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Gas saving
tips
Gas saving tips
 The
following are a few gas
saving tips that will significantly help to lower your
gasoline budget. Exercising the following gas saving tips will not
be inconvenient or demanding on your schedule.
· Drive Sensibly
As you may know aggressive drivers, i.e. those who speed, or drive
making rapid accelerations and fast braking, waste gasoline. Driving
sensibly, defensively as opposed to aggressively, can lower your
gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent on
regular, city streets. This important gas saving tip that will make
driving safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas
money.
- Observe the Speed Limit:
Every different type of vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy
at different ranges of speed. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly
at speeds above 60 mph—so driving on the freeways is a great
gas saving tip.
- Remove Excess Weight:
Avoid keeping heavy or any other unnecessary items in your vehicle.
If you have an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your
MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra
weight relative to the vehicles weight, this will affects smaller
vehicles the most.
- Avoid too much Idling:
When idling your car gets 0 miles per gallon. Automobiles with
larger engines will typically waste more gas when they idle than
cars with engines that are smaller. For instance, an SUV will
use up more gas idling than a compact car and so on. This is why
when gasoline prices rise, one of the best gas saving tips is
to avoid “warming up” the car before you drive.
- Use your Cruise Control:
If your car has cruise control, using cruise control, especially
on the highway helps you maintain a consistent pace and thus,
in most cases, will save gasoline.
- Use your Overdrive Gears:
When you use your overdrive gears the engine speed in your automobile
goes down. This particular gas saving tip also reduces engine
wear.
- Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned:
Especially when a car is noticeably out of tune, or if the car
has failed an emissions test, tuning the engine can improve the
gas mileage of your vehicle by about 4 percent. Although results
will vary depending on the kind of repairs needed, and how well
those repairs are made.
For example: Fixing a vital maintenance problem, such as having
a faulty oxygen sensor etc. can improve your gas mileage by up to
40 percent.
- Check and Replace Air Filters on a Regular Basis:
Replacing a clogged air filter is also one of the most important
gas saving tips we can give you. Your air filter prevents impurities
from causing damage to the inside of your engine. Again, this
is one of our two-fold gas saving tips, because replacing a dirty
air filters will not only save gas, but will also protect your
engine.
- Keep your Tires Inflated:
Keeping the tires on your vehicle properly inflated to the right
pressure is another great gas saving tip. Tires that are not inflated
correctly can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent. However, properly
inflated tires are safer and last longer.
- Use the Grade of Motor Oil Recommended for your Vehicle:
This one of the gas saving tips we have to suggest will save gas
mileage by 1-2 percent. Just use the manufacturer recommended
grade of motor oil.
For example: If you use 10W-30 motor oil for an engine that was
designed to use 5W-30 motor oil can be very problematic. It has
the potential to lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent.
As another example: Using 5W-30 for your engine that recommends
5W-20 will likely lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. And another
gas saving tip in this regard is to look for motor oil that says
it is “Energy Conserving” on its API performance symbol,
this way you can be sure that it contains additives that are friction-reducing.
- Combining Errands:
Running your errands all in one into one trip as much as possible
is one of the best gas saving tips that will save you time and
money. Taking many quick trips from a cold start can use up twice
as much gasoline than a all-in-one-shot trip that covers the same
distance, but while the engine is still warm.
If you plan it out right, you can avoid retracing your route and
also reduce the distance you travel. This way you are not only saving
on fuel, but also reducing wear and tear on your car.
- Commuting Schedule:
If you can avoid peak rush hours perhaps working out ways to stager
your work schedule, you will spend less time sitting in traffic
and subsequently your car will consume less fuel. Sometimes this
can be beneficial if you are able to stagger your schedule even
by just a few minutes.
For example: get to work early so that you can leave about fifteen
minutes or so before five o’clock hits and beat the congested
freeways of rush hour.
Another of our gas saving tips is to drive the vehicle that gets
the best gas mileage whenever possible, if you happen to own more
than one vehicle.
In addition, you can consider telecommuting, that is, if your employer
permits it.
If possible, take advantage of carpools and ride-share programs.
You can cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your
car if you take turns driving with other commuters. Many urban areas
allow vehicles with multiple passengers to use special High Occupancy
Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
Consider using public transit if it is available and convenient
for you. The American Public Transit Transportation Association
has links to information about public transportation in your state.
- Buying a new Vehicle
The best gas saving tip in this case is to try and choose a vehicle
that will save you gas more than some of the other vehicles in
the automotive industry today.
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