Saving On Fuel

The best way to improve your fuel cost problem is to just simply change your motoring habits. There are many ways you can do this and many methods to go about saving on fuel, no cost necessary. Because that is the point, right?

Warming up your engine in the morning prevents you from having to drive 5 miles in the frigid winter cold before your heat really starts coming out like heat. Or even if you warm up your engine to simply help your car run better, that is completely okay. However, you can definitely avoid prolonged warming up of your engine, even on those freezing, cold mornings. Usually 30-45 seconds is plenty of time. Be sure that the automatic choke on your car is disengaged after warming up your engine, because they often get stuck which will result in a bad gas/air mixture. Don’t start and stop your engine unnecessarily. Idling your engine for one minute consumes enough gas that amounts to when you start you engine. Try to avoid “reving” your engine, especially just before you switch off your car. This really wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls which usually results in the loss of oil pressure. It sounds really complicated, but just don’t do it. “Reving” your engine wastes gas. End of story. You should eliminate what is called jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from a dead stop. Don’t push down the accelerator more than a quarter of the total foot travel. This will really allow your car’s carburetor to function at its peak.

Buying gas is a very important task as well in trying save on gasoline. Try to buy gasoline during the coolest time of the day- early in the morning or rather late in the evening. These are the times when gasoline is the densest. So keep in mind that gas pumps measure in volumes of gasoline, not the density of fuel concentration. You are charged for the volume of gasoline you put into your car. You should choose a type and brand of gasoline carefully. There are certain brands that provide you with greater economy because they have a better quality of gasoline. Avoid filling your gas tank to the absolute top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of the tank. If you just leave the nozzle of the gas pump in your car and let it automatically stop, don’t fill past the first “click” of the nozzle.

There are even ways you can learn to drive economically. When you exceed 40 mph, the forces of your car must overcome more wind resistance, resulting in using more fuel. Go the speed limit! When in residential areas, the speed limit doesn’t usually exceed 40 mph. Just following the law will eliminate your gas usage and help your gas efficiency. Traveling at fast speeds in low gears can consume a lot more fuel than needed. Manual shift cars allow you to change to the highest gear as soon as possible, which lets you save gas if you sort of nurse it along, per say. However, if you cause the engine to get bogged down, premature wearing of your engine parts may occur. Keep your windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows can cause excessive air drag which can reduce your mileage by nearly 10%! Drive steadily. It sounds almost too simple to be a tool in saving on fuel, but it is certainly true. Slowing down or speeding up will waste fuel. Also avoid tailgating! Not only is this really annoying to the person you are doing it to, but the driver in front of you is unpredictable. It is highly unsafe, but it will affect your economical state, if he slows down unexpectedly. Think ahead when approaching a big hill. If you accelaerate, do it BEFORE you reach the hill, not while you are on an incline going up it. This is a huge waste on fuel.

There are even more general, basic ways to save on fuel. Don’t rest your left foot on the floor board pedals while driving. Even the slightest pressure puts “mechanical drag” on the components of your car which wears them down prematurely. This so called “dragging” also demands more fuel usage. You should avoid rough roads whenever possible because the dirt, gravel and other terrain will rob you of up to nearly thirty percent of gas mileage! Using alternate roads when it’s safer, shorter or straighter can help use less fuel as well. Compare your traveling distances between a few different routes. Keep in mind that corners, curves and lane changing requires just a little extra gas. And a little extra here and a little extra there can really add up. Stoplights are usually timed for the motorist’s advantage. When you travel at the steady, legal speed limit you will generally boost your chances of encountering a green light all the way.

If you have an automatic transmission, meaning you shift only to Drive, Park, Reverse, etc, then you should try to cool your transmission down as often as possible while driving. For example, when sitting at a railroad crossing or long traffic signals and etc. Just simply place your car into the neutral position. This will reduce the transmission strain and allows it to cool. You should also park so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear. Avoid using the reverse gear as much as possible, because as silly as it sounds, this also takes just a little extra gas too.

Having regular tune-ups will ensure economical savings as well. Check in your owners manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Pay special attention to maintaining and cleaning the air filters in your car. Any diminished air flow will increase gas waste. You should also inspect suspension and chassis parts for the occasional misalignment. Any bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. will eventually create engine drag and are extremely unsafe when traveling at high speeds. Remove your snow tires during the good weather seasons like spring and summer. Traveling on deep tire tread will really rob you of extra fuel. Keep all of your tires to the maximum inflation limit. Each tire should be every so often spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. When you plan on replacing your old tires with new ones, get large diameter tires for your rear wheels. Radial designs are usually recognized as popular fuel-savers. Check your manufacturer’s specifications for maximum tire pressures.

Remove any vinyl tops from your vehicle that you have unnecessarily. These cause air drag, which results in extra, avoidable fuel wasting. Rough surfaces disturb the smooth air flow around a car’s body. Keep in mind when purchasing a new car that those with nice sun roofs will disturb the smooth air flow your car would have otherwise. So this could ultimately cost you more on gas each week just by having a sun roof on your car.