This alone will save you up to 3.5% of your fuel costs and you'll get one third more mileage from your tyres. Also, your car will stop better in an emergency and pull up straight, helping avoid a nasty accident. Worn or bald tyres also reduce fuel economy.
Reduce weight. Almost 20% of cars are carrying around the weight of an average adult. Almost one third, the weight of an average child! Check your glove-box, check your door pockets and check your boot. Remove that junk, those golf clubs and those un-used tools from the boot. Every 100lbs (50kg) will add 2.5% to the cost of your motoring in fuel terms. Loose items in a car are also a menace in an accident. An un-secured laptop for example, can cut right through a car seat (and its occupant) in a crash at 50mph!
Reduce more weight. Petrol weighs about 6lbs a gallon (2.72kgs) and Diesel weighs about 6.6lbs a gallon (3 kgs). Ten gallons of diesel weighs 30 kilo's. So instead of filling up your car, half fill it and you'll not be carrying all that extra weight around. You do the maths and see how much half a tank of fuel in your car weighs. Drive an MPV? Can you remove those un-used seats? Seats in a Renault Espace weight about 27 kilo's each. I took two out and already I'm carrying round one less teenager(117 lbs) in my car and saving fuel! It takes two minutes to put them back in when I need them.
Improve aerodynamics. Roof racks left on can reduce your fuel consumption considerably, while leaving an un-used roof box on top of your MPV is like dragging an open parachute around! Remove your roof racks, bike racks, roof bars and roof boxes - and do it now!
Regular Servicing is a must! Only about 50% of your engines power ends up being used to propel your car forward, the rest is lost in heat and friction. Dirty engine oil increases friction and increases heat. Regularly changing your oil (and filter!) reduces the wear caused by friction of moving engine parts and also helps improve fuel consumption. For petrol cars, change the oil at least every 10,000 miles or once a year. For diesel engines, every 7,500 miles or about every 9 months. Modern synthetic oils now used in diesels mean you no longer have to change oil twice a year. A dirty air filter will reduce the volume of air getting into your engine. These items are cheap and should be changed every 5,000 miles or so. You WILL notice better performance and better fuel economy.
Car Wheel Alignment. Most cars front wheels are tracked so they toe-in or turn inwards slightly. But, hit a kerb and the result could be your wheels get knocked out of alignment., which apart from the damage it will do to your tyres, will also upset your cars handling, especially in an emergency. This will cause your car to work up to 10% harder to push itself along the road, and it will accelerate the wear on your tyres considerably. Badly aligned wheels will reduce your fuel consumption. It costs around £20 - £25 at any major tyre fitting bay to get your wheels re-aligned. It will save you money, it will save your tyres and it could save your life.
Chip Your Engine. Remapping an engine is now being used to improve fuel economy. Some chipping companies even claim improvements of up to 15%. It can cost from £300, so its probably only worth doing if you drive a very thirsty car.
If all this seems a bit anal (as a colleague here puts it). Just remember, if you can save between £400 and £500 a year, it will almost pay for Christmas or a short holiday! That's worth thinking about isn't it?