Apr

25

Fuel Efficiency:Mythbusters Style

April 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment


Author: Aurawind

Mythbusters has been on air for most part of the decade, and they have already broken thousands of myths, based on internet rumors and popular beliefs, the world has to offer. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman started Mythbusters until the troika of Kari Byron, Grant Imahara and Tory Belleci became part of the team. With gas prices not dipping anytime soon, they launched a series of myths to help make your car fuel efficient.

On their second season, they tested whether turning on the air conditioning inside a car would be more fuel efficient than lowering the windows when traveling. At face value, both situations are not ideal in giving you sufficient fuel efficiency. By just turning on the A/C, it affects your fuel economy by at least 10%, on the other hand, lowering your windows lets drag enter inside your vehicle and it significantly dwindles a cars’ fuel economy. Ironically the only way to avoid drag is to accelerate your car and in doing so you are dragging down your fuel economy further. The Mythbusters team tried this myth by running a vehicle in varying speeds, 89kph and 72 kph. In a controlled environment, the vehicle was subjected to turn the A/C on and to lower the windows down. Results have shown that when traveling on a lower speed it’s advisable to lower your windows but when on a high speed it’s advisable to roll up your windows instead and turn on the A/C, this would make your journey a fuel efficient one. Fast forward to their third season, the issue of having a pick-up truck’s tailgate down than it is up is said to be more fuel efficient. In fact, letting the tailgate down creates drag at the back of your vehicle, which consumes more fuel than usual. Closing it creates a sealed vortex of air flowing over the vehicle that gives you a decent fuel economy.

They also have a collection of other myths like the dimpled car, in which they covered a car in clay and pressed dimples into it similar to a golf ball. The myth was centered on studies that have shown dimpled golf balls to travel farther compared to their counterparts The results were amazing as fuel mileage improved by almost 12% on a single gallon. Other myths include not taking any left turns, instead of driving normally, which is to wait for your turn go left. It’s said that when your vehicle is in an idle state, it consumes more gas than taking three right turns. Despite covering a longer distance and is time consuming, the right turn route improved fuel efficiency by 3%. Lastly, one of their famous myths is the “Great Gas Conspiracy”, which states that gas companies are in working with vehicle manufacturers to produce gas guzzlers. With this, they tested products believed to make your car fuel efficient. These included carburetors and a water fuel cell. All failed to make your car fuel efficient, they even made it worse. Surprisingly, one of the products used on this segment was cooking oil. It was used as an alternative to fuel and it made the engine run but was deemed to be inefficient.

Like any another resource, fuel might also run out in the future and we might have to find a suitable alternative or save on gas to prolong our resources.

About the Author
aurawind is always on the lookout for more fuel saving|save on gas promo
Aurawind






Apr

18

The Importance of Fuel Efficiency

April 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment


Author: Colbornes

The words fuel and efficiency are on the tip of almost everyone’s tongue when talking about modern day motoring. Being fuel efficient is something that the modern motorist has become more concerned about and more and more people are buying new super fuel efficient cars and learning how to drive in the most fuel efficient way. Even the A-list in Hollywood have started to care more about being fuel efficient and as a result a swarm of celebrities have traded in their fancy Audi R8s and Ferraris for the highly efficient Toyota Prius’. But why has the world suddenly started to care about being fuel efficient and why is it so important?
The main reason for the majority of people is simple; in fact it is the main reason for change in so many situations, its money. As the global economy crashes and the amount of natural resourses in the world dwindle the price of petrol increases. Where it once cost £20 to fill the tank on a VW golf it now costs £40, so obviously motorists want to get their money’s worth. Not only can money be saved by purchasing less petrol less regularly if you are fuel efficient, but many governments are now offering reductions in tax if you own a fuel efficient car.
The other reason why fuel efficiency is so important and has become a more pressing issue is because of the environmental damage that exhaust fumes cause. This explains why the rich and famous have switched from fast sports cars to hybrid family cars and why governments across the globe are increasingly concerned with fuel efficiency. The less fuel a car uses the less exhaust fumes are created and therefore a decreased amount of greenhouse gases are created.
Making a car more fuel efficient is no easy job though and millions of pounds are spent each year across the globe in order to find ways to make more fuel efficient cars. The most basic way to make a car more fuel efficient is by reducing weight. A smaller and nimbler Volkswagen Golf is more fuel efficient than a heavier Volkswagen Passat even if they have the same sized engine. Finding new lightweight material to use for car parts is therefore of upmost importance when designing fuel efficient cars.
Fuel efficiency is of high importance in the modern world and it is something that will be focused on more and more into the future. If people are to save money they have no choice but to switch to more fuel efficient methods of driving. More importantly than this though is if people are to reverse the damage which has been done to the environment there is little other choice than to become more fuel efficient.
One of the most exciting developments in moving fuel efficiency in cars forward is the upcoming release of the new Audi A1. This is Audi’s new fuel efficient model coming to the European showrooms in November and it’s a fantastic little car. The A1 comes with four turbocharged, direct-injected engines, and it will be available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox with optional paddle shifters. Due to standard start-stop and energy recuperation among other fuel-saving tricks, the A1 is estimated to reach between 44 miles-per-U.S.-gallon and 62 mpg on the European Cycle.

About the Author
About Colbornes: The Colbornes Group is a company with almost 70 years’ experience in the motor industry and is proud to have been the first importer of Volkswagen cars into the UK in 1949. We have since grown into one of the South East’s leading motor retailers, with dealerships in Basingstoke, Guildford, Camberley, Walton-on-Thames and Woking. We deal with Audi, Volkswagen and Skoda and Volkswagen commercial vehicles as well as offering VW and Audi finance deals.






Apr

11

Tips To Help You Buy The Right Car Tires

April 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment


Author: Matt Prellie

Buying car tires tips can assist in helping with your car’s upkeep, and give you assurance that you have the information to make a smart tire choice.
The main thing when buying tires is to know the size you need. If you choose a tire that is smaller then what it called for, you can cause the tires to wear very quickly and it can be costly to replace tires frequently.
Currently, they do make tires for specific car models and the sizing information is ion the tire wall and in the owner’s manual so finding the size you need is not hard. If you cannot find this information, of cannot read the tire, then ask the salesperson where you buy your tires to show you where that is, so you find the correct size in the future.
It is a good idea to always try to buy five new tires when you get them. Since many stores offer fantastic sales on sets of tires, it can save you hundreds, and get you a good spare in the process. The reason for getting the extra, even if you have a small donut spare is because as you have your tires rotated, the spare is included and it extends the life of the tiers.
Knowing what type of tire came with your car is also useful, so if you wind up changing this type, your can adjust your driving to the new tires.
Most cars come with all-season tires, which drive in all kinds of weather. If you live where it is always hot, the summer tires, which are designed to handle the heat, can be a good option, although they are not designed to handle any winter conditions at all. If you drive in ice, then a winter tire that’s been designed to grip the ice while driving may be a good choice. High-performance tires are made for speed, and if you do most of your driving on the interstate, these can be a good choice. If you do take your car off roads, then an all-terrain tire can hold up well for that type of driving.
Using these tips for buying car tires can give you an understanding on how you drive and what the weather you drive in can make a difference to the type of tire you choose. Getting them in the correct size, and the right style, can save you money and give you the most of your tires.

About the Author
Matt Prellie enjoys writing about auto and home improvement topics. Visit his latest web site where he reviews
Wolf car covers, Weathershield car cover, and other car cover brands.








All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster.

Car Reviews © 2012