Given the dynamic and unreliable nature of fuel prices, car users simply cannot depend on temporary drops in gasoline prices. Perhaps adopting simple fuel saving tips is the key to keeping prices from burning a hole in your pocket.
The following tips will help you save fuel and protect the environment.
1. To begin with, choose the right car for your needs, if your needs consist of driving around town, get a lighter vehicle (hybrid or gasoline) instead of a big gas guzzler.
2. Considered one of the most important factors affecting fuel economy, the need to ensure the correct tire pressure for your car cannot be overemphasized. Check tire pressure at least once a week, remember that even over-inflated tires lead to higher gas mileage.
3. Timely maintenance of your car that covers ensuring correct levels of all essential engine fluids and keeping all systems in shape can make all the difference.
4. Keeping your car clean not only improves its shine, but also prevents dirt or snow from creating unnecessary drag and keeps your engine from working harder.
5. Until it is absolutely necessary, do not carry extra luggage in the trunk of the car, since it would only increase the weight and force the engine to consume more gasoline.
6. Drive well within your vehicle’s fuel economy range, if you’re not already used to driving slow enough you’ll need to make some adjustments here, but rest assured, the benefits are real. The difference in gas mileage between speeds of 55 and 65 mph can be as large as 2MPG.
7. Accelerating your car like a dragster burns fuel very fast, each time you have to step on the accelerator do it gradually.
8. If possible, place your left foot on the floor rather than the brake pedal, as even light pressure on the brakes can significantly increase resistance.
9. Operate the air conditioner wisely and only when you need it. If you can get by just opening the windows partially for fresh air, that’s good. But remember that on highways, opening the windows can backfire by creating more resistance, so you’d better have the windows open and the air conditioning on. Also, once the indoor climate is cold enough, turn down the power of the air conditioner, so it doesn’t put undue stress on your car’s engine.
10. Pick and choose the gas stations with the best prices in your area, there are many websites that keep track of the existing prices in different locations/regions.
11. Making good use of credit card and club gas discount schemes or gas rebate schemes makes a lot of sense even if you save just a couple of cents on each visit to the station. Remember the good old quote “a penny saved is a penny earned”.
12. After consulting your owner’s manual, choose the lowest grade of motor oil available. No need to buy the premium grade unnecessarily.
13. Always close the gas cap tight enough, otherwise the fuel may leak or evaporate.
14. If you need to travel only a short distance, walk instead. This would not only help save gasoline, but would also do the necessary physical exercise, so recommended for a healthy life.
15. Try to complete all your purchases in one trip instead of visiting the market multiple times. Also, choose a mall that has a wide variety of supplies so you don’t have to move from area to area to buy the different items on your list.
16. Always drive in moderation, as driving like you’re in a hurry will only cause you to brake and accelerate erratically, thus burning more gas.
17. Cruise control, speed control or Autocruise, no matter what name you give it, use it when you are on a long trip on a freeway.
18. However, often not given enough weight, idling can lead to significant fuel consumption. Keep your car from idling and you would save a lot.
19. Try driving in top gear, lower gears are meant to make the car move from a stationary position and make the engine draw more power than higher gears.
20. Imitate truckers when approaching traffic lights. Truckers are wise to look ahead to see if the lights are about to turn red and consequently begin to slow down when a stop is imminent. Also, if the lights are already red and you cruise slowly towards them, they may turn green while you’re still rolling. So you don’t have to stop at all.
21. Plan your trip so that you can decide the shortest route through several stops to complete the trip.
22. Buy a bike to use when trips are too short to cover by car and too long to complete on foot. Determine the criteria for too long and too short based on your own preferences.
23. Use public transport whenever possible, it can not only save gas, but it will also free you from the effort and care of driving yourself.
24. Make use of a fuel catalyst, they can be poured into the fuel tank at other times when they need to be installed. Catalytic converters increase fuel economy by burning gas efficiently.
25. Cleaning, properly maintaining, and replacing air filters when necessary also helps increase the efficiency of the car.
26. When you accelerate the engine during start-up and heat it more than 30-40 seconds, it leads to unwanted gas consumption. So a 30-40 second warm up is fine for this purpose.
27. Consult the owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s advice for the maintenance schedule.
28. Use the manufacturer’s recommended motor oil in the recommended amount and frequency.
29. Take your vehicle to refuel in the morning or at night when it’s cold. At low temperatures, the oil is thicker, and therefore you can get more gas for the same amount of money.
30. Avoid putting luggage on the roof unnecessarily as it creates a lot of drag by distorting the aerodynamics of the car. In fact, the best thing to do is remove the roof rack entirely, as even an empty roof rack causes enough drag.
31. Avoid using tires that are too wide, they may be fancy but they are certainly a deterrent to good fuel economy as they create more drag.
32. Carpooling saves not only for yourself but also for those around you.
33. Use manual transmission, as an automatic transmission still can’t match your assessment.
34. Choose a route that is the shortest, has minimal traffic lights and little traffic.
35. Take your car to refuel only when the gasoline is about to run out, this is so, since even the weight of the gasoline can be considered as a load that the engine needs to throw away, which leads to a higher consumption of gasoline.
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