The increase in fuel prices is no longer a surprise to drivers in Singapore. Apart from the huge amount of costs payable to purchase a vehicle, these miscellaneous monthly fees may sum up to a huge amount as well. To soften the blow on your wallet, improving fuel consumption is definitely the way to go. Generally, searching for tips on fuel efficiency on the internet is what most people do. However, how much can you rely on these myths? Let’s go through some of these commonly found fuel efficiency myths and determine its effectiveness.
1. Fuel-saving gadgets
Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, some fuel-saving gadgets claim to “condition” the electrical system in your vehicle while the others break fuel molecules up with products attached to the fuel lines.
However, they do not pose any actual effect on reducing fuel consumption. The United States Environment Protection Agency conducted tests on these fuel-saving gadgets and concluded its ineffectiveness on improving fuel consumption. To think of it, with the increase in demand for engine efficiency over the years, most car manufacturers and petrol companies would have adopted fuel-saving gadgets if it is effective. This explains it.
2. Mothballs in the gas tank
Just like petrol, mothballs are hydrocarbons that are made up of naphthalene. Hence, it was speculated that the additions of mothballs into your vehicle’s fuel tank increases the fuel’s octane rating, contributing to higher performance and better fuel economy.
However, experiments were conducted against this speculation and concluded that mothballs affect the vehicle’s performance due to its carbon deposits that were created from the burning and building up in the engine. Despite the fact that mothballs are able to raise the octane level of fuels in the past, it is no longer benefiting your vehicle as modern fuel already contains high octane rating compared to mothballs. Furthermore, a higher octane rating may not be able to benefit all engines and may pose a risk on your vehicle’s performance.
3. Over-inflate tyres to save fuel
It was said that by over inflating your tyres, it causes a bulge in the centre of the tread that reduces the rolling resistance, thus improving fuel economy. However, not only does it not result in the expected improvements on fuel efficiency, over-inflated tyres bring about more damage to your vehicle.
Tests have proved that not only over-inflated tyres have little to no effect on fuel consumption; there are definite drawbacks on your vehicle.
Over-inflated tyre causes uneven wear and tear, leading to stiffness and smaller contact patch. This makes your supposedly comfortable ride a harsh and uncomfortable one, affecting the handling of your vehicle detrimentally. Additionally, exceeding the maximum tyre pressure poses a risk which may result in a tyre blowout.
4. Shifting into neutral when coasting
During coasting, fuel will be cut off automatically as your vehicle’s engine control unit (ECU) detects that the throttle is closed fully despite the engine revs are higher than at rest. Thus, it defeats the need to shift into neutral as an attempt to save fuel. Furthermore, shifting into neutral during coasting may cause your vehicle to consume more fuel to keep the engine running. Not only it does not help in fuel efficiency, but it also poses a danger due to the inability to accelerate instantly if there is a need to. It may also be hazardous as coasting down slopes in neutral does not have any engine brake, making it more difficult to control the speed of your vehicle.
5. The manual transmission always give the best fuel economy
A manual transmission gives drivers the freedom to select the most suitable gear for respective situations. As such, shift points are optimized; keeping the engine running efficiently, thus better fuel economy.
However, automatic gearbox technology is catching up in this aspect. Torque converter now has the ability to achieve near 100% efficiency due to the incorporation of lock-up converters. Additionally, more gear ratios are added into automatic gearboxes for the engine to be kept in its power band, hence running efficiently regardless of the speed of your vehicle. Not only automatic gearboxes can be more fuel efficient, but those with dual-clutch gearboxes shift faster than manual.
6. Drafting behind trucks
Similar to the common technique used in racing to gain an edge over the leading car, following behind a truck allows you to enter a low-pressure zone which reduces the air resistance your vehicle face, hence higher speed and lowers fuel consumption.
However, this might be dangerous as not only your vision will be blocked, you will be placed in the blind spot of the leading vehicle. Should there be any sudden braking, it may be difficult for you to slow down in time due to close distance, increasing safety risk.
We hope the above article has helped you understand the fuel-efficiency myths. As much as it is important to save fuel, you should not compromise on your safety or your vehicle’s operation or performance.
Reference: Goh, Z. (2018). Many drivers have heard of these fuel-saving tips but do they really work?. [online] sgCarMart.com. Available at: https://www.sgcarmart.com/news/writeup.php?AID=379&GASRC=dy [Accessed 31 May 2019].
