|
 Gas is
at a all time high. In most areas of the U.S.
it's over $2 a gallon. Here are 12 ways
to save money on gas:
Save
on Gas Tip #1
Shut it off. If you're idling your
engine waiting at railroad crossings,
drive-through windows, and in other
similar situations, shut it off instead.
If you're idling longer than 25 minutes,
it'd be cheaper to shut it off and then
re-start. Avoid drive-throughs
completely if possible. Often I find
that when I go into a bank or fast-food
restaurant, I walk out and drive away
while the same cars are still sitting in
the drive-through line--almost all of
them with their engines idling and
wasting fuel.
Save
on Gas Tip #2
Keep tires properly inflated.
This is the easiest thing to forget when
deciding how to save gas. Use
the inflation pressure given in the
vehicle's owner's manual, which is also
often printed on a sticker on the
driver's door.
Save on Gas Tip #3
Combine trips
is a good way to save gas.This is especially
important in colder months, because a
cold engine uses a lot more fuel than a
warm one. If you combine several errands
into one trip, the engine stays somewhat
warm as you're stopped at each place.
Save on Gas Tip #4
Avoid extended warm-ups. In
above-freezing weather, just start it up
and drive off. If you want to warm it up
some in below-freezing weather, keep the
idling to two or three minutes at most.
Long periods of idling keep the engine
colder longer, wasting fuel. Plus you're
getting zero miles per gallon with the
engine idling. Anytime the engine is
cold, drive easily for the first few
miles to reduce wear on the engine.
Save on Gas Tip #5
Keep speeds moderate and
acceleration gentle. Not only do both of
these practices save gas, but they also
help your vehicle last longer. The
faster you go, the more fuel you will
use. Going 75 mph down the highway uses
more fuel than going 65, in every single
case. If you going be driving at speeds
above 40-50mph, use the AC and keep the
windows/sunroof closed, the windows add
more drag (fuel usage) than the AC does.
Save on Gas
Tip #6
Change your oil and air filter.
Dirty oil adds friction, which wastes
gas. A dirty air filter causes poor
airflow through the engine, which also
wastes gas.
Save on Gas
Tip #7
Avoid "gas saving" gadgets. They
are a waste of money. Any gadget that
would really save gas would be included
on the car as standard. Many of these
items will not only cost you money, but
will actually make the car run worse or
could even cause damage.
Save on Gas
Tip #8
Don't use premium fuel unless your
owner's manual calls for it, or unless
your vehicle "pings" heavily on regular
unleaded fuel. Higher octane fuel than
the engine requires will NOT cause it to
get better fuel economy, but it will
just cost you more to fill up your tank.
Some vehicles with very high mileage do
need the higher octane fuel if they
"ping" (spark knock) heavily on regular
unleaded. Light knocking on
acceleration is not a problem, but if
the knocking continues at a constant
speed, or is very loud, move up to a
high enough octane to reduce it.
Persistent, heavy knocking reduces an
engine's efficiency and can damage it in
extreme cases.
Save on Gas
Tip #9
Pickup truck drivers, don't lower
the tailgate when driving on the
highway. A GM study showed that this
does not improve fuel economy, and can
even make it worse. With the gate
closed, air flows across the top of the
bed and does not get "caught" by the
tailgate. The airflow patterns are less
efficient with the tailgate open or
removed. Plus, running with the tailgate
down can increase the likelihood and
severity of a rear-end accident, since
your tailgate will be extended behind
your rear bumper.
Save on Gas
Tip #10
If your car has air conditioning,
be aware that the a/c compressor often
runs in many other positions besides the
a/c settings. Frequently it runs in the
defrost or "mix" position, as well as
"bi-level." Obviously, use the defrost
when needed, but change the setting to
"heat," "floor," or "vent" if defrosting
or defogging is not needed. The a/c can
cut 10 to 15 percent off of your fuel
mileage, so there's no point in running
it when it's not needed. Any time you
are warming the air coming into the
vehicle, the a/c is normally not needed.
If you have one, keep your airflow
setting in the "fresh" or "outside"
mode, not "recirculate" or "inside."
Recirculating inside air during cool
weather can cause your windows to fog
up.
Save on Gas
Tip #11
You
don't want to cruise at higher rpms...the
lower the rpm the better the MPG but,
you also don't want to be cruising
around in to high a gear, cause if you
have to accelerate and your in 6th,
you'll end up giving it a lot more gas
to slowly move forward than if you just
downshift, or were already in a lower
gear....so its a trade off.
Save
on Gas Tip #12
Get your
car windows tinted. It will reduce the
interior temperature by 30-40% which
translates to not constantly blasting
cold air from your a/c and save on gas. |
