GET BETTER GAS MILEAGE IN MINUTES
And You Dont Have
to Spend a Dime!
It is much easier to increase your fuel
mileage than you might think.
There are many things that affect your mileage
in a small way, but when you put them together, they can save
you $850 - $2500 a year in gas. Based on 15,000 and 18,000 a
year, and gasoline prices of $2.25 per gallon.
From the ideas below, pick what suits you
best:
As you know, speed is the most important. Most
people do not know that the smallest difference in traveling,
speed has a very large effect on fuel economy. The average of speeds from 55 mph to
65 mph can waste 17% more fuel. That alone can add a few hundred
dollars to your annual fuel bill.
Limit daily warm ups to 30 seconds. Even in
cold weather, 30 seconds is all a car needs if you don't race the
engine. Dont drive fast for the first few miles. Warm up time
wastes a lot of gas.
On the highway, use your cruise control to
reduce gas consumption. It helps maintain a steady speed
and better gas mileage.
When you fill the gas tank, stop when
the pump clicks off. Usually, tanks have overfill
tubes and when you go around around a corner you lose some gas
through the tubes.
A
rear spoiler will save you 3% in fuels savings. A spoiler stops the air flow that sweeps over the top of
your car from puddling and causing a drag on your car. Spoilers are not
commonly available on station wagons, SUVs and pickup trucks, but
they can be found.
Save up to 1.5% by removing unnecessary
items from the car (commonly in the trunk). For every 100
pounds in extra weight, the car eats up 0.5% more gas
. If you have a carbureted engine, a poorly
tuned car can use 5-9% more gas then normal.
Save up to 4% by taking your snow tires off
as soon as it is safe to do so.
You can save up to 5% by removing roof
racks that create wind drag.
Use premium multi-grade oils to save up to
5% on your fuel consumption. Friction modified oils can
improve your mileage. Use low viscosity oil in the winter, like
SAE 5W30 or 10W30.
It takes 600% more gas to move a car from a
dead stop compared to one that has a couple mph's momentum. By
observing traffic conditions and maintaining a reasonable
distance from the car ahead of you. This will
reduce braking and allow you to keep the car's momentum. The gas it takes to accelerate from
0-35 mph in half a city block could have carried you a half a
mile at 35 mph. Simply getting out of poor driving habits
can save 10-25% in fuel expenditures.
Radial tires can cut 3-4% of your fuel bill.
If you own a pick-up truck, remove your
tailgate (or put it down) for any highway driving. The tailgate
acts like a drag chute giving you very poor fuel economy as
much as a 15% loss). If you don't want to remove your
tailgate; you can use a soft net-type gate or get a bed cover to
almost eliminate the drag chute affect.
Avoid driving with an open sunroof or
windows at highway speeds. It increases aerodynamic drag and
wastes fuel (up to 8%). Use the vehicle's flow-through
ventilation to provide fresh air for passengers.
If you are going to be stopped for more than
60 seconds with the engine idling, shut it off. It takes more
fuel to idle over 60 seconds than it does to start the car.
Make sure your front wheels are aligned
properly. A misaligned front end increases fuel consumption.
Keep filters and catalytic converters clean.
Dirty filters increase fuel consumption as much as 10% and
studies have shown that 33% of all vehicles on the road
are in need of a new air filter.
A V-8 engine averages 17.5% greater fuel
consumption than a V-6 (that could amount to as much as $500
per year in fuel savings). A four-speed automatic gives you 5%
better fuel economy than a three-speed automatic
transmission. Consider this when buying a car.
An automatic transmission will have an
average of 5-11% poorer fuel economy than to a 5 speed manual
transmission that is used properly.
By driving in a straight line instead of
letting the car wander from side to side in the driving lane, you
can save up to 2 mpg. |
