260
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS AND
POLLUTION
Some suggestions which may help
you to keep the running costs of the
car down and lower the amount of
toxic emissions released into the
atmosphere are given below.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
The overall state of the car is an
important factor which has a
marked influence over fuel con-
sumption and driving comfort and
on the life span of your car. For this
reason care should be taken to main-
tain your car by carrying out the
necessary checks and regulations in
accordance with the specifications
given in the “Service Schedule” (see
sections: spark plugs, air cleaners,
timing...).Tyres
Tyre pressure should be checked at
least once every four weeks: if the
pressure is too low fuel consumption
increases as the resistance to the
rolling movement of the tyre is
greater. In this state, tyre wear is
increased and handling suffers,
which will effect safety.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much load in
the boot. The weight of the car (in
town traffic above all), and its trim
greatly effect consumption and sta-
bility.Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof or ski racks from
the car as soon as they are no longer
needed. These accessories reduce the
aerodynamic penetration of the car
and will increase consumption.
When transporting particularly
large objects, use a trailer, where
possible.
Electrical devices
Use electrical devices for the neces-
sary time only. The heated rear win-
dow, fog lights, windscreen wipers,
heater fan require large amounts of
electricity and increasing the request
for power will also increase fuel con-
sumption (up to +25% when driving
in towns).
Climate control system
The climate control system is an
additional load which greatly effects
the engine leading to higher con-
sumption (up to +20% in average).
When the temperature outside
allows, use the air vents where pos-
sible.
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RUBBER
TUBING
Follow the Service Schedule to the
letter as concerns braking, power
steering and fuel line rubber tubing.
Ozone, high temperatures and long
absence of fluid in the system can in
fact cause the hardening and crack-
ing of the pipes with possible loss of
fluid. A careful check is therefore
essential.
WINDSCREEN
WIPERS
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part
with suitable products. We recom-
mendTUTELA PROFESSIONAL
SC 35.
Change the blades if the rubber
edge is warped or worn out. You
should in any case change them
approximately once a year.
Some simple steps can reduce
potential damage to the blades:
– If the temperatures falls to below
zero, make sure the rubber blade is
not frozen to the windscreen. If nec-
essary, free it with a de-icing com-
pound.
– Remove any snow that has settled
on the glass: besides saving the
blades you will avoid straining the
electric windscreen wiper motor and
causing it to overheat.
– Do not operate the windscreen
wipers on dry glass.Travelling with worn
wiper blades is dangerous
because it reduces visibil-
ity in bad weather.
Checking the blades
Before checking, clean the wind-
screen and rubber blades carefully
with warm water and soap or with
TUTELA PROFESSIONAL SC 35
windscreen washing fluid. The
windscreen should be perfectly clean
and not greasy. If required, complete
the cleaning operation with degreas-
ing products (ammonia based) or
degreasing polishes.
