Fuel efficiency is one of those things that will inevitably decline over time. In fact, it is when the fuel efficiency of a vehicle reaches a certain point that most drivers decide the time is right for a trade-in. If you find yourself in this position, the best move is undoubtedly to go with a used car dealership. A vehicle with poor fuel efficiency and a tank that runs out a lot quicker than it used to can be a pretty difficult to shift to private buyer. With used car dealerships, the big difference is that they have the resources to restore almost any vehicle and find a buyer somewhere across the network of outlets to which a good dealership will have access. CarFastCash.com, dealership with outlets in Los Angeles, Kern Country, Orange County, and San Bernardino, advise that any type of restoration is entirely unnecessary – youcan still get a great trade in price when selling your used car.
However, if that time has not come quite yetand you are looking to extend the life of your car (and perhaps do a little bit about your CO2 emissions as well) then there’s actually many useful driving techniques that can help you conserve fuel wherever possible.
Fuel-Saving Techniques
Before deciding to make upgrades to your fuel pump or the internal working of your vehicle, you may decide to simply employ some of these simple driving techniques, which will allow you to conserve fuel and reduce the wear on your vehicle without even spending a cent. The only thing to keep in mind is that these techniques will only make a difference if you are diligent enough to do them regularly. Once or twice is unlikely to make that much of a difference. Good habits go a long way.
Accelerate Gently
If you find yourself waiting at the lights and then flooring it as soon as they go green, you can be sure you are wasting a great deal of fuel and putting considerable strain on your engine. In fact, this tip could be considered the most important of them all. As a rough guide, aim to take at least five seconds to accelerate up to twenty miles per hour from a stationary position.
Keep a Steady Speed
Related to the tip about acceleration is this one about maintaining a steady speed. If you are constantly speeding up and slowing down, then this constant acceleration is sure to burn through your fuel reserves far quicker than if you simply maintain a steady speed as often as possible. Urban driving frequentlynecessitates changes in speed, but for the long stretches, try to keep it steady.
Keep an Eye on Traffic and Pedestrians
This tip is also closely related to the previous two. In order to maintain a steady speed in an urban environment and to avoid frequent acceleration and deceleration, keep an eye on the traffic around you and try and anticipate what it will do next. It is easier to do this if you maintain a steady and comfortable distance between yourself and other cars.
Try Coasting Instead of Hard Braking
Constantly braking in order to slow down is asure-fire way to waste your forward momentum, necessitating a costly acceleration later on. By keeping that aforementioned distance between yourself and other traffic, you have the space to simply lift your foot off the gas and coast in order to slow down.
So much of a car’s longevity can be put down to sensible driving. And by following these tips, you can save gas money, and the environment, while you’re at it.