It used to be that the US had some of the best cheap gas on the planet, but now gas prices are at unprecendented rates and climbing. I won't go into the political situations behind this at all. Our interest here is how to help you get better mileage from the car you have. There is a lot of talk about gas saving devices, but most research has found that these create only marginal improvements in economy. There are a number of far better ways to improve your mileage and reduce the effect of rising gas prices. There is one key ingredient before we start. Just a little bit of motivation is required to put these tips into effect. If you can muster that, then I will guarantee you will increase your mileage. These tips are from a short free little ebook that you can download, which by the way has even more tips on saving money on your car - not only fighting the gas price war. You will love it. So here they are. Remember the key ingredient is to DO it. That's all. Tip 1 Use the correct octane rating What is an octane rating? It's basically a measure of the mixture of the fuel. Some engines don't run well on a low octane rating and create noises like "pings" in the engine. Your car may not need to use high octane fuel. A way to test this is to gradually reduce the proportion of high octane fuel in the tank. If you get no pinging sounds you can get by with that octane rating. You will save up to 15c per litre. Also check your owners manual to make sure you are using the recommended octane rating. Don't be sold on the benefits of premium fuel protecting your engine. You can do much more for it if you keep it regularly serviced. Tip 2 Revvs are for nevvs Bad rhyming I know. What is a "nevv"? Frankly I have no idea, but it means something like a person who wants to throw dollar bills down the toilet. Revving your car puts unnecessary stress on the engine - big time. And chews fuel faster than a thirsty coal-miner drinks beer after work. Especially when the engine is cold. Imagine waking up in the morning and squatting 300 pounds while your knees are cold and you'll get the picture. Tip 3 Put the contents of your boot/trunk in your shed Carrying excess weight in the boot adds to your fuel bill. Any drag or weight will increase the amount of fuel required to get the car in motion and overcome it's intertia. Tip 4 Idling engines are the devils work You may have heard that switching a light switch on and off uses more electricity. Well, I've never gotten to the bottom of that, but tests have definitely shown that idling your car for more tan about 2.5 minutes uses more fuel, than turning it off and restarting it. If you are in a traffic jam, waiting for a bridge to open, or dropping your friend off - any more than 2.5 minutes you are better to switch it off. Tip 5 Plan your driving Drive the most fuel efficient car you own for the most miles in your family. Avoid peak hour travelling if possible. If you are just doing a single trip to work that is pretty routine consider car pooling. Tip 6 Keep your car tuned Cars are not like the human body. They don't really self-correct and can go out of adjustment. An untuned car can increase your gas bill in very severe cases by 33%. It's absolutely shocking and you always kick yourself for not getting it done sooner. Critical components are: Air Filter: Cheap to replace Fuel Filter: Should be changed once per year Oil: Reduces friction between moving parts - change according to manufacturers recommendations. You should also change the oil filter when you change the oil. Spark Plugs: If these are incorrectly set or corroded they will seriously affect fuel economy Apart from that get a professional tune-up including lubrication of any bearings required. Anything that reduces friction will increase fuel economy. There are other mechanical and electrical systems that can affect fuel economy. Older cars with carburetion systems may get dirt in the carburettor and this should be looked out for. More modern cars are able to be hooked into computers for diagnostics - check with your "trusted mechanic" (See later tips on mechanics and saving money) Tip 7 Pumped up tires are not hot air Get out your owners manual and check out the recommended tire pressure. They will be different front and back. You can actually increase the psi(pressure) by 2 units over the recommended for increased economy. Make sure you take into account the season. Tip 8 Air-Conditioners No it's not a myth. The air-conditioner will use more fuel. Drive without it if possible. However on a long highway journey it may actually be cheaper to have it on rather than drive with the windows open. This is due to the increased drag. So the rule is on a short journey - A/C off. On a long journey A/C on and windows up. Tip 9 Smooth operator Taking off smoothly will put money in your pocket. With traffic lights there is very little point in doing 0-100 in 4 seconds. You only have to stop at the light again. When you are braking let the engine slow you down. Take your foot off the gas well in advance of the stop sign or light. You really don't get there any faster in a city by speeding, unless you are willing to drive on the sidewalk, which I am not recommending. Tests have shown that for every 10mph over 55mph you are adding something like 2-5% to your fuel bill. Tip 10 Make use of Cruise Control and Overdrive gears. If your car has cruise control or overdrive gears, use them. Overdrive is most useful on long highway drives, where you are already running. The engine does less work for the same miles. Cruise control is also a fuel saver on highway trips. Basically the less you touch your gas pedal the better, because it always overcompensates a little bit. Well, that's it. As I said just DO it. Happy Motoring |
