Maximize Your Fuel Efficience
With the escalating price of gas, buying a fuel-efficient car
makes a lot of sense. Approximately 15% of new car buyers reject
a model due to poor gas mileage. Nearly 40% of those consumers
who eliminate a full-size SUV due to gas mileage ultimately
purchase a midsize SUV instead, while nearly 20% purchase
another model altogether. (J.D. Power and Associates, Sept.
2004.)
But even if you don't currently own a fuel-efficient car, there
are lots of ways you can improve the fuel efficiency of your
present vehicle until you're ready to purchase one of the best
gas mileage cars. Your personal driving habits have a big effect
on your fuel use and costs. You can better manage your vehicle
operating costs as well as minimize the emissions it produces by
driving less and more efficiently. Here are some tips to help.
First, you need to know what kind of mileage you are getting.
Calculate this by filling up your tank and recording the
odometer reading-or you can reset your trip gauge to zero. Next
time you get gas, fill the tank again and divide the miles you
traveled between fill ups by the quantity of gas you bought on
this fill-up. This is your car's miles per gallon or mpg. If
it's pretty dismal, here's how to turn your fuel guzzler into a
fuel saver:
Drive slower: The aerodynamic drag on your car increases
noticeably the faster you drive. The drag force at 70 mph is
about double that at 50 mph, so keeping speed down can increase
your mileage considerably. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at
speeds over 60 mph. Each 5 mph above 60 mph is like paying an
additional $.10/gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is
also safer for everyone.
Maintain a constant speed: Every time you speed up, you use
energy, some of which is wasted when you slow the car down
again. By maintaining a constant speed, especially driving the
posted speed limit, you will improve your fuel efficiency. Just
by increasing your highway cruising speed from 62 mph to 74 mph
you increase fuel consumption by about 20%! Using cruise control
on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and will
usually save gas.
Drive gently: Aggressive driving-speeding, rapid acceleration
and hard braking-wastes gas. These bad habits can lower your gas
mileage by 33% at highway speeds and 5% in the city. In
addition, reasonable driving is safer for you and others, so you
may be saving more than gas money. Consider using overdrive
gears on the highway, as this decreases engine speed, reducing
fuel usage and engine wear.
Avoid Excess Idling: Idling gets 0 miles/gallon and wastes fuel
and money, is hard on the engine and adds to toxic emissions.
Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than
those with smaller engines. Turn off your engine if you think
you will be stopped for more than 30 seconds. However, if you're
driving a fuel-efficient car like a hybrid, your electric motor
is on when you idle, so you're not wasting any gas at all!
Minimize air conditioning: Using your air conditioner in hot
weather can increase your fuel consumption by more than 20% in
city driving. Whenever possible, close all windows and use the
air vents to circulate air instead of air conditioning. You will
improve your fuel efficiency in summer by minimizing the use of
air conditioning and using your car's flow-through ventilation,
especially on the highway. If you must use the air conditioning,
set the controls to a level that lets the system cycle, and turn
it off once the interior of car is cooled down enough. Also
consider such options a sunroof and tinted glass to keep the car
cool.
Keep Your Car in Shape: Maintaining your vehicle in top working
condition saves you fuel and money, and reduces long-term
maintenance costs while minimizing harmful emissions.
Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned-Getting regular tune-ups when
your car is out of tune or has failed an emissions test may
improve gas mileage by about 4%. If your car has a faulty oxygen
sensor and you have it fixed, gas mileage could improve as much
as 40%. Make sure the spark plugs, if you have them, are firing
properly, replacing them when necessary. Have the engine timing
checked for accuracy. Check & Replace Air Filters
Regularly-Replacing a clogged air filter could improve a car's
gas mileage by as much as 10%. Additionally, it will protect
your engine from impurities. Change this more often if you live
in a dusty climate, drive on dirt or gravel roads or if you
drive off-road for fun. Keep Tires Properly Inflated-Your gas
mileage can increase by about 3.3% if you keep tires inflated to
their proper pressure. It takes more effort and gas for the
engine to propel an underinflated tire than a correctly inflated
one-which provide less road-resistance, thereby improving fuel
efficiency. Beware over-inflation, though, which can lead to
handling problems and uneven tire wear. Check tire pressure on a
regular basis, looking for signs of uneven wear or embedded
objects that can cause air leaks. In winter, check tire pressure
if there is a sharp change in temperature, as cold weather
decreases air pressure in the tires. Use the Recommended Grade
of Motor Oil-Fuel efficiency can improve by 1-2% if you use the
manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. Also, if you
change your own oil, look for motor oil rated as "Energy
Conserving" to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
Check Which Gas to Use-Choose the correct octane gas for your
car by checking your owner's manual. It's not necessary to buy
the "super" high-octane gas unless your car manufacturer
recommends it or your engine knocks without it. While you won't
do harm to the engine, you will be paying more than you need to,
since premium (highest octane) gas sells for an average of 17
cents more per gallon than regular gas. Only about 6% of cars
sold in the U.S. need premium gas, according to the AAA. Also,
avoid topping off your gas tank, since in warmer weather, fuel
expansion can cause an overflow and you'll be wasting precious
fuel. You want to be a fuel saver-not a fuel waster! Planning &
Combining Trips: Combining errands to do together and in similar
areas saves time and money. Several short trips starting from a
cold engine can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-purpose
trip that covers the same distance when the engine is warmed up.
With a little advance planning, you can avoid high traffic
areas, road construction, retracing your route and ultimately
reduce the distance you travel while running errands. You'll not
only save on fuel, but also reduce wear and tear on your car.
Commuting: If you can alternate your work hours to avoid rush
hour, you'll spend less time sitting in traffic and burn up less
fuel. For stop and go traffic, drive your best gas mileage car
if you own more than one vehicle. Contemplate telecommuting
(working from home) when your job permits. If you can,
participate in carpools and ride-share programs. You can cut
your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car if you
take turns sharing driving with others.
Traveling: A roof rack or carrier affords additional cargo space
and helps out when you have a smaller car. However, a loaded
roof rack decreases fuel efficiency by 5%. Reduce the wind
resistance and increase your fuel efficiency by putting objects
inside the trunk when possible. Also, remove any unnecessary
items, especially heavy ones, as an extra 100 lbs. in the trunk
reduces a car's fuel efficiency by about 1 to 2%.