New Tips on an Old Topic: How to Improve
Your Gas Mileage!
With the price of gas giving everyone a headache,
it’s time to take another look at that perennial problem: How
to improve your gas mileage.
Here’s a scary statistic: You can
assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24
per gallon for gas! With so many people cruising at 80 miles per
hour on the highway these days, no wonder we are all feeling the pinch.
Dozens of organizations have come up with ways to
improve mileage. Here’s a summary of the best tips. How
many do you observe?
MAINTAINING YOUR CAR:
Keep your engine
tuned up. Incorrect fuel ratio, bad spark plugs and incorrect spark timing
lower your miles per gallon.
Use your air
conditioner (A/C) sparingly. The A/C compressor puts an extra strain
on the engine.
Keep your windows
closed when possible. Open windows actually reduce gas mileage compared to
using the A/C properly.
Make sure your
tires are correctly inflated. Under inflated tires cause more resistance
to travel.
Ask other people
with the same type of car what kind of gas mileage they get. This
may alert you to a problem with your car.
Use a good engine
oil, preferably a synthetic or standard oil treated with a friction
reducing oil additive. These have been known to improve fuel economy by as
much as 12%.
Reduce the weight
in your vehicle. Clean out the truck. Don’t let clutter
accumulate in the back or passenger seat. More weight requires more fuel.
Fine tune your
car’s aerodynamics. Remove accessories that lower the
aerodynamics of your vehicle, such as luggage racks.
YOUR DRIVING BEHAVIOR
·
Avoid stop and go
traffic by taking alternative routes or less congested travel times.
·
Minimize the need to
brake by anticipating traffic conditions. Be alert for slowdowns and red lights
ahead of you, and decelerate by coasting whenever it’s safe and possible.
Use your cruise
control whenever possible – if the road surface is smooth.
Don’t use
cruise control on bumpy roads. That eats up more gas.
Travel at moderate
speeds. Keeping your highway speed at 55 mph improves gas mileage by as
much as 25%, compared to 75 mph.
Avoid trying to
increase speed while climbing a hill.
·
Avoid idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon.
Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with
smaller engines.
·
Use overdrive gears. When you do, your car's engine
speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.
·
Avoid
aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking). It wastes
gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5
percent around town.
·
If you own more than
one car, use the more energy-conserving vehicle as often as possible.
·
Consolidate trips and
errands to cut down on driving time and miles traveled. Find one location
where you can take care of banking, grocery shopping and other chores.
·
Comparison shop first by
phone, online or through newspaper ads, before you drive to your shopping
destination.
·
Keep
your eyes open for low fuel prices, but don’t waste gas driving to a
distant filling station to save a few cents.
To download a brochure with
additional tips, visit AAA at: http://www.aaapa.org/pdfs/Gas_Watchers_Guide.pdf
Ralph Paglia
cell: 1-505-301-6369
email: rpaglia@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.RalphRPaglia.com
Community: AutoDigitalMarketing.com
