Tuesday 29 May 2012

SAVE ON FUEL WITH CORRECT TYRE PRESSURES.




Have you ever tried riding a bicycle with an under inflated tyre? If you have you might remember that you felt every bump in the road that bit harder. You may have been prone to a puncture as the wheel went over pebbles, glass, etc. However if you think about it you will remember that the smug looking friend riding next to you with her perfectly inflated Raleigh Eska was using less energy and looked a healthier colour than you. The reason being that the aforementioned problem was making you work harder to get your bike up that hill.
So why would it be any different for your car? It isn't! The harder your car has to work, the more petrol you will use. Under inflated tyres will make your car work harder to complete a trip than optimally inflated tyres will on the same trip. And the results are both measurable and considerable.


The graph above which was produced by Leading German Tyre Company, Continental , clearly demonstrates the difference under inflation makes to both your Petrol bill and your tyre bill..On a factor of 20% under inflation fuel consumption increased by 3%-5%. That's €5 per €100 fill. The higher the factor of under inflation the bigger the loss of economy. And to top that off the life of your tyres is decreased by up to 25%. Wouldn't you rather spend that money on something else?



The good news is that all of the above can be totally avoided at no cost. You can check your recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle by locating the Tyre Pressure chart which will be located inside either,
1)Your vehicle’s handbook
2) Stamped into the sill of the driver’s door
3) Inside your fuel cap.
It looks like this.

Your recommended pressure is set by the vehicle manufacturer so will vary depending on the make and model of your car, whether it’s an Audi TT, Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf.
The pressure is measured in Bar and PSI(Pounds per square inch).
Once you establish which applies to your tyres, take you car to as a service station within a short drive as pressures change as tyres heat up. Remove valve cap and inflate all tyres to prescribed pressure recommendations.Alternatively bring your car into Heffernan Tyres and we'll do it all for you, no charge. Or if your totally organised and have a Continental Conti Comfort Kit (pictured top, available at Heffernan Tyres)you can measure and adjust at home. Remember to check and adjust regularly.
Now you're saving fuel and money.









3 comments:

  1. Saw this advice on your facebook page yesterday and checked my tyre pressure this morning. They were underinflated so thanks!

    ReplyDelete