Ideas to get the most out of your mileage…
Now I know we are all quickly approaching empty pocket books due to the price of high gas prices. It is everywhere. What you may not know is ways to get the most out of your vehicle that will not only save you money at the pump but also get you more miles per tank of fuel. These are some suggestions I have found from research on this exact topic that might help you out.
Drive Sensibly - Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
Observe the Speed Limit – We all know how dangerous and expensive it is to pay tickets for speeding but did you know that while each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.26 per gallon for gas.
Remove Excess Weight - Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your mpg by up to 2%! The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
Avoid Excessive Idling - This definitely comes in to play on those early Monday mornings we all dread sitting in line at Starbucks waiting for some artificial awake. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. So while you are sitting there you oare not only adding pollution but you aren’t getting any mileage for idling! So, if you just shut the car off on those excessive waits you will save yourself some money and the environment!
Use Cruise Control - Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and as I explained above anything over 60 burns more fuel than any other speed, so in most cases, just using cruise control will help save gas.
Use Overdrive Gears - When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear, most automatics have this feature and if you are not sure of what overdrive is on your vehicle, any local mechanic should be able to point you in the right direction.
Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly - Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10%. Your car’s air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine. On this same note, fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40%! That’s HUGE for a single item that just needed to be replaced.
I hope this helps all of you as much as it has helped me! And if any of you have more tips or tricks or even have tried these and noticed a difference I encourage you to let us know – just post to this blog!