It is noted that we drive an average of 60 kilometers each day, and spend almost 60 minutes a day in their cars. With the price of petrol at the pumps skyrocketing, it just makes sense to do everything you can to save your hard-earned money. It doesn’t seem like petrol prices will return to ‘normal’ any time soon. You need all the ammunition you can get to fight back; here are 8 tips to help.

1. Make fewer trips
Did you know that when you drive a car that has been parked for a few hours, the engine is cold and it uses much more fuel for the first nine kilometers or so? Ideally you'd merge all your daily errands into one big trip. Often that's not possible if you have to pop out during the day to drop off and collect the family, but try not to go out separately to do the supermarket shop or buy a newspaper.
2. Don't drive in the rush hour
There are few bad places to spend your time than stuck in a traffic jam, but it's also a very costly way of travelling. Every time that you stop and start in traffic, your car needs first gear and an enormous amount of fuel to get going again. Second gear is not much better. The best way out is to not travel during the rush hour. You can also save some fuel by trying to understand what the traffic is doing in front of you, and travelling steadily at a slow speed, rather than accelerating and braking
3. Regular tune-ups and oil changes will save you petrol in the long run.
4. Check out petrol prices on the internet. There are websites that will let you find the best deals on petrol in your area, without having to drive around looking for them.
5. If you are in the market for a new car, check out the hybrid models.
6. Use the cheapest petrol possible. Most modern cars run just as well on regular unleaded as on the more expensive premium petrol.
7. Turn off the air conditioner. Running the a/c makes your car’s engine work harder, causing it to burn more petrol.
8. Check your tyre pressures regularly
The lower the tyre pressure, the more fuel the car needs to move it down the road. We recommend that you take five minutes every fortnight to check the tyres. If you're not sure what the pressure should be, you can normally find the figures near the lock inside the driver's door.
Use these tips to squeeze the most kilometers out of each liter of petrol, and start saving money at the petrol pumps today.

We provide free useful tips fortnightly on repairing and maintaining your automotive. See more at http://www.emech.com.ng
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