With the petrol price in the market, mostly on an upward trend, increasing your car mileage is the smart way to save time and money.

“When the drivers do this entire thing,” said the well-known Technical Manager Kumar Bhandari, “They can achieve the optimum mileage from their car.” Here are the tips Mr. Bhandari was referring to: 

Driving pattern

How much mileage a car gives depends mainly upon how the driver rides his car. An experienced driver is able to get more mileage out of a car compared to novice driver who is rough on the acceleration, doesn’t send the car for regular servicing, and is unable to change gears swiftly.  As such, take sufficient training and learn to drive well.

Shift it up

One of the most recommended things you can do get the maximum mileage from a car is to drive it in the highest possible gear. But that is easier said than done because of difficult road conditions, and heavy jams we encounter almost every day in Nepal. The maximum the driver can drive is in the 2nd or 3rd gear in urban areas. So you should observe the road and drive accordingly.

The car needs more fuel in lower gear especially if it is accelerating. There is a pattern for changing the gear. In the 1st gear the driver can go up to 10 Km/h and then she needs to shift the second gear where she can go up to 25 km/h and then she can change to the 3rd gear. A driver can reach a speed of up to 30 km/h in the second gear, but she has to change the gear after that in the 3rd gear she can reach a speed of 40km/h, and in the 4th gear she can reach a speed of 50-55 km/h, and then in the 5th gear where she can speed up to 60-65 km/h. If the driver can follow this gear change pattern she can achieve the optimum mileage from her car.

Smooth acceleration

Accelerating can be fun on the road. But that is not the case for your car because when we accelerate too much or too carelessly, that reduces the car mileage. The more your engine works up the more fuel it burns your tank. To achieve the optimum mileage, it is recommended that the driver drive at a low RPM. High acceleration means high RPM, which puts pressure on the engine and forces the car to use more fuel than required. So it is recommended that you drive at low RPM, and shift gear smoothly only at lower RPM.

Tyre pressure

The driver has to constantly check how much air is left in the tyres. The driver is recommended to check tyre pressure frequently to maintain the level quoted by the manufacturer.  Sometimes we might use a tyre of different size for fashion, which might lead to a car using more fuel than necessary. So, the driver must use the tire size recommended by the company, and check the tyre pressures weekly or monthly, at the minimum.

Engine and fuel quality

Another thing a driver should do to get the optimum mileage is to check the car engine frequently and to use the best quality fuel. Engine is what makes the car run and as such it is necessary to check the engine, clean it frequently, and refill the coolant. In addition, change your filters often and use good quality fuel.

Not running the car on reserve

Many of us have the bad habit of only going to the gas station when the fuel in our car ‘is near empty. Running your car on reserve or with low fuel is bad for your car. Driving with low fuel damages your engine as well as the gas pump in the car. So check your fuel often and go the extra mile to refill on time, instead of waiting to refill only when the tank is near empty.

Service on time

I cannot emphasis how important it is to give your car for servicing on time. Servicing helps your car to stay new for a long-long time and it can help you fix potential problems in your car even before they harm your car.  And, yes, that also increases your car mileage.