How to make sure your car tyre pressure is just right?

How to make sure your car tyre pressure is just right?

Paying attention to your car’s recommended tyre pressure is an effective way to lower its fuel consumption and save you money in the long term. This is because air can actually escape through the tyres’ microscopic pores so even if your tyre is correctly seated on the wheel rim and the tyre valve is working correctly, tyre pressure will still drop after some time.

There is no such thing as a completely ‘air-tight’ tyre. Loss of air pressure in a tyre causes it to sag and in turn cast a bigger ‘footprint’ on the road surface, which leads to greater rolling resistance. This means more energy is required from your car’s engine to propel your vehicle to a given speed and maintain it at that speed.

To overcome this resistance, the car’s engine needs to work harder to move at the same speed so it’ll use more fuel. While fuel economy rally drivers over-inflate their car tyres, we wouldn’t recommend it for day-to-day driving as over-inflated tyres can cause a loss of steering control, a less comfortable ride and reduce stopping distances.

To know the correct tyre pressure for your car, either refer to your car owner’s manual or the label at the side of the driver’s door, or fuel filler flap.
The decal should look something like the one shown on the left.

Under Pressure

Reduce your car’s fuel consumption and improve performance? For free? It’s possible with the correct tyre pressure
Some drivers look to all sorts of little gadgets and fuel additives to increase their cars’ performance, but the most efficient upgrade that you can get for your car doesn’t even cost any money. The solution is literally found in the air.
The right amount of air in your car’s tyres makes a big difference to performance, fuel economy, and safety. Unfortunately, tyre air pressure tends to be one of the most overlooked aspects of a car.

Too Little

Under-inflated tyres are often due to owner neglect. Some drivers may deliberately drive on slightly lower than recommended tyre pressures, thinking that the larger contact patch gives them more traction. The later is only true when driving off-road in a 4x4 at low speeds, but it has no place in well-paved cities. An under inflated tyre has a wider area of contact with the road, but this also dramatically increases rolling resistance. The larger patch of rubber in contact with the road makes the car’s engine work harder to overcome the extra resistance, resulting in increased fuel consumption.

Driving and cornering at high speeds on under-inflated tyres is also dangerous. The tyre sidewalls will squirm and flex, resulting in unpredictable handling. Under extreme circumstances, a tyre might even pop off the wheel.

Too Much

When too much air is pumped into a tyre, the flat tread surface balloons up, resulting in a smaller area in contact with the road. While this reduces rolling resistance and will improve fuel economy slightly, it also decreases grip levels and is extremely dangerous in wet weather.

Just Right

The rubber compounds used in tyre manufacture have grip and speed ratings that are designed to work within a specific weight and air pressure range for best results. Correctly inflated tyres will give the best traction while improving fuel economy.

You will usually find the recommended tyre pressures for your car printed on a label affixed to the front door frame or under the fuel filler cover. The range of acceptable pressures is also printed on every tyre sidewall. As rubber is porous, there is no tyre that will hold its air forever.

Checking your tyre pressures whenever you refuel will go a long way in improving your car’s handling and fuel economy.

adapted from aas.com.sg

Toyota named greenest manufacturer

Toyota has been hailed as the “greenest” manufacturer in the auto industry’s drive to bring down average CO2 emissions. According to research by cleangreencars.co.uk, Toyota is the first car maker in the UK to dip below the 130g/km level for mean carbon emissions across its model range.

This figure is significant, as it is the target set by the European Union for all car manufacturers to achieve by 2013. Analysing data from independent sources, including the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and residual value expert CAP, cleangreencars.co.uk has calculated the average CO2 emissions from a new Toyota to be 129.15g/km.

Jay Nagle of cleangreencars.co.uk said: “It is highly significant that a major manufacturer has met the EU target. It means no mainstream car manufacturer has an excuse for failing to meet the target in future.”

Toyota has led the industry in bringing lower emissions technology to the marketplace, not least in the introduction earlier this year of its new, third generation full hybrid Prius. While Prius leads the way with official CO2 emissions from 89g/km, it is part of a model line-up that delivers cleaner performance and better fuel efficiency across the board. The application of Toyota Optimal Drive technologies throughout the Toyota passenger car range during the past year has produced a new generation of petrol and diesel engines, an engine Stop and Start system, and manual and automatic transmissions that contribute to lower CO2 output and more miles per gallon of fuel, without compromising the comfort, quality and driving pleasure Toyota owners expect.

As a result of these technical advances, Prius is joined by iQ, Aygo, Yaris, Urban Cruiser and Auris in offering motorists a choice of models with sub-130g/km CO2 emissions. And, of course, Toyota’s efforts to develop even cleaner, safer, sustainable transport does not stop here: the introduction of the full hybrid Auris late next year will mark the beginning of a new wave of hybrid versions of each of Toyota’s European models during the next decade, bringing average emissions down even lower.

posted on oneshift.com

Motor Claims Framework(MCF)

The Motor Claims Framework is an industry wide inititative aimed at enhancing the level of service to all motor policyholders. The MCF was announced by the General Insurance Association of Singapore and takes effect on 1 june 2008.

As a motorist, you are required to do the following after the occurrence of an accident involving your motor vehicle:

a)Report the accident with your damaged vehicle to your insurer through their approved reporting centres or approved workshops within 24 hours or the next working day of the accident and
b)contact your insurer, reporting centres or authorised workshops to arrange for towing to take the disabled vehicle to the aproved workshops

failure to report accident or late reporting will result in your Nn claims discount(NCD) being penalised