VALUE AUTO PARTS VEHICLE CARE SUMMER CHECKLIST ✅ ✅
- Check your tyre pressure. It may seem like a small thing but driving with under-inflated tyres burns more petrol.
- Drive as smoothly as possible at constant speed. Avoid revving too much and hard braking. Be a patient driver, you’ll have lower petrol bills.
- Make one trip instead of many short trips. Combine your errands into one trip. When you drive a car that has been parked for a few hours, the engine is cold and it uses much more petrol for the first few kilometres.
- Close the windows and sunroof if you have one. It’s fine if you are travelling a short distance but when moving faster on the highway, keep them closed. This reduces the drag on your car, making it less heavy therefore using less petrol.
- Turning off the air conditioning is tough with some of the harsh weather we experience but it has a lot of impact on your petrol tank. Rather use it when necessary and don’t keep it on all the time.
- Remove unnecessary weight. Don’t drive around with things you don’t need in your boot. And remove the roof rack if you have one. Put it on when you need it.
- Don’t push the accelerator down too far. Especially up steep areas like Malagwane. You may be trying to stay in a higher gear to avoid changing gears but you’re actually losing more petrol. It’s easier with automatic cars as the car chooses the right gear.
- Stick to the speed limit. Yes, you’ll get there 20 minutes faster but you will have used more petrol at that higher speed.
- This may seem light but don’t drive angry. This may not be easy especially in traffic but angry driving burns more petrol. Screeching off or weaving between lanes causes unnecessary acceleration. Try parking for a while to calm down.
- Keep tuned up. Keeping your car serviced is a necessary pain of vehicle ownership. But it will save you money in the long run as underserviced faulty cars burn more petrol trying to cope with your commands. You’ll end up paying more for service if you leave it underserviced for too long.