Improve your Miles Per Gallon (MPG)
There are many many tips for saving gas while driving. Some pertain to driving habits, while others just tell you how to maintain your car in order to improve mpg. These gas tips are gathered from various sites on the internet, as well as readers of the site.
Gas Tip: Get a hybrid!
Some people love them, some people despise them. Either way, you can't deny the HUGE amount of money you'll be saving by having one of these. 40+ MPG is very possible and cars nowadays are starting to get even more MPG! This is definitely one of the best tips for saving gas. But it's not for everyone.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Use your trunk, not your roof
A roof rack or carrier provides additional cargo space and may allow you to meet your needs with a smaller car. However, a loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by 5%. Reduce aerodynamic drag and improve your fuel economy by placing items inside the trunk whenever possible.
Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. As stated above, an extra 100 lbs. in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by 1-2%.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Use the right kind of oil
Improve your gas mileage by 1-2% by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2%. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5%.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Check your tire pressure
Improve your gas mileage by around 3.3% by keeping your tires pumped-up and inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4% for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all 4 tires. Not only will keeping your tires inflated help your MPG, but your tires will last alot longer as well!
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Check your air filters
Replacing a dirty 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.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Keep your engine running smooth
Fixing your car when it's noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%, of course, results will vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.
Anything having to do with the air/fuel mixture should be fixed immediately for optimum gas savings. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40%!
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Use the Overdrive Gear
When you use your overdrive gears, your car's engine slows down. This not only saves gas, but reduces engine wear as well.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Use Cruise Control!
Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. This is due to the car not having to constantly accelerate/decelerate. If you don't have cruise control in your car, then just try to keep your speed as steady as possible.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Don't idle more than 30 seconds
News flash! Idling gets 0 miles per gallon! Makes perfect sense, but most people don't realize this! Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines. So if you're going to be sitting for a while (at the atm, drive-through food etc.), turn your car off. Starting your car uses as much gas as letting your car idle for ~30 seconds, so use this technique wisely.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Lighten the load
Try keeping your car as light as possible. This means removing unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. For every 100 lbs. of weight in your vehicle reduces your MPG by up to 2%. This idea affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
Submitted by: Gastricks.com
Gas Tip: Drive Sensibly. Slow down.
Agressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town.
While each vehicle reaches its best fuel economy at a different speeds (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph due to the intensive wind resistance pushing against your car. Think of it this way, each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional ~$0.20 per gallon for gas (this figure was based back when gas was $3.72 per gallon).
Submitted by: Gastricks.com