Your car, signal by signal.
Habits at the wheel, routine care and how the car works, explained in the order you notice things.
- At the wheel
- Maintenance
- Tyres
- Fluids
- Cleaning
- How it works
Recent articles
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Cars
How to drive more smoothly and use less fuel
A guide to habits for driving more smoothly and using less fuel, read from the signals the car shows on the dashboard. For each habit, what the studies measured and how to check it on your own car.
Reading the car by the signals it gives
A car talks to its driver all the time. The rev counter needle rises and falls, the trip computer shows the fuel consumption, the steering wheel feels lighter or heavier, a new noise appears on a bend. Piratininga writes from these signals, in the order you usually notice them: first what you see or feel, then what it usually means, and finally what to do now and what can wait.
The articles cover the car as a whole: habits at the wheel, routine care, tyres and fluids, cleaning, the care each season calls for and how the main parts work. They are written for people who drive every day, in any country, without assuming you are a mechanic.
How the articles are made
Each guide rests on sources that hold in several markets, such as international organisations, published research and makers’ general information, and cites them in the article itself. Numbers carry their source and year. When the answer depends on the model, the article says where to check: in your car’s manual, on the door label or on the trip computer.
Anything that calls for tools, a lift or technical knowledge is left to a qualified professional. Piratininga explains what you can observe and do on your own, and says clearly when the next step is to take the car to a workshop.