reduce Wind Resistance

Opening all your windows fully down at highway cruising speeds will substantially increase drag (wind resistance) even in today’s aerodynamically efficient vehicles, and cause an increase in fuel consumption. Keep them slightly rolled up.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Leaving a car’s engine running unnecessarily i.e., in a fuel queue, in very heavy traffic such as the Teshie-Nungua one, where I live, or while chatting with a neighbour, is very wasteful. Shutting off and re-starting the engine generally consumes less fuel and emits fewer pollutants than allowing a car to sit idling for long periods of time. Some may argue that re-starting the engine more frequently can also shorten the life of your starter brushes, but this is far better than wasting fuel idling and causing much pollution.

Some Causes of High Fuel Consumption.

On the other hand, poor fuel consumption and very high expenses could be due to one or more of the following reasons:

Too Much Advice and Opinions

You probably may be listening to people bragging about their model's consumption patterns and there may be in fact, nothing wrong with yours.

Engine Tune-ups

Your engine may require a good tune-up. If it pulls strongly, idles smoothly at the correct speed and starts easily, then there can't be much wrong with it. On the other hand, if it misbehaves in any way, this will usually show up in a worsening fuel consumption, and a good service should set matters right.

Brakes

Your brakes may be binding. Stopping on a slight incline and seeing if the car will run forward when you release the brakes can check this. If it doesn't run forward then the most likely reason is a binding handbrake, or rear drum brakes. Disc brakes will often make a slight scraping sound when coasting, which is normal.

Wheel Alignment

Your wheel alignment may be out. On modern front-wheel drive cars, the rear wheels also have to be set, in many cases. Inspecting the tires for abnormal wear patterns can check this. Consult your trusted vulcanizer for help.

Tire Pressure

Your tires may be running soft, i.e. the pressures are too low. This will show up as an unworn strip in the center of the thread area.

Fuel Leakages

There may be a fuel leak in the line, either underneath the car or underneath the bonnet. Look at your garage floor after you've pulled out to see if you spot such leaks. You may also smell petrol when the car is parked. I experienced this problem on my wife’s golf, when the smell of petrol always greeted you in the morning when the car is started. It was an on and off situation, and I also noticed that the car was consuming too much fuel than usual, so a visit to the mechanic solved the problem. The problem was a punctured fuel line leading to the injectors.

Your Style of Driving

You must examine your driving style. A research showed that a big company found out that in its own fleet, the difference between the worst driver and the best in terms of fuel consumption on similar vehicle models was something like 15%. The following bad habits were found to be the cause:

Frequent full throttle acceleration, keeping the choke operative even after the engine no longer needed it, frequent braking in traffic because of bad planning and cruising at high speeds unnecessarily. Most drivers do this all the time and it’s a very bad practice which will cost you a lot in terms of fuel.

Faulty Thermostat

Your engine may be running too cold because the thermostat has the wrong heat value or has been removed and the cooling fan connected directly. This will also increase engine wear. Most auto electricians will advice you to connect your cooling fan directly to save money on a new thermostat as well as to solve an over heating problem. It is a very bad fuel economy practice and this could also harm your engine. You must immediately contact a competent auto electrician to remedy the situation if you have this particular problem.


Folks, I sincerely hope these tips I have discussed with you will help you get a better fuel mileage from your vehicle. However, I must caution that, not all of the tips I have mentioned are a “cure-all solution” to your fuel economy problems. This is because vehicles vary according to engine type and condition. Those of you with 4-wheel drives, Hummers and SUVs which are loaded with many other accessories and options which are added to them can bring extra weight and load to the vehicle. Also note that larger engine capacities like the 1.8cc, 2.0cc and above burn more fuel by their design and therefore you should be prepared to cough up more Cedis for fuel to run them. Add-ons such as superchargers on the exhaust system, fender spoilers, high velocity fog lamps and other go-fast goodies will ultimately help in beautifying your car, but they will show you no mercy at the fuel pumps.

