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If we gun the gas and try to get to speed quickly, then we stand the greater chance of needing to slow down again, losing all of that momentum. Empty the trunk An extra pounds in the trunk will reduce your fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent in the typical vehicle. For every extra pound you carry, you pay the price to accelerate it and slow it back down each time you drive. By cutting down on the extra unneeded junk in the trunk, we save all that energy required to drive it around town.
Turn off the air conditioning Using the air conditioning in a vehicle can increase fuel consumption by up to 10 percent. This is an easy way to save fuel. And just imagine if you suddenly had 10 percent of all the money you spent on gasoline last year in your hand.
Dirty oil is not only bad for your vehicle, but it requires more energy to work an engine through sludge. Also, maintenance can save you from having large repair bills down the road. Not to mention that a non-serviced vehicle may leave you stranded on that road when it suddenly fails. Vehicle maintenance saves money, saves the environment, and could save you from being stuck in the middle of nowhere-ville.
Lose the clown shoes Driving footwear must have a sole thin enough to feel the amount of pedal pressure needed to meet the necessary braking and accelerating. One of the most important tools you have in driving greener is making the connection between your foot and the response of the car. A big shoe with a few inches of padding removes the sensitivity of the foot, making that connection harder to make. Is it any wonder that racecar drivers like wearing extremely thin-soled shoes?
Keep the vehicle streamlined A vehicle that moves through the air more efficiently takes less energy to push, and this translates to less fuel consumption. One good way to do this is to keep the windows rolled up. Open windows create drag, and drag cuts fuel economy. The same can be said of sunroofs at highway speeds. Another way to keep the vehicle streamlined is to remove those roof and bike racks when not in use. Such racks interrupt the flow of air, again creating drag.
Did you know that running your engine at idle actually consumes roughly half a gallon to about a gallon of fuel every hour, not to mention the carbon dioxide that your engine pumps into the atmosphere? This is where alloy wheels can be quite a joy to have. This is the single most effective and easiest solution to increasing gas efficiency. It's better for your car and for you. Though this may help reduce wind drag by letting the other vehicle break the air resistance for you, it is illegal and very unsafe. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Another thing to consider is that the racks add weight to the vehicle, costing more in energy to move the vehicle. Finally, if your vehicle tends to look like it has won the mud bog championships, then give it a bath. An irregular surface from caked mud and dirt can create drag as well. Slow down In a typical family sedan, every ten miles per hour you drive over sixty is like the price of gasoline going up about fifty-four cents a gallon.
The faster your vehicle moves through the air, the greater drag it creates in the surrounding air. By slowing down, the vehicle encounters less resistance and uses less energy for the same amount of work. A reduction of twenty miles per hour in your regular highway speed can yield measurable savings in a short time. Under inflated and greatly over-sized tires have more rolling resistance and this will reduce your miles per gallon MPG and cause tire wear from the excessive friction.
If you do need new tires, get radial ones. They have a low rolling resistance, keeping your car aerodynamic. Keep your car tuned-up at manufacturer recommended intervals to optimize your miles per gallon. It's a good idea for your fuel economy to change spark plugs and wires on schedule, and the coil s when their effectiveness is breaking down such as shorting internally.
The better your engine runs, the more power it will produce using less fuel. Use synthetic oil in your car to save 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 for the environment. When you're getting your tune up, ask your mechanic about what oil you should be using for your car and for saving gas. He may be able to throw in a bottle or two with your tune-up. Before changing your tires to the modern style thick ones, think again.
The more the width, the higher the rolling resistance offered and higher the fuel consumption. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 4. The information given was very handy, but what about at homes and other places than cars? It is easy, never use your gas in the summer. Only use it in the winter season and use it with a timer so that you don't forget to turn it off if it is for heating. If you heat your water with gas, ensure that your water heater is energy efficient.
Not Helpful 4 Helpful 8. Some car computers detect when the car is in gear and set the car into slightly higher RPM in preparation for moving. If you notice that while stopped that the car revs automatically more when it is in gear that when neutral, then you can save gas by keeping it in neutral.
If no difference in RPM, then this won't save gas, but it will make your clutch last longer. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 2. Can driving a car on only one side of the road and taking the left hand side every time save fuel and reduce traffic jams? What really helps prevent traffic jams from happening is driving according to the speed limit, keeping enough clearance from the car in front of you, and maintaining a steady speed. Depending on your location, however, you should only stay in the left lane if you're passing a slower car.
Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Already answered Not a question Bad question Other. Tips Be careful with the fuel grade octane that 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. 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 air conditioner or open windows as much, which uses gas. 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.
Walk or bicycle to your destination, if reasonable. Warnings Do not tailgate other vehicles a practice used in racing cars known as drafting to conserve gas. Though this may help reduce wind drag by letting the other vehicle break the air resistance for you, it is illegal and very unsafe. Follow regular maintenance, and read the Owner's Manual that came with the vehicle. The cost of scheduled oil changes may seem expensive, but in the long run they will save gas and greatly reduce engine wear.
People often "ride" their brakes for no apparent reason other than excessive acceleration and following too closely. Efficient Driving In other languages: Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. AF Areesh Fatima Feb 1, SB Sai Janani B.
RF Roager Freemers Apr 30, More success stories All success stories Hide success stories. If your car manual says that you need to put in unleaded fuel or even the cheapest petrol with a not-so-high octane rating in your vehicle, then you really have to trust them since they know what they are saying. Just make sure it is within the lower limit of the octane rating recommendation by your vehicle manufacturer. In an effort to economize, some of us would rather turn our vehicles into cargo or delivery trucks, packing as many luggage and other stuff that we can squeeze into our trunks or even flatbeds.
Unfortunately, doing so increases the weight of our vehicle which puts more strain on the engine, making it work harder. As you already know, an engine that is working exceptionally hard or near double its normal operating performance will require more fuel to be burned. Imagine yourself carrying a pound bag.
In other words, it is not comfortable at all. Now put your personal experience into your car. Doing so will increase fuel consumption. In similar manner, avoid putting roof racks and any other storage accessories on your car.
Sure, it will make your car look really cool. Even so-called aerodynamic storage compartment shells can increase drag. Of course, if you really have to haul a lot of things, then you can install it. This is also true regarding racks where you mount your bikes or ski equipment for a weekend of outdoor fun. One of the easiest ways to improve your gas mileage is to inflate your tires to the correct pressure.
Sadly, a lot of motorists today neglect this part.
Regrettably, running on low tire pressure increases the rolling resistance of your tires on the ground surface. This robs you of very precious fuel. So make sure to inflate your tires to their correct pressure even before rolling out of your garage. There are now plenty of useful gadgets that seamlessly connect to your mobile giving you real-time information on tire pressure.
This way you will know when you need to make the necessary adjustments.
Since the major factor that can increase fuel consumption is rolling resistance, you might want to check the tread pattern of your tires. The thing is many tire manufacturers today produce tires with relatively low rolling resistance. What this means is that the tires are able to roll along the surface of the road almost effortlessly. This reduction in resistance translates to easier workload for your engine which means, better fuel mileage. They will promise you improved performance and better gas mileage.
While some of these products may actually deliver on their promises, do understand that these are not specific to your vehicle. As such, the testing done on the effectiveness of such products such as motor oils may not include the specific type of car brand, model, and trim that you have. You see, when car manufacturers designed their car, they always put these to a battery of tests to determine what specific type of motor oil to use will bring out the best performance of your engine under a variety of test conditions.
That is why they always have this long list of recommended motor oils as well as what can be provided as alternatives. Using motor oil that has never been tested on the kind and type of car that you have in various conditions may result in the creation of increased friction in the mechanical parts of your engine. This pushes your engine to increase its work.
And you know what happens next. How many of you spend time to check the integrity of your gas cap? For most of us, we are only mindful of this part of our vehicle whenever we have to reach for that button to pop open the fuel door. The gas cap contains a rubber seal which forms an airtight protection against the possible entry of air into your gas tank.
Unfortunately, this rubber seal degrades over time, forming cracks or failing altogether. Because of this increased air in the fuel, your engine will have to burn more gas and this increases your fuel consumption. Thankfully, most modern cars now have sensors to detect the integrity of the seal. Replacing these should be pretty straightforward. Did you know that running your engine at idle actually consumes roughly half a gallon to about a gallon of fuel every hour, not to mention the carbon dioxide that your engine pumps into the atmosphere?
How to Save Gas. 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. Gas prices are quickly rising, but there are many simple things you can do to save money. See these 20 tips to save at the pump.
If this is the case, you can easily do the math. This easily translates to about The same is true early in the mornings. Most of us have this tendency to rev it up in an effort to warm the engines quickly enough.