In an era when fuel is sold for N145 per litre, previously sold for N86.50, you might want to save some money fuelling your car. The following 10 tips will help you save some money on fuel and you’ll be able to free up cash for other things. These tips also work if your car runs on diesel:

1. DON'T DRIVE DURING RUSH HOUR
Getting stuck in a traffic jam is not only energy-zapping, it is also cash-zapping. Every time you stop and start in traffic, your car needs first gear and a huge amount of fuel to get moving again. Second gear is not much better. The best solution is to not drive during 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. In a busy city like Lagos, there are now some mobile traffic information apps and radio stations which update you of traffic in almost every area in the city. You could also call a friend who plies same route like you if they have some information about traffic on the route.

2. 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 five miles or so? Ideally, you should combine all your daily errands into one big trip. However, this may not be possible all the time, especially if you have to pop out during the day to take your kids from school, but you could try to do shopping when bringing them from school rather than going to the store at a different time.

3. CLOSE THE WINDOWS AND/OR SUNROOF
It’s not so much of a problem when you’re driving in town, but when you’re out of town or on the expressway and moving more quickly, the shape of your car is very important. Car designers call it aerodynamics and make lots of effort to reduce the ‘drag’ and make the car as sleek as possible. Anything that makes wind noise as your car goes along is actually making your car more expensive to run. You can’t do much about the design of your car, but you can avoid making it worse by not leaving the windows and sunroof open. It’s better to use the air vents for most of the year and the air conditioner when it gets too hot.

4. REMOVE THE ROOF RACK OR SKI BOX
This is just like leaving the windows open, but worse. Even if the roof rack is empty, it increases drag and makes your car use more fuel, while a big ski box is like having another car strapped to your roof. The latest roof racks and ski boxes are quick and easy to fit and remove, so make the effort to stow them away when you’re not using them.

5. DON'T CARRY UNNECESSARY WEIGHT
Your car is just like your body; it needs more fuel to move more weight around. So, just as you won’t wear a heavy rucksack unless you have to, don’t cart stuff around in the boot of your car unless you need it. Ironically, the heavier the item (the usual culprits are golf clubs and trolleys), the less likely you are to bother taking it out of the boot and the greater the effect it will have on your fuel consumption.

6. ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY
The perfect way to travel is at a constant speed, ideally around 50 miles (or 80 Km) per hour, and in the highest gear (five or six). So if you’re a patient driver, you’ll have lower fuel bills — it is as simple as that. It’s unrealistic to avoid overtaking, but there’s little point accelerating past a car to simply be in front of it and then finding yourself at the next set of traffic lights. Any instant gratification will appear on your fuel bill the next time you fill up.

7. DON'T PUSH THE ACCELERATOR DOWN TOO FAR
This one always surprises people. It’s not just to do with what gear you’re in. You may be in a high gear and travelling at a sensible speed, but if you’re pushing the accelerator down a long way to avoid changing into a lower gear (into third from fourth, for example), then you’re actually using more fuel not less. Obviously, if your car has an automatic gearbox (you’ll know if it does), then it will probably do a better job than you of choosing which gear to be in, so it’s not a problem.

8. ONLY USE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN HOT
It’s tempting to leave the AC on the whole year round. It stops the windows misting up in the winter and you don’t ever need to think about the temperature inside the car, but it uses quite a bit of fuel. Agreed, it’ll be miserly of you to be sweating when you have AC in your car, but when it’s not hot, it’s advisable to turn it off.

9. STICK TO THE SPEED LIMIT
Although not all Nigerian highways have speed limit signs, there are still some which have. If you ignore the speed limit law, you could shave a bit of time off your journey by travelling above the speed limit, particularly on long trips. Even though you might arrive about 20 minutes early on a 200-mile trip by travelling at 80mph instead of 70mph, it’s also a false economy. While the car is running for 20 minutes less, it uses much more fuel when it is travelling. That 20 minutes could cost you thousands of naira in fuel.

