Some Basic Tips To Get Better Gas Mileage
With gas prices are on the rise and environmental concerns there are many reasons to lower your fuel consumption. The following tips and resources will help you improve (perhaps double) your gas mileage:
Basic Maintenance Tips to Improve Gas Mileage
Air Filters - According to FuelEconomy.gov one of the most drastic improvements in gas mileage can be obtained through replacing a clogged air filter. The government website reports this can improve gas consumption by up to 10%.
Spark plugs - Changing old spark plugs is a cheap way to make your car happy and save gas money.
Tires - Keeping your tires properly inflated to the manufacturers specifications can improve gas economy by around 3%
Oil - Again, check to see the oil you are using is the grade recommended by the car’s manufacturer. Try using a synthetic or standard oil with friction reducing additives.
Tune Up - Getting a tune-up can also help boost your fuel economy. Some problems can drastically reduce your mileage - so keep your vehicle in good shape.
Driving Tips to Improve Gas Mileage:
Observe the speed limit - Gas mileage drastically falls at speeds over 60 mph (95 kph).
Ease up - The rapid acceleration, braking and speeding of aggressive driving can burn fuel faster than you may think. According to FuelEconomy.gov curbing aggressive driving habits can improve fuel usage by 5% for in town driving and as much as 33% for highway driving!
Cruise Control - This will improve gas consumption on the highway.
Don’t Be Idle - Turning off your car when you are stopped for more than 10 seconds. Idling for 10 seconds takes more gas than restarting the engine.
Aftermarket Fuel Economy Devices
There are a plethora of products that claim to increase the fuel economy of vehicles. Most often they attach to the intake or carburetor of a vehicle and are advertised to optimize air or fuel flow.
These devices are often sold on late night TV with outstanding claims - unfortunately most of these devices have been found too be useless. Check out this feature by Consumer Reports which tested some of the most popular devices.
Other Tips:
Lighten Up - Remove excess weight (get the bodies out of the trunk) from your vehicle to see more cash in your pocket. 100 extra pounds can suck 3% more gas than without it. Smaller vehicles are even more susceptible to fuel economy being affected by weight.
Also remember to remove roof racks which increase drag and thus fuel consumption.
Air Conditioning - Turn off the air conditioner, it can make the engine work harder and thus consume more fuel.
You may want to check out this video report explaining some additional fuel economy tips such as oil usage, and simple maintenance and how to use the additive Acetone that improves gas mileage dramatically according to the report (but you may want to do some additional research only before deciding how much to use and if it is right for your vehicle).
Car Pools - If you don’t already car pool, why not put up a note on your work’s bulletin board to organize a carpool? Even if you only find one other driver, that’s a savings of 50% off your fuel consumption!
Shopping for a Fuel Efficient Vehicle
If you are in the market for a new vehicle, the best way to save gas money is to purchase a more efficient product. The US government has an online tool to research makes and models by year and compare gas mileage. They also keep tabs on the best and worst fuel efficient vehicles and also have info on alternative energy vehicles.
Thanks for reading, and good luck with your savings.
