Overhaulin'

How can a car be made more fuel efficient?

I have heard of numerous ways, if you have any more, or can explain the ones I list here, please leave a post! I know cars can be fitted with some sort of gas canister but this means sacrificing the spare wheel. I also believe this can only be done to petrol, not diesel, cars, but I may be wrong. I know that fuel injected vehicles can be 'chipped'- modified electronically so the engine manages it's fuel consumption better. I also know that not overloading the car, speeding, changing gear too brutally and keeping the tyres correctly inflated also helps. Anything else I can look in to? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Use it less, walk more.
2. You can remove the engine and put in a hamster wheel with a very large hamster :)
3. Yeah, take the engine out!
4. "Mis" has got it, people use the car to go just a few hundred yards, not only does it save fuel but it keeps you fit as well. I think that is called killing two birds with one stone!!!
5. You could try using a bottle of engine 'gunk' cleaner everytime you fill up or something.
6. You don't need to do anything to a car to make it more efficient. Accelerate slowly, get quickly up trough gears, don't go above 2000 revs, drive in in 4th/5th in 30 zones, for example. You can also replace diesel with rape oil or chip oil that has been filtered and ethanol/paraffin added.
7. The use of a turbo of turbos depending on the size of the engine. When I mention this people say "TURBOS are you crazy that will only use up more gas" not if you install the turbos to save gas of course. Sure turbos are know because they boost engine power by raming air in, but when this is done the turbo has to be compensated for lag so people can feel the acceleration effect instantly and this is done by fuel spray withing the system. However if the turbos where installed just to boost the efficiency of the engine rather than just accelerating faster just like they are used on Transport trucks we would only have 4 cylinder engines running this massive SUV's, a single cam 4 cylinder turbo engine can produce upward of 300ft-lb of torque that is more than the average V8 outputs at less than half the use of fuel if properly design to do so. Of course people talk in terms of Horse power but horse power is nothing when it comes to moving wight you need to know how much power is delivered at the wheels and how efficient that is been moved that is where TORQUE is important if you wan to save fuel that is the way to go. I have just giving you a brief look but if you really go in depth further searching around you will see what I mean by properly setting the turbo. A good example is the smart for two without a turbo that 3 cylinder would be useless and would consume 12% more fuel if it was not equiped. Just look at old vehicles as an example the chevy sprint there was a 1.3 turbo and a 1.3 non turbo as you would know it the turbo gave 10 miles more per galon than the non turbo mind you the turbo version was not a race car like propulsion when the turbo was activated and is what made it efficient.
8. Drive at 56 mph where you can. Get to top gear as soon as you can safely do it. Avoid harsh driving. Think Car Sympathy and Passenger Comfort at all times.
9. A FEW TRICKS I USE ARE AS FOLLOWS:- Reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, get rid of tools in the boot and things you don't need. Reduce the car's drag by removing roof bars / roof racks and top boxes. Drive nicely :) by gradually building up speed and don't keep 'flooring' the throttle. Break gently. You can put an additive in your fuel that Halfords reckons increases mpg. Though it's expensive stuff. You can try putting 'super' in rather than standard petrol (though it costs 10% more - when I tried it in my car I don't think it gave any better mpg at all though)! Tire inflation is important - too lower tire pressure causes drag and puts up mpg. I've heard it recommended that you always should drive with windows 'up' - again to reduce drag. Keep your car well maintained. eg binding breaks will again cause drag and lower mpg. Air and fuel filters changed at the correct intervals help mpg quite a bit. Drive with lights off when you don't need them on. Bin your aircon, it uses 10 horsepower of energy, and most of the time your blower gives ample ventilation anyway. Switch all electrical equipment ff in the car that you don't need. People think that electricity is 'free' in a car because of the alternator, it's not and the alternator has to work harder the the more stuff you have switched on and therefore the engine has to work harder too - so bin that sub woofer LOL....