10. CHECK TYRE PRESSURE REGULARLY
The lower the tyre pressure, the more fuel the car needs to move it down the road. It is recommendable that you take five minutes fortnightly to check the tyres. If you’re not sure what the pressure should be, you can find the figures near the lock inside the driver’s door.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/10-fuel-saving-tips-every-car-owner-should-know/

Nice information. Thanks for the tips

Nice tips, but we wey dey drive 01 Corolla no dey too think this one.

Our worries dey different.

Buy a car that fits your fuel bill n enjoy

Why buy a 3.5l v6 engine when u worry about fuel consumption.

Buy 1.6l l4 engine like the one in Corolla, gulf n Micra n enjoy low fuel consumption

U can't be rolling on a premium vehicle like lexus, Acura, Infiniti, Mercedes, BMW n be bordering about fuel.

Shoe get size

Nice writeup

izzou:


Typical Nigerian mentality

But no be true? Person go wan buy powerful SUV. Come dey ask "e dey drink fuel?"

Na blood e for drink?

izzou:


Typical Nigerian mentality

There's a phrase accountants, engineers and ceos use.
True cost of ownership / life cycle cost.

Thanks to Tokunbo, the bar to acquiring high end cars has been lowered.the maintenance and operational cost is however unchanged.

In the case of maintenance, especially if you do not have the cash to engage the professionals who will get it right the first time and engage the experts at ladipo who will trial and error you into bankruptcy

izzou:


Typical Nigerian mentality

Shoe get size

Meet someone with brain to break it down for you

izzou:


There are premium cars like Audi, BMW etc that have good fuel economy. I don't know why people always think the less attractive and common a car is, the better it's fuel economy

And which one is "e dey drink fuel?

Weyrey

Okay, I get your point now. When people think fuel economy, they think Toyota (Corolla). I had that argument with a colleague some time ago. I told her I will understand if Corolla is the very common one here- hence the stereotype, but I wouldn't agree that they are the only ones with cars that have fuel economy.

Lol. That is what Nigerians ask when they want to buy car na. Translate it to igbo and enjoy yourself

izzou:


Let me save you the data of using Google. The screenshot below is for BMW. Look at the mpg of a 2019 model

This thread is about fuel economy, and not maintenance. The typical Nigerian mentality is always corolla and Camry. Go out and meet people with knowledge of cars. Learn instead of assuming. There are many cars that have good mpg.

I repeat again. What you typed is a "Typical Lagosian mentality"

Fuel economy is determined by the engine configuration of the car u purchased, is this too hard to understand for your chicken brain. Nawa ooo.

If one is interested in fuel economy he or she must first purchase the right vehicle first with the right engine configuration to achieve his target. Enough said common sense is not common after all.

izzou:


Was this not the piece of ignorance you typed?



At least, you now know that "Premium vehicles" offer good fuel economy, even more than your supposed "right vehicle"

Whether you choose to call my brain "chicken", is your headache. You now know that there's a difference between maintenance and fuel economy

Stay of my mention pls I am sure ur inability to comprehend simple English is your problem. Read my first comment again n very slowly this time n show me where I used the word maintenance abeg shift

izzou:


Lol

So if I want comfort and good fuel economy, I should buy corolla or micra?

Nigerians can be hilarious

Ermmm

Fuel economy + availability of parts + willing mechanics + tolerant to abuse + basic comfort

=

pocohantas:


Ermmm

Fuel economy + availability of parts + willing mechanics + tolerant to abuse + basic comfort

=

ITIBOLIBO mathematics

pocohantas:


Ermmm

Fuel economy + availability of parts + willing mechanics + tolerant to abuse + basic comfort

=

Refurbishment going on
Thank the stars the wiring are intact

If i wan sell corolla 07 kwankwasiyya freshly spilled from the bakers how much I go start from

pocohantas:


Ermmm

Fuel economy + availability of parts + willing mechanics + tolerant to abuse + basic comfort

=

Make I no talk again abeg