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Besides having a source of free gas, or converting you car to run partially on water, there are some tips that can certainly help you in your fight at the pump. The following list of tips, if you follow them, will increase fuel economy. You just have to implement them.

1. Check your air filter

A clean air filter is the key to good fuel economy. A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. Air filters are easy to check and change; remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can’t see light coming through it, you need a new one. I use K&N filters which is cleaned rather than changed; they are much less restrictive (better air flow) than throw-away paper filters, plus they’re better for the environment.

2. Get back to nature

Consider shutting off the air conditioner, opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you’ll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.

3. Use the correct tires for your vehicle

New wheels and tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they’ll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep the old ones. For long road trips, the stock wheels give a smoother ride and better economy.

4. Drive only when you have to

Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you’ll save gas. Take the train, carpool, and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car, always ask yourself: “Is this trip really necessary?”

5. Avoid High Speeds

As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) Vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.

6. Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard

By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.

7. Use A/C Sparingly

When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.

8. Keep Windows Closed

Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.

9. Service Vehicle Regularly

Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.

10. Use Cruise Control.

Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas. It can save you up to 4 MPG.

11. Avoid Heavy Loads and get the junk out of your trunk.

Remove the sandbags (junk) from your trunk and pack lightly for long trips.

The rule of thumb is, for every extra 100 pounds you lose 1 mpg. Remove the weight and save gas.

12. Avoid Long Idles

If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.

Alloy wheels are the latest trend in the car industry. These are wheels made of aluminium or magnesium metals and are mainly used because of their lighter weight and stylish appeal.

 

Age old history of automobiles had the secrets of steel wheels but gradually as advancements and innovations entered the market innovative ways of making wheels more effective and appealing were also introduced. Aluminium is believed to be a prime metal in the formation of alloy wheels. The use of this metal is mainly attributed to its light weight as compared to steel.

 

The use of alloy wheels has increased over the period of time both in Indian car market as well as international markets. Today, many sizes, models, and shapes of alloy wheels are available for almost all types of car models. These can also be customized or personalized based on personal choices and requirements. The most frequent endorsers of these wheels are luxury car manufacturers because of their stylish looks as well as pack of benefits. Alongwith, many car owners are also customizing their new cars with alloy wheels and even car manufacturers are also fitting them in top end variants of their car models. This is majorly contributed to the increasing demand of performance and fuel efficiency.

 

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of alloy wheels:

 

Advantages of Alloy Wheels

 

Alloy wheels have greater advantage over the traditional types of wheels made of steel. Some of the key advantages are as follows:

 

· The key advantage of alloy wheels is their light weight. Being lighter than steel, these wheels deliver better performance and fuel efficiency.

 

· Alloy wheels help offer better maneuvering of the car.

 

· Weight plays a vital role in achieving greater car speed. As these are lighter than steel, it increases possibilities of the car to reach higher speed.

 

· These are better heat conductors and thereby improve heat dissipation from brakes. This further helps to minimize the chances of brake failure.

 

· These also help improve steering and provide greater braking.

 

· Alloy wheels are comparatively wider and hence improve the traction between the wheel and the road. Even in case of demanding driving conditions, these wheels help improve stability.

 

· These are also easy to clean and maintain.

 

Disadvantages of Alloy Wheels

 

Despite of the fact that alloy wheels have become popular and successful in the present scenario, they have couple of disadvantages. These are listed below:

 

· Alloy wheels are expensive than traditional steel wheels.

 

· These are easy to clean and maintain but they can corrode faster if not maintained properly.

 

Alloy wheels have a number of advantages over the age-old wheel types and therefore these are making their position in the car industry.

 

If you want to improve car performance there are several car after market products that help you do that. There are many options you will need to evaluate before you can make a confident choice.

Some like a cold air intake do it by improving combustion other such as some components of body kits do so by improving the aerodynamics. Some do it by reducing the car weight such as a carbon fiber hood. Some even do it by reducing component weight such as light engine pulleys.

Amongst all these products there is one product that improves engine performance in an elegant manner. That is a cat-back exhaust. Why is it elegant? Because in improving the cars performance it doesn’t stress the engine more. Rather it reduces the stress on the engine.

To understand how a cat-back exhaust improves engine performance you must understand in simple terms how an engine generates power. An engine is where fuel is mixed with air and then compressed.  Once it is compressed the mixture is ignited and the resultant energy generates the power. However along with the energy exhaust gases are also generated when the fuel air mixture is ignited. And before the next lot of fuel air mixture can be ignited these exhaust gases have to be removed. Now exhaust gases travel out of the engine through a series of components such  as a silencer and a catalytic converter onto the final exhaust pipe. The resistance they encounter in leaving the engine creates what is known as the back pressure. The lower the back pressure the faster the exhaust gases can leave the engine.

The size and design of the final exhaust pipe impacts the ease with which the exhaust gases can make the final exit. In a cat-back exhaust the pipe diameter is larger than normal. Also the bends are designed such that back pressure is minimized. By allowing exhaust gases to leave quickly a cat-back exhaust enables the next combustion cycle to take place more easily and therefore it improves the engine performance.

You can find more information on cat- back exhausts at www.ilovebodykits.com.