We all hate spending money on gasoline. It really gets expensive! I spend about $35 a week on fuel, and I have a fairly efficient vehicle. I can only imagine what it would be like to own an SUV… Yeesh! First thing to be more effective on fuel is to have the right vehicle. Don’t get something just for the image. Get a practical vehicle that is as small as you can. Smaller vehicles simply use less fuel.
That being said, also think about your driving habits. Sure it’s easy to drive to the corner store or the mailbox. I’ve literally seen people drive 100 feet to the mailbox, drop a letter in and drive back home. Wow! Two things that not driving will do. First, it’ll save you in fuel and other vehicle expenses (like wear and tear). Second, it’ll give you some exercise. Whenever you can walk or ride a bike, do it! What a great way to save fuel!
- Buy your fuel in the early morning hours. Fuel is more condensed when cold and you’ll actually get more for your money. Some stations have attempted to put inline heaters on the pumps but they do little or nothing in the early morning hours. These heaters also have the reverse affect whereas in warmer times of the day they actually expand the fuel and you get “legally” ripped off at the pumps.
- DO NOT TOP YOUR TANK TO THE BRIM! Doing so sends excess fuel to the expansion canister in most cars, it floods the canister and actually defeats the expansion factor and creates poor fuel mileage. If I ever fill up at a full serve, I tell the guy not to “top up” and tell him if he does that I am knocking 50 cents off the bill. And I do it! I’ve only ever been yelled at once. Most gas jockeys simply listen. (Be really careful about that. I’m sure in some places it won’t work, and it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth.)
- Make sure that the air filter in your vehicle is clean and replaced when used, an engine that can breath better will run more efficiently. That also goes for the fuel filter, spark plugs, and other related tune-up components (distributor cap and rotor, PCV valve, sensors, spark plug wires, breather element, etc.).
- Make sure that the tires on your vehicle are inflated to the proper level as marked on the tires sidewall. Not enough air in your tires will create more drag on your vehicle and make it work harder to propel your car, hence using more fuel. Not only that, but you will be wearing the tires out prematurely. Over inflating the tires is not good either. Tire pressure, one of the most overlooked thoughts of 99% of car owners. It takes less time to check air pressure than it does to brush your teeth
- Excessive stuff in your vehicle (especially in the truck) will lessen your fuel mileage, because the car will have to work harder to carry the extra weight, believe it or not some people carry 100+ pounds of ‘junk, or extra stuff’ in their vehicles that is really not necessary to have all the time
- Make sure that your cars suspension is in good working condition. Like the brakes, if they were hanging or binding, they could be holding back the engine, worn suspension parts like tie-rods, ball-joints, shocks or struts, constant velocity joints, drive shaft(s) can all cause conditions that can be related to lower fuel mileage
- High octane gasoline doesn’t necessarily mean better fuel economy. As a matter a fact most vehicles now-a-days recommend using regular grade gas. Most vehicles list in their manuals the octane requirements. Although a lot of high performance “Fast Cool Cars” do require high octane fuel for better performance. And if you’re really interested in saving money, you’re not driving that car! And there are fuel additives that increase octane and are cheaper than the cost of premium fuel (I can get you some if you’re interested… I’ll add a link here later).
- Slamming on the gas or brakes wastes fuel. If you are planning a trip wherever it be, try to plan on going the most direct route, and avoid congested areas that require lots of stopping and starting. Using your cruise control if equipped, will keep your car at a steady speed, cruise control helps save gas.
- Speeding – Driving at 55 MPH (90kph) will generate better gas mileage by 17% as compared to driving 70 MPH, even at 65 MPH you’ll still use 10% more.
- Air Conditioning – If you have to park your car in the hot sun, then when you first get in, roll down the windows to let a lot of the hot air escape, wait a minute or two until you are driving down the road before turning on the AC. The average air conditioning unit in a vehicle is about 10,000 BTU’s, and uses approximately 35 horsepower to run it. That 35 horsepower cost you in average fuel mileage. Also when driving at highway speeds, 55+ mph you will actually get less fuel mileage with the windows down as compared to them being up with the AC on, because of the aerodynamic drag from having the windows down. Roof racks, and luggage racks that are loaded down instead of having the items inside the vehicle can cause a large aerodynamic drag and decrease fuel mileage by up to 5%
- Prior Planning – If you are planning a vacation or trip, try to include plans to your destination that will not require a lot of driving. Like a place that has lots of attractions near each other, walking is good and healthy, or a place with good public transportation
- Excessive Idling – Idling your vehicle gets zero miles per gallon. And cars with larger engines burn more fuel then cars with smaller engines while idling.
- Overdrive – If your vehicle is equipped with an overdrive gear, use it. The overdrive gear will slow the engine down while maintaining the same speed, and saving you fuel
- Motor Oil – You can improve your vehicles fuel mileage by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. An increase of 1-2% can be expected
- Commuting – If you can avoid getting into rush hour traffic situations, then avoid them so that you are not sitting in stop and go traffic where you will be getting lower fuel mileage. If you own more then one vehicle, take the one that gets the best fuel mileage whenever possible. Car pools and ride share can save you 50% on your weekly gasoline bill, and lots of time many places have a special lane that usually moves faster and is less congested for that going to work and going home commute. Try using public transportation when possible, it’s usually a lot more economical. Combine errands into one trip, rather then making a few trips, a warm motor will get better mileage compared to a lot of short cold trips to the store. Maybe stop at the store on the way home from work, rather then going back out after getting home. Simple, but it could save you mileage on your car, plus gasoline
- There are also additives that you can put in your gas tank that will save you some fuel. Really! These are available at a variety of prices and work at different levels of efficiency. In fact, here’s a uTube video on someone experimenting on making his own! [Be sure to read his disclaimers - this isn't the best product for your vehicle, as it has to be done properly or it can harm your automobile.]
- I have a “gas pill” that I use in my vehicle. It costs a mere $30 (Canadian) for a box of 12 pills. This increases my mileage by 20%. At one tank costing me $35, this is like saving $7.00 in gas. At $2.50 a pill, I’m saving $4.50 per tank! That’s awesome! A friend of mine sells these, and I can pass them on, just let me know you’re interested.
- If you’re at all mechanically inclined, you can try making your own Hydroxy converter. There’s a Yahoo! group on it (search “Hydroxy”). Another option for this is to buy a ready made set of instructions such as those offered here for under $50.00 (US). And it’s a bargain at that! Of course, there are issues with this if you’re in a really cold area; but, hey, that can be overcome (alcohol prevents water from freezing…[hint]). The instructions are great, and there are 12 different designs, so you can pretty much convert any vehicle to a Hydroxy hybrid or fueled vehicle. There are some things on there that those who are interested in going further might find interesting, too. I think it’d be cool to build my own solar panels! [All in good time... <sigh>] Anyhow, check it out! I did and I’m happy… now for my next project, how many uses can I put a hydroxy converter to… It is energy, after all!
I’m sure there are some tips that I missed… I do my research but I’m not perfect ( actually I have several more I’ll later, when I have more time). Anyone have anything to add? Any feedback on how well any of these things work for you? I’d love to hear from you!
Tags: fuel economy, Fuel Mileage Tips, how to increase your fuel economy, hydroxy fuel converter, increasing your fuel economy, make your own hybrid vehicle, saving money on gasoline, tips on saving gas
