Tomorrow’s a big day for the largely Roman Catholic Philippines as his holiness, Pope Francis, will be visiting the country until January 19. This means that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Catholic devotees will flock to the Metro to glimpse Vatican’s head of state in an event that happens almost just once in a lifetime.
With the large crowd of course comes traffic, so here are some tricks from our friends at Ford to help you conserve fuel this holiday weekend.
- Check tire pressure regularly
Make sure that your tires are always at the recommended tire pressure. Under-inflated and soft tires cause resistance, meaning your engine has to work harder to pull the vehicle. Your wheels can lose up to 50-percent of pressure without looking very different from a properly inflated tire.
- Lighten your vehicle load
Remove any unnecessary things from your vehicle. The heavier the cargo, the harder the engine has to work, and the more fuel it consumes.
- Keep your car in good condition
This goes without saying but make sure that your car is in tiptop shape by having it periodically serviced at an authorized service center. Component parts wear out over time, making your car less efficient. Get the car serviced at recommended service intervals.
- Drive smoothly in the city
Avoid full out acceleration and deceleration. If you are stopped for a longer time, switch off the engine.
- Keep AC in recirculation mode
Use air-conditioning sparingly. Your car’s air-conditioning system is powered by the engine and the extra energy it requires uses up more juice.
- Avoid over-revving the engine
Do not rev up your engine during the initial kilometers. Breaking-in the engine smoothly during the first 5,000km ensures better performance and economy for the life of the vehicle.