Better Fuel Economy, 7 Simple Steps to Save Fuel
As gas is getting more expensive every year those of you with a long commute or many driving miles can feel the burden of increasing gas bills.
Luckily there are many ways to save gas without investing in a new car or in over hyped add-on kits. I’ll show you seven ways that are readily available and easy to do.
1. KEEP ECONOMIC TIRE PRESSURE
Driving with under inflated tires is not only dangerous as the tires could overheat, it also uses more gas than inflated tires.
Inflate the tires of your car to the maximum allowed by your cars manuals, and periodically check the pressure using a trustworthy pressure gauge.
Many hypermilers inflate their tires more than that, to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewalls of the tires themselves. This is often as much as 60 percent more than what the car manufacturer recommends and it will give additional gas savings due to lesser rolling resistance.
The cost is a harder and less comfortable ride. I can’t however suggest that you do this, even if it IS safe, as there is a risk of uneven tire wear in some conditions.
2. REMOVE ROOF RACKS, SKI BOXES AND TRAILERS
If you it’s a hassle to detach the roof rack or ski box when it’s not needed you need to reconsider! The same goes for driving with an empty trailer or a pick up truck with no flatbed cover.
Anything added or tied to the outside of the car disturbs the aerodynamics resulting in a reduction in fuel economy. Remove roof racks, ski boxes, bicycle holders and trailers when they are not in use.
3. SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT
Despite what some would say the air conditioning unit is using a lot of energy and that energy is taken directly from your gas tank. Turn it off when possible and if that’s too uncomfortable set it to a higher temperature as that will make it use less gas.
TIPS: Park the car in the shadow, have the doors open for a minute before leaving, drive at night if going for a longer trip in hot weather.
Keep in mind that driving fast with all windows open is worse for your MPG than turning on the A/C.
4. BECOME A BETTER DRIVER
The way you drive is one of the biggest factors affecting your mpg. Keep your top speed below 60MPH or 100KM/H, avoid breaking by letting the car roll to a stop when you’re not in the way for other traffic and do not push the pedal to the metal when accelerating.
5. WALK
Normally if you’re not going that far, walking or biking is a good alternative, and it’s a lot more economic than using the car. You’ll not only save fuel but also the wear and tear on the car that can cost as much as the fuel itself.
6. FIX ANY FUEL LEAKS
Clearly if you have a gas leak you spill your valueable gas into the environment costing you cash and polluting the ground. Fix any fuel leak immediately.
TIP: If your gas cap is missing or broken and you live in a hot environment, especially if you park in the sun and the car gets really hot, a lot of gas will evaporate and escape through the missing or broken cap into the air. The loss can be noticeable and the gas vapors is bad for the envirnment.
7. PARTICIPATE IN A CAR POOL
Sharing the vehicle on the way to the job can feel like a fair amount of hassle compared to going by yourself but then you’ll save more using this method than using any of the others (except for biking of course).
Joining with just one other person to use the same car for your commute will save you half your monthly commuting cost.
ADVANCED GAS SAVING TIPS
Those tips are among the easiest, most readily available, low cost ways you can save tanks of gas. And you don’t have to buy any new gadgets to do it.
There are many additional ways to improve your gas mileage. You can get a more fuel efficient vehicle (hybrid, diesel, smaller car), make adjustments to your driving style, improve your cars aerodynamics, use tires with a low rolling resistance, plan your trip, plan for extreme weather and a lot more that this article is too short to cover
There’s also ways you could end up NOT saving gas, like if you install on of those fuel saving devices toted everywhere. They take your hard earned cash but will barely improve your fuel economy.
To keep track of your actual gas mileage you can use a handy online gas calculator
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