Save Money on Car Fuel Costs

With petrol and fuel prices continuing to rise it may be worth looking at your own vehicle and driving habits to see if you can save on your fuel consumption each week. Even if you can make small savings this can amount to a considerable amount over a year so it's worth taking a look to see what steps you can take.

First of all have a look in the boot or trunk of your car and remove anything that you do not need to carry. It's amazing how things can accumulate one after the other. Removing these will reduce weight from the vehicle. If you have a tow bar fitted you will have to decide how often you use it. If it's a heavy accessory used very sparely then you could remove it to reduce weight.

Check your tire pressure. You may need to consult your car manual for the recommended front and back tire pressure. Tires with not enough air in them will slow the vehicle down resulting in increased acceleration to compensate.

Cars will run at their most economical when they can move through the air with no areas of drag. Drag is resistance that will slow down the vehicle. Roof racks and storage boxes should be removed when they are not in use. Exposed ariels are standard on older cars and research has found that they also cause a level of drag. This is why on modern cars the ariel is built into the vehicle and out of sight. If you do not listen to the radio and prefer CD's or tapes then you can push down the ariel.

When you are driving in hot conditions you may be tempted to wind the windows down. This will also cause drag and resistance slowing the vehicle down. This will trigger you to increase acceleration thus using more fuel. Air conditioning also has an effect on your fuel consumption. The compressors add more load to the engine and this alone will cause you to use more fuel without even knowing it.

You also need to have a look at your driving habits. Try and pass through the gears in a smooth action and be gentle on the accelerator. When you approach traffic island and corners then you should allow the vehicle to slow down naturally. You need to stop using the brakes when necessary because you will use more fuel as you increase speed. The most efficient and fuel economical speed is 56 miles per hour so you should drive around this speed when the road and traffic allows.

One of the most dangerous ways to increase fuel consumption has to be road rage. There are many levels to this. The lowest level is just wanting to get ahead of another driver, you don't want to be second to anyone and will increase speed just to stop them overtaking. You will often find that you want to accelerate away from traffic lights quicker than the driver next to you so you are not left behind. More serious road rage is the chasing of vehicles. Maybe they have committed a minor driving error that has angered you or they have overtaken you and you feel it is your duty to chase after them so you can do the same to them. Actions like these will not just burn fuel dramatically but it may also cause an accident.

Saving money on your fuel costs is common sense and can be done by anyone with even the most basic driving skills. It is often found that the worst culprits are the ones with more driving experience.

Save Money - Buy Car Parts Online

The World Wide Web gets strong by day and we start to rely on it more and more.  Almost anything is available to buy online these days.  Pretty soon even things you would never imagine buying online will be bought from the internet.

So my thoughts took me to car mechanics, their labour charges seem to cost an arm and a leg, so how can we save money?  I doubt their labour charge will ever go any lower, so I thought instead of leaving them with the trust to order the parts I asked and charge me reasonably, why not look online for car parts and I came across many sites which offer great deals.

For a change I took my car for just an initial check-up which is usually free to find out the faults and let the mechanic tell me what parts I needed and then went online and bought the parts myself and as I already had the labour charges sorted out with the mechanic I then just took the parts to him and got him to put them on.
If you're looking for car parts online, then why not visit Essex Auto Parts, where you can buy car parts online as well as car accessories.

How to Care Your Car

People who own car must maintain it regularly to get good benefit by it. Many people care their car well by taking it to car wash, every two weeks or if the car had driven more than 3000 miles. Besides washing your car, it is also necessary to maintain its paint, parts and fluids.

Here are some tips to care your car:

Brakes:

Brakes is the one of the most significant parts of the car. Many people will check the master cylinder only when there is a brake failure. But inspect the master cylinder periodically. If there is any sign of brake fluid, tighten the fittings by a line wrench on brake-line nuts to stop against rounding off their shoulders. Inspect brake shoes and caliper pads regularly. For car that uses disk brakes, replace the pads regularly with the manner recommended by the manufacturer.

Belts & Hoses:

Before going for a long trip check all the engine’s accessory belts. If the belts have any visible damage or abnormal wear or small hairline cracks, replace it immediately. And periodically check your upper and lower radiator. Also check all hoses for any wear, hairline cracks and soft, bulging spots. It is better to change the heater hoses for every 50,000 miles.

Glass care:

Clean your car windshield every day this helps keeps the new look of the car. Various products are available in the market, to wash the windshield properly. Use paper towel to wipe the windshield. Glass polishing products can be used to make your windshield look new, even it has mild scratches.

Interior:

Interiors should be cleaned regularly and maintained properly. To keep your interiors clean vacuum the carpets. If it is leather interior, special conditioners are required to keep the leather soft and bendable.

Joints:

All joints should be checked and lubricated regularly for every few months. Important area to particularly consider is driveshaft U joints and, in front-wheel-drive cars, half shafts and CV-joints. All wheel bearings should be checked and repacked every 20,000 miles. Also check car-fuel lines and brake lines.

Lights:

Lights are very important and it should be checked periodically. Turn on the emergency flasher and check whether all four lights flash. Then independently check whether the right and left turn signals are working front and back. If any of the lights are not working properly, replace the bulb immediately because is very dangerous to drive a car without lights or with faulty brake lights.


Tire care:

Try to check the sidewall bulges and air pressure at every gas stop because a tire pressure gauge is cheaper than a new set of tires. Correct inflation pressure keeps the tires life longer and it also improves the fuel economy of the vehicle. Cheap tires can last for 30,000 miles while expensive brand tires can last over 50,000 miles.

Wipers & Washers:

Wipers and Washers are also important parts of a car and so they need regular maintenance. Windshield wiper blades should be replaced every year to maintain a perfect stick against the glass. Windshield washer tank should also be checked and filled with a cleaning product, not just water.

Wash & polish:

Paint manufactures have to follow EPA standards. New cars are mostly painted with urethane products and many factories use two to three stage paints. So choose a correct car-care produces that are designed for these finishes. Read the label before buying the wax or other surface treatment to assure paint compatibility.

Wheels:

All new cars are factory-equipped with alloy wheels. All Alloy wheels are coated with disc-brake dust and road grime. It’s important to select a correct cleaner that is designed for your wheel type. For example, clear-coated wheels should be cleaned with a different cleaner and natural-finish alloy or steel wheels should be cleaned with different cleaner.