- First off is Check your tire Pressure. Under or Over inflation can lead to poor fuel economy. Not only that, but it can also shorten tire life. Correct tire pressure is key to getting the best gas mileage possible. Check your Vehicle's owners manual for proper tire inflation. Contrary to what most people think, set the tire pressure according to your vehicle's owners manual, Not the Max pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire. The U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA jointly report that proper tire inflation can improve fuel economy by 3 percent, saving up to 12 cents per gallon.
- Clean or replace your Air Filter. The DOE/EPA report that replacing dirty air filters can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Saving up to 40 cents per gallon.
- Keep your oil clean with regular oil changes. You can increase fuel efficiency by 1 to 2 percent by having the clean and the proper grade oil.
- Keep fuel systems like injectors and carburetors clean. A dirty fuel system can cause rough idling, hesitation, or hard starts, but it can also hinder fuel efficiency. Keeping your fuel systems clean by removing build up and dirt particles can increase gas mileage.
- Get a tune up. Replacing spark plugs, Ignition wires, Fuel filter, and oxygen sensors as needed. A properly tuned engine can increase fuel economy by 4 percent, saving 16 cents per gallon.
- Fuel choices count. The gas or diesel you use will have an impact on economy. Even among different fuel brands, you may see variances in BTU content (British Thermal Units, a measurement of stored energy) that may effect economy. Winter grades of gasoline, oxygenated fuels or those blended with 10-15 percent ethanol offer less economy because they have fewer BTUs. The loss could be in the neighborhood of 2-4 percent according to most sources. E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) offers even less economy, usually around 15 percent less, but as much as 20-25 percent. Theoretically, the losses are offset by the lower cost of the fuel but, unfortunately, E85 is neither common nor particularly cheap in most areas. Diesel fuel just underwent a major, was insignificant. government-mandated reformulation to reduce sulphur content. Overall, the results are a net plus, but some owners and studies report a slight loss of fuel economy in the region of two percent. That loss may not show up for every diesel owner because the quality of the old diesel fuel around the country was so variable. If you lived in an area where crappy fuel ruled, you might see no loss or even a slight gain with the new fuel. You will see a mileage (and power) drop with any-winter-blended diesel.
Biodiesel has fewer BTUs and thus offers lower economy. The often quoted figures are about a two percent drop for B20 and a 10 percent drop for B100 (the B” and a number referring to the biofuel content). Again, in theory, the loss recovered by the lower cost of the fuel, but like ethanol, those huge price drops have not generally appeared. Someday, when the Biofuel infrastructure catches up, you may see significantly lower prices. (Off Road Adventures, July 2008)
Driving Tips:
1. Accelerate Moderately with light Throttle Pressure but briskly enough to get into high gear ASAP
2. Analyze the traffic and stop lights ahead to keep rolling and minimize idling. Accelerating from 5 mph costs less fuel than from a dead stop.
3. Cruisin' When traffic permits, use cruise control. Even at speeds down to 45 mph, it can save a few percent. On long trips, it can add 1-2 mpg over the average foot.
4. Minimizing idling. On long waits for traffic, shut the engine off.
5. Minimize warmups. Beyond clearing the windows, just let the engine idle long enough to stabilize oil pressure then drive off slowly.
6. Momentum is free. Coast wherever possibel. On downhills, back off on the throttle as much as possible while maintaing speed.
7. Patience. If you feel hurried or pressured, you'll tend to drive more aggressively.. and pay for it.
8. Shift Early. With a manual transmission, shift early while avoiding lugging. Get into top gear as soon and often as possibel.
9. Slow down on the freeway. Most trucks and 4x4s have poor aerodynamics. The faster you go, the more power is required to push your vehicle through the air and the more fuel it will use.
10. Use a block heater in winter instead of a long warm up.
11. Windows and A/C. 80's tests showed that running down the freeway with open windows cost about 1 mpg due to the loss of aerodynamics. Using the A/C at low speeds around town cost 2 mpg on the same car. At freeway speeds the a/c cost about . 5mpg. More recent tests confirm these numbers and show the gap between windows open and A/C on at freeway speeds is narrower on less aerodynamic rigs like trucks and SUVs, than it is for cars.
*savings based on $4.00/gallon
Americans truly have a choice - a choice between paying more and sending more money to foreign dictators, or producing more oil domestically and paying less. Sign the petition and join this movement.