How to reduce your fuel consumption

There are plenty of ways to save money on gas, but the most effective way is to actually reduce the amount of gas you use. When we find we must use the car to reach our destination, there are tricks that might cut back on gas consumption.

KEY POINTS

1.  Drive at the speed limit. This is the single most effective solution to increasing efficiency. The most fuel-efficient speed may be the point at which your vehicle shifts to high gear. For most vehicles, this is somewhere around 50mph.

2.  Try to avoid traffic on busy days or times when it is raining, windy or barometric pressure is high. Rain and high barometric pressure create extra air drag that uses more fuel to create and maintain forward motion.

3.  Get rid of any unnecessary weight in your car or truck like golf clubs or unnecessary tools and materials. Lowering your tailgate on pickup trucks actually reduces your gas mileage. Studies have shown that an air cushion is created behind the cab that creates a low drag surface for the air to travel over.

4.  Avoid tailgating and using your brakes to continually correct your following distance. People often "ride" their brakes for no apparent reason. This slows forward motion, converting it into heat energy and greatly reduces the service life of your brakes. You then waste fuel regaining the lost speed. In the future most cars may be equipped with systems in which braking power will be converted into reusable energy, but it is highly unlikely that your car has this technology now unless it is a hybrid.

5.  Every time you punch the gas to quickly accelerate after stopping you are burning extra fuel and increasing tire wear. By accelerating slowly you are only using the fuel required to get the vehicle to speed.

6.  Drive smoothly. It increases fuel consumption when you allow the vehicle speed to drift lower and then accelerate back up than it does to maintain a steady position on the accelerator. Allowing the car to lose speed going up hills and gain speed going down increases efficiency.

7.  Change your air filter. A dirty air filter will rob the engine of power and efficiency. It will use more gas than a clean filter.

8.  Keep the tires inflated to the proper pressure. Keep a tire gauge handy and be sure to check your tire pressure more often when the outside temperature changes greatly. Having properly inflated tires significantly increases your traveling distance on a tank of gas. Under inflated and greatly over sized tires have more rolling resistance and this will reduce your miles per gallon (MPG).

9.  Tune-Up at manufacturer recommended intervals, changing spark plugs, wires, and coil if needed. The better your engine runs the more power it will produce using less fuel.

10.  Use synthetic oil in your car to save an average of 5% on fuel consumption. As a bonus, fewer oil changes are needed saving your time and reducing trips to the mechanic as well as less used oil in the environment.

11. Listen to relaxing music. When listening to energetic music, your heart rate may increase, making you accelerate harder, speed, and do other things that are not good on your fuel economy.

12.  Avoid excessive idling. If you idle your car for more than a minute, it will save gas to turn off the engine. Also, new cars do not need to be "warmed up" on a cold winter day - a couple of seconds should do the trick.

TIPS

• Keeping your car tuned up will optimize your mpg.
  
• Visit a site like OptimizeMPG, which is dedicated to teaching you how to save money on gas with alternative fuels, basic mechanic tips, and better driving practices, or MPGPlus which offers more tips to improve your fuel economy.
• Join a Gas Saving community, where you will be able to learn from other gas savers, how you can easily tune your ordinary car for better mpg performance
• Keep your tires on your vehicle properly inflated at all times.
• Be careful with the fuel brand you use. All gasoline is not the same and different engines may respond better to different fuels.
• Keep track of your fuel economy so you can quickly identify when your vehicle is in need of a tune-up or other service. Three or four consecutive tanks showing poor fuel economy may be an indicator of needed maintenance.
• Reduce the number of times you have to drive by thinking ahead. For example, buy non-perishable necessities (including pet food, toilet needs, groceries etc) in bulk so you don't have to make a special trip for a few items and try to consolidate errands and appointments.
• Walk or bicycle to your destination, if reasonable.
• Make sure to wear clothing appropriate for the weather - it makes the car ride feel better, and you won't have to rely on the heater or air conditioner as much, both of which use more gas.
• Follow regular maintenance, and read the Owners Manual that came with the vehicle. The cost of oil changes may seem expensive, but in the long run it will save gas and engine wear.
• Do not tailgate other vehicles (a practice known as drafting) to conserve gas. Though this may help reduce wind drag, it is illegal and very unsafe.

published 3 years ago

brian

64 points