Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33408, 14 December 1973, Page 12

Auto Gossip

by

A.J.P.

Saving fuel Most drivers know how to drive so as to use the least petrol — it is simply a matter of driving gently, without heavy acceleration or braking, or high revs in any gear — including top. The most economical cruising speed varies from car to car, and generally the smaller the car’s capacity, the lower its most economical cruising speed. But it is town driving that really gives poor miles-a-gallon figures, not steady cruising on the open road. The condition of the car itself is a factor that many drivers tend to overlook, particularly these days when garage charges are so high. But having the engine badly out of tune, for example, can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 20 per cent. Underinflated tyres can cost you another 5 per cent, a caravan up to 20 per cent, a roof-rack another 5 per

cent, binding brakes 5 per cent more, and so on. So check these points. Keeping the fuel tank topped up cuts fuel losses from evaporation, and do not forget that a leaking fuel line or carburettor gasket can cost you a lot of fuel. Switching off the engine at traffic lights, as I have noticed a few motorists doing, does not save fuel — the extra sqiurt of petrol used when you restart the engine more than balances out any saving. Coasting down hills in neutral or with the engine switched off does not save fuel either, but it is very dangerous, especially if your car has a steering lock combined with the ignition switch.