How you can save money

With fuel reaching new highs this week, vehicle owners are feeling the pressure of owning a vehicle.

Every price hike means more is paid towards petrol costs and less is available for the maintenance of the vehicle. Dewald Ranft, chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), says now is the time for vehicle owners to review their vehicle costs and look at cost-saving alternatives.

Here are four useful tips to save you money: Dirty air filters kill fuel mileage – false

In modern engines the air filter has in fact the smallest effect on fuel economy. Nowadays air flow sensors and computer software carefully manage the air/fuel mix in your car’s engine, ensuring maximum fuel economy is possible regardless of the quality of air. The only place where it will make a difference however, is performance. If the air filter is dirty, less air can get into the engine under hard acceleration, meaning your car speeds up more slowly. Use low viscosity engine oil – true

Using a low viscosity engine oil will give an improved fuel economy of about 1% compared to a new lower grade oil. In comparison old sludged up oil can decrease your fuel efficiency by several percentage points. The transmission oil has an even bigger effect of up to 5%, especially in an automatic gearbox. Using old or the incorrect oil will cause slipping clutches and incorrect gear changes that end up resulting in increased fuel consumption. Tyre pressure matters – true.

Tyre pressure also has an influence of up to 3% on fuel economy. Ranft recommends consumers keep their tyre pressure at 0.3-0.5 bar above the recommended tyre pressure. “This will make the ride a bit harder but save fuel and reduce tyre wear,” he says. Missing a service will save me money – false

Possibly the biggest fuel waster of all comes into effect once the vehicle is not running properly any more. Misfires, engine warning light, low performance, binding brakes and oil sludge are all things that can cause an increase in fuel consumption of more than 10%, besides the long-term damage to your vehicle.

“Your car might not come back from the service with a lower fuel consumption, but if you don’t service it, the fuel consumption will definitely go up,” cautions Ranft.

“Regular servicing can prevent expensive breakages. It’s also the best way to ensure you keep your vehicle longer. A car in good condition will run longer and be more fuel-efficient.”