PETROL CONSUMPTION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 243, 26 September 1931, Page 14

PETROL CONSUMPTION

REDUCING COSTS. Until advice on reducing the running eoets of a motor-car was recently given by an English motorist of many years’ experience. The hints are simple to follow, and do not in any way interfere with the enjoyment of driving. Rather they tend to make it more interesting. By following these directions, the motorist will save up to 10 per cent, in his petrol bill. The first thing to do is to give attention to the setting of the carburettor in relation to the accelerator pedal. It is most essential that this should be shut definitely to the lowest point at which the engine will idle when wurm. Do not set the carburettor for the engine to idle when cold; if it does idle under that condition it is proof that the mixture being used is unnecessarily rich; in other words, petrol is being consumed uselessly and therefore exl travagantly. Having made quite sure that the setting is right for only warm engine idling, see it the throttle shuts with a snap when the accelerator pedal is role: ■ ■<’: if it does not, here is another p ‘ ' here petrol extravagance is hap- • ; , ’ adj: meats must be made

to stop that leakage. Such are the essential points that require watching in this regard, so far as the carburettor and throttle settings arc concerned. But in the course of a run substantial petrol saving can be gained also by following a few simple and nonirksomo rules as regards the actual driving. As far as possible, keep an even speed; driving with violent acceleration with full open throttle is merely another way of increasing petrol consumption. Learn to adopt the habit of coasting down, safe hills, where one can see well ahead, with the gear lever In neutral, and if the nature of the country admits of this coasting being frequently continued until the speed drops to, say, 30 m.p.h., you will gain at least a 10 per cent, advantage alone. Some motorists may xperience a little difficulty in getting baik into gear at the end of the coast. The procedure is really simple, and consists in accelerating the engine so that in top gear the engine speed will synchronise with the speed at which the car is coasting. It takes a little practice to hit it off neatly, but once learnt it becomes second nature to coast all safe hills, and get smoothly into gear again when the speed drops below 30 m.p.h. This applies to those who normally drive fairly fast, but. if the coasting Speed is allowed to drop to 20 m.p.h. or less, then the suing in petrol bo-omes oven greater. There is also :.i. eiouomy of lubricat-

ing oil when the engine is just ticking over while coasting down hills. Even if you let your engine stop, and have to start again with the selfstarter, there is. at any rate during summer months, so little call as a rule on the battery for current that no harm is done by a reasonable use of the selfstarter under such conditions. In addition to the saving in petrol and lubricating oil, there is less wear to the tyres and mechanism generally when coasting, to say nothing of the pleasure one obtains in the pleasan change to the smooth, silent gliding sensation, as one economically drops to the level road below.