How to Save Gas without Gas Savings
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We all cringe when we pull up to the gas pumps these days. Unfortunately, our griping won’t lower the prices at the pump. Here are some tips sent in by a reader to help you conserve gasoline, and hopefully save you some money.
- Drive at the speed limit. Not only are speed limits designed to save lives and keep people from driving recklessly, but are factored into saving gas mileage. Driving at 55mph instead of 70mph on the freeway can save a lot of gas. The faster you go, the higher your engine’s RPM’s will raise, causing the engine to work harder. The harder the engine has to work, the less gas mileage you will see.
- Remove any and all unnecessary items from the trunk or interior of your car. That golf bag in the trunk – while it may be convenient to just leave it there, is adding extra weight to your car. The heavier your car is, the more the engine must work to drive it, resulting in less gas mileage. Also, make sure nothing is changing the car’s aerodynamic design such as empty crate boxes strapped to the roof.
- Roll your windows up on the highway. Sure you may think that turning on your A/C while driving down the highway will lower your fuel economy, but the drop in aerodynamics due to your windows being rolled down is far greater. When your windows are down, air passing over the sides of the car flows into the passenger compartment and produces drag – thus lowering your gas mileage.
- Leave unneeded people at home. It may be nice to have a companion riding along with you, but this person is nothing more then a 160lb object added to your car’s weight. The more people you travel with in your car, the heavier it becomes, once again lowering your fuel mileage.
- Last but not least, do not stop and go quickly at stop lights. A smooth acceleration is key to maintaining your gas mileage. Do not jerk between lanes to pass people. Passing causes your car to down shift into overdrive, effectively dumping a large amount of fuel into the motor for an instant boost in power. Doing this often can produce dramatic loss in fuel economy in a short amount of time. Having a vehicle that gets 6MPG, I have learned to ease on the accelerator when leaving stop signs or lights. When done right, you can see a fluctuation of at least 1-2MPG.
- Bonus Tip!! Having your car serviced on a regular basis, changing your oil when the manufacturer recommends and having your fuel injectors cleaned at a tuneup can add to your gas mileage in the long run. Clogged or damaged fuel injectors on a fuel injected car can lower your horsepower as well as your fuel economy! I always feel that my truck runs better after a fresh oil change – and noticed a significant increase in gas mileage after my last tuneup.
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