Nevertheless, practice, as many of the tips as you can, and I bet you will definitely see a noticeable improvement. I already have, because I can feel it and I know it.

DRIVING SAFE IN GHANA SERIES

DRIVING SAFE IN GHANA SERIES: ARTICLE No. 3: Fuel Saving Tips That Make More Mileage - Part 1.

Petroleum has changed the cost of living in Ghana today and this is a direct result of the upward trend in the market price of crude oil. A few weeks ago there was a rise in the crude price which hit the $50 mark after it fell sharply toward the end of last year as a result of the impact of the world economic recession. The NPP government reduced the price of petroleum two times in December last year by almost 20%. The NDC party promised to reduce it further if they were elected into office. The good people of Ghana therefore heeded their promise and voted them back to office because among other things most Ghanaians had complained that the NPP government had taken them for a ride and thus it was time to march out of the castle.

True to their word, fuel cost was reduced after the impatient Patriotic Ghanaian had waited for almost 3 months after the NDC had taken office. Could they be blamed for the impatience? The world economic crunch had already knocked on the doors of Ghanaians in the Diaspora and the effects had started hitting the home boys very hard. This situation, coupled with the $3 plus prevailing at the fuel pumps served no consolation at all for the poor Ghana man, hence the cry to persuade the government to honour their promise. The NDC government heard the cry of the masses and honoured their promise by reducing the pump price by 5% or so. This was quite disappointing from what had been expected by Ghanaians when they went to the polls in December last year. According to some sources, it was claimed that Prof. Atta-Mills promised a reduction from the prevailing GH¢4+ per gallon to GH¢1.80 per gallon. If that was true, then the 5% reduction was just a drop in the ocean and believe you me, it did not make any difference because most of us Ghanaians did not feel it in our tanks.

Just when Ghanaians were getting used to the 5% reduction, government reviewed the petroleum prices upward thus eroding the previous reduction. Now that the world price of crude has hit the $50 mark, I cannot see any logical reason why government will reduce the pump prices anytime soon, unless there is a drastic reduction on the world market.

The rises in petroleum prices have also affected every facet of our lives in terms of raising the cost of living generally and also in the cost of transportation which have remained the same since last year. There is also rumour that there will be an upward adjustment in utility tariffs such as electricity, telephone and water. When this happens and if it does happen, others like transport fares, food, school fees etc. will climb up the ladder again. A situation which every patriotic Ghanaian cannot deny feeling its painful pinch. In the light of these trying circumstances, coupled with the global economic crunch, vehicle owners cannot decide to park them in their garages and walk or take trotro; simply because petrol has become very expensive and thus running a vehicle is no longer an attractive venture.

On the contrary, owning a vehicle is very important due to its numerous advantages even though I spend about 15-20% of my salary on fuel and maintenance. But it still would not bring down the price of petrol and so there must be a way to run your vehicle economically so that the overall cost benefit will be felt at the end of the day. Regular vehicle maintenance and modified driving habits can help achieve this and bring about a reduction in fuel consumption expenses and also lower vehicle emissions, which is good for the environment too.

The following maintenance, driving and consumer tips, when practiced together can make a noticeable difference in your monthly fuel consumption expenses.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Most vehicle owners in Ghana today do not take cognizance of making maintenance a priority in their list of “To Do” items. This fact cannot be denied because we see these poorly maintained vehicles on our roads all over the city of Accra every day. Most of the vehicles, which fall in this category, are the commercial ones and a few private ones as well. Some state owned vehicles also fall into this category too. Drivers of commercial vehicles complain that the vehicle owners, demand very high daily sales and as such it is very difficult to meet these demands and so the vehicles are stretched to the limit at the expense of maintenance. What we do not know is that a poorly maintained vehicle can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40%. As a result of this ignorance, about 40% of the income the vehicle makes goes back into buying fuel for it.

