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Thirty Gas Saving Tips

by Keith Kravitz

The surest way you can improve your fuel cost problem is to change your motoring habits. Listed below under four categories are 30 effective methods of doing so... no need to buy expensive add-on equipment.

WARMING UP THE ENGINE


1. Minimize the time spent warming up the engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time.

2. Turn off all the air conditioning, defrost, or heater prior to starting up and warming up car.

3. Don't start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the same amount of gas as starting the engine.

4. Avoid "revving" the engine, especially turning off the vehicle; this wastes fuel and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure.

5. Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Avoid pushing the pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel. Slow acceleration enables peak efficiency of the carburetor.


HOW TO BUY GASOLINE

6. Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening is best. Gasoline is more dense during this time and more concentrated. Keep in mind - gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to "volume of measurement".

7. Contrary to widespread belief, the octane rating doesn't indicate how much power the fuel delivers; all grades of gasoline contain roughly the same amount of heat energy. Choose the level as recommended in your vehicle's user manual

8. Avoid filling gas tank to top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Stop filling the gas tank past the first "click" of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic.

HOW TO DRIVE ECONOMICALLY

9. Try to keep your speed under 40 mph.. Faster speeds greatly increases the wind resistance placed on your vehicle.

10. While speed limits are primarily set for safety slower speeds also provide better gas efficiency. Believe it or not when you drive 55 mph you get up to 21% better mileage when to speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph.

11. If you drive a manual transmission vehicle be aware that traveling at fast rates in lower gears can consume as much as 45% more fuel than is needed.

12. Manual drive vehicles allow you to shift to highest gear sooner, allowing you to save gas as you gradually accelerate.

13. When driving on the highway an open window will cause air drag, and can reduce your mileage up to 10%.

14. Try to drive at a steady pace. Quick stops or unnecessary acceleration can waste fuel. Keeping a safe distance can also allow a more consistent speed and avoid accidents.

15.Think ahead when approaching hills.Try to accelerate, prior to reaching the hill, not while you're on it.

GENERAL ADVICE

16. Do not drive with both feet or leave your left foot on floor brake pedals while driving. The slightest pressure puts "mechanical drag" on components, wearing them down prematurely. This "dragging" also demands additional fuel usage.

17. Avoid rough roads wherever possible. Dirt or gravel can rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.

18. Use alternate roads safer, shorter, straighter. Compare traveling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping requires extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight.

19. Stoplights are usually timed for your motoring advantage. If you travel steadily at the legal speed limit you boost your chances of having the "green light" all the way.

20. Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. By placing your automatic transmission in "Neutral" you can reduce the strain on the engine by allowing the transmission to cool.

21. Whenever possible back the car into parking spots or select spots that can be travel directly forward out of spaces. This helps to save gas.

22. Keep your car tuned up and maintained on schedule according to your vehicle's user manual. It is particularly important to maintain and clean air filters to increase air flow increases and reduce gas waste.

23. Reduce engine drag caused by occasional misalignment of your vehicle's suspension and chassis. Examine and maintain wheels, axles, shocks, springs, etc. to keep your vehicle safe and provide better gas mileage.

24. Minimize the use of snow tires to bad weather seasons; remove as soon as weather turns good. Snow tires deep tire tread really robs your vehicle of fuel.

25. Inflate all tires to maximum limit, but do not over inflate. Tires should be periodically spun, balanced and checked. When shopping for new tires, get large diameter tires for rear wheels. Most radial designs are recognized as fuel-savers; check your vehicle user manual for proper tire pressures.

26. Reduce air drag whenever possible convertible tops and sun roofs help disturb natural air flow and reduce fuel efficiency.

27. Use air conditioner sparingly as they often reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan increase engine load; the more burden on your engine, the less miles per gallon.

28. Keep your vehicle light remove excess weight from trunk, bed or inside of car. Unnecessary weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up hills.

29. Share a ride. Car pooling reduces gas expense and provides company for the ride. Plus you can share the weekly cost of the gas. In addition many high speed roadways have special car pooling lanes HOV lanes. These lanes usually have less traffic and smoother driving reducing the stop and go of rush hour traffic.

30. You should remove snow and ice because either can cause tremendous wind resistance. Use warm water thrown on (or hosed on) will eliminate it fast. Keep on the lookout for icicles snow that is latched onto the car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can be quickly accumulated and reduce fuel efficiency.

EXTRA TIPS

Check our accessory store for great gas saving accessories

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Printable Version

Your Mileage Will STILL Vary

EPA has improved its methods for estimating fuel economy, but your mileage will still vary.

EPA tests are designed reflect "typical" driving conditions and driver behavior, but several factors can affect MPG significantly:
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Quicktime Video (12.9 MB)
Text Version
  • How & Where You Drive
  • Vehicle Condition & Maintenance
  • Fuel Variations
  • Vehicle Variations
  • Engine Break-In

Therefore, the EPA ratings are a useful tool for comparing the fuel economies of different vehicles but may not accurately predict the average MPG you will get.

To find out what you can do to improve the fuel economy of your car, see Driving More Efficiently and Keeping Your Car in Shape.