We must all endeavour to change the engine oil every 5,000 km, unless we regularly do long distance or highway driving, we must change it at maximum 10,000 – 12,000km intervals. The users of energy conserving oils like the newly improved fully synthetic ones are the best choices. They cost a fortune but will also save a fortune as well.

We must replace air and fuel filters regularly. A new oxygen sensor alone (found in most modern cars) can improve petrol mileage by as much as 15%. You can get these from any spare parts shop in and around the country or simply ask your trusted mechanic to get them for you.

Check your tire pressures at least once a month and watch out for signs of unusual tire tread wear that might indicate an alignment problem. An under-inflated tire has a greater rolling resistance and research has shown that a 20% drop in pressure will increase your fuel consumption by about 10% and reduce tread life by 15%. Contact your trusted vulcanizer to advise you on the best pressure and also avoid using bad tires for your vehicle.

A faulty cooling system thermostat, which doesn’t allow the engine to quickly reach or maintain its correct operating temperature can dramatically increase your fuel consumption and thereby affect the performance of an electronically controlled engine. I noticed this on my car a couple of months back and you know what? As a result of the faulty thermostat, my electrician recommended that he connected the cooling fan directly, which I agreed. After all, it will save me some cash on a new replacement thermostat, I thought to myself. I later realized that I was spending more on fuel than before, so I visited another electrician only to find out that the previous recommendation was very wrong and this could have eventually weakened my engine.

Please do not let your electrician connect your cooling fan directly to save some cash, but rather buy the recommended thermostat. This will improve your engine performance and also save you money on the fuel.

Buying Fuel

Many motorists choose to buy higher-priced premium fuel like the recently introduced high performance ones, (you already know them) when it may not be necessary. Most of today's cars are designed to operate on regular unleaded fuel. Using anything other than regular is simply a waste of money because the difference will be very minimal. Also take note of the following suggestions:

Avoid topping up your fuel tank in warm weather because fuel expansion can cause an overflow. A poorly fitting fuel cap can cause extensive evaporation so make sure it is replaced immediately. I see some taxi and trotro drivers using polythene and sometimes rugs to cover their tanks. This is a very bad and even dangerous practice, so please if you are a culprit, stop it now.

Always buy fuel during the coolest time of day, preferably early in the morning on your way to work or in the evening on your way home. At these periods the fuel is at its densest and will not evaporate or condense. You even get more fuel buying during these recommended times. The worst time to buy or top up your fuel is during the afternoon. Around this time the underground tanks at the fuel station would be experiencing extreme hot ground temperatures and thus evaporation will take place as it is being dispensed into your tank. Most drivers complain that they have been given raw deals at fuel stations, but for all you know its due to the wrong timing of buying fuel.

Also avoid buying fuel in bits if you can help it, (i.e. buying one or two gallons at a time). There will be too much room left in your tank to cause the fuel to evaporate or condense in hot weather and thus introducing water into your fuel system. Drivers have complained that they have found water in their fuel tanks and they blame it on the fuel station, but for all you know, it could be due to buying fuel in bits. Keeping your tank full will prevent excessive evaporation or condensation and this will greatly enhance fuel economy and improved engine performance. After filling up your tank, tell the pump attendant to turn the pump nozzle around 180 degrees to drain the last drops of fuel into your tank, rather than wasting it on the ground.

Avoid filling your tank right up to the brim. You would be amazed that as much as a quarter of a gallon can leak out from the over flow channel, when the petrol sloshes around the tank during the first few kilometers of travel.

Resetting your mileage meter each time you fill, will allow you to keep track of your fuel mileage. If miles driven per tank are less than what you are used to, your vehicle may not be operating at peak performance and should be inspected. Also, keeping track of your fuel mileage on a monthly basis is better than on a weekly one. The reason, being that, driving patterns may change from week to week, but average out over the course of a month.

To be continued ...