GasBuddy.com
Top Ten Fuel Saving Tips
1 Avoid High Speeds As your
speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion.
Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption
by about 15%.
2 Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard By anticipating the traffic
and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase
by as much as 20%.
3 Keep Tires Properly Inflated Keep tire air pressure at
the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under
inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1%.
4 Use A/C Sparingly When the air conditioner is on it puts
extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The
defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.
5 Keep Windows Closed Windows open, especially at highway
speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.
6 Service Vehicle Regularly Proper maintenance avoids poor
fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid
levels.
7 Use Cruise Control Maintaining a constant speed over
long distances often saves gas.
8 Avoid Heavy Loads Remove the sand bags from your trunk
in the spring and pack lightly for long trips.
9 Avoid Long Idles If you anticipate being stopped for
more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel
than letting it idle for this time.
10 Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle When buying a new
vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a
small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel
economy.
HybridCars.com Fuel
Saving Tips
Create a "Work" Space
Leave plenty of room to the vehicle in front of you. If the traffic ahead
slows, you will have a buffer to maintain momentum and conserve energy,
allowing you to plan ahead. I use a buffer of 500-1,000 feet or more.
As an added bonus, the vehicle in front of you won't be spraying gravel
on your car.
Alternative Routes
Try different routes for common trips. I could use the freeway for 99
percent of my daily commute. I have learned instead to take the first
20 miles of my 44-mile trip using a parallel highway. I travel an extra
mile, but this way I avoid freeway speeds and traffic while gaining 10
mpg or more.
Memorize Common Routes
If your vehicle is not equipped with a good, accurate real-time mpg- meter
it will help to keep a log between fills to determine which way saves
you more. Get familiar with your route—know where a little gas is
required and where you can coast.
Reduce Wind Resistance by Reducing Speed
Wind resistance roughly doubles between 55 mph and 70 mph. For example
if there is a constant 200 lbs fuel-robbing wind pressure at 55, then
there will be more than 400 lbs fighting you going 70. As a rule of thumb,
consider driving the speed limit or lower, if traffic conditions will
allow.
Quality of Gasoline
I haven't noticed any performance changes from the most expensive gas
to the cheapest. Use regular-unleaded if your car manufacturer suggests
it.
Air Conditioning
The A/C system decrease your mileage, especially in smaller cars. If you
desire savings, wait to activate the A/C button until rolling down a hill
or decelerating. Otherwise keep it off. This way the momentum of the car
runs the A/C instead of the fuel. Lastly, be sure the air conditioning
or defroster is off while climbing a hill.
Windshield Defroster
The A/C compressor is automatically turned on, when the heater is set
to defrost and the fan is set to ON. In this way, the moisture that has
condensed on the windows will evaporate faster.
Normally, you don’t need to keep your defroster
running and it wastes fuel. If you set the knob to defrost but keep the
fan set to OFF the AC compressor will not run. With this setting, there
will be a steady flow of air over the window to help keep it clear. If
they begin to fog up you can briefly switch the fan to a middle-high setting
until they clear, then switch the fan back to OFF.
Tire Pressure
Low tire pressure will rob you of your mpg. Every car has a door sticker
in the driver side door jam, and these pressures should be considered
MINIMUM. Higher pressures will give you greater savings, but at the expense
of a harder ride.
Every tire has a maximum cold pressure rating imprinted
on the side of the tire. You can go as high as that rating while the tire
is cold (not driven for an hour) but do not exceed that maximum rating.
Beginning from a Stop
This is where you kill your mileage numbers. Accelerate as gradually as
practical, gradually backing off the accelerator as you increase speed.
Accelerate more slowly if there is no traffic behind you.
Climbing a Hill
Big hills are the second main mpg-killer. Try to find a different road
going around the hill or you can or pick a route that doesn’t add
significant distance to your trip.
Learn to drive with the load. That is, don’t
maintain speed climbing hills. If you know a hill is ahead, gradually
increase your speed on your approach. Try to guess the time it will take
to reach the top. Also decide the minimum speed required at the top.
As you climb the hill, gradually slow down and try
to time it so the minimum speed is reached near the top. If the traffic
is extremely light, you can let your speed really sag. If you reach the
top of a tall hill and find a short flat area that leads to another big
hill, you are at a disadvantage because of your minimum speed. Accelerate
as gradually as you can on the flat area—and time the next crest
as you did for the first hill.
Rolling Down a Hill
Always plan ahead. If I know the decline is immediately followed by a
steep uphill, I will usually begin my decent coasting (or switching to
NEUTRAL—more on this later). Then, as I near the bottom, I'll add
enough acceleration to gain momentum for the onslaught of the incoming
hill. If the hill flows down to a long, flat road at the bottom, then
keep your momentum.
Traffic
Don't drive only by how it "feels". If it seems like you are
slowing down, don't just blindly push the accelerator down. I find that
it is a difficult habit to break. Only use enough fuel for the task required.
Don’t just “Gas it”, no matter how much or how little.
Have a reason.
Listen to traffic reports on the radio. If you hear of a backup, go around
if possible.
Additional Tips
If waiting in a line (fast food, etc.) set your
parking brake and put the shifter into neutral. Turn the key one click
to turn the engine off (provided that you do not need A/C, defroster,
etc.).
If you need the fan, radio, etc., then click once
to on again, but do not restart the engine until the line you are waiting
in has moved at least a cars length. Don’t just let it idle while
stopped. However, the stopping-restarting, stopping-restarting again is
not recommended while in traffic due to starter wear.
If waiting at a light and the car ahead of you "creeps" ahead
a few feet, do not follow. Stay where you are.
If your route uses a toll booth, get a cruising pass. That way you don't
have to stop and fight traffic.
Keep your car's momentum, even around corners if it can be done safely.
Try to time traffic lights so you can cross without stopping. Approach
the light more slowly to help be more successful in timing.
When you get into the car and start it, don't waste time. Don't just stay
parked to let it warm up. Buckle up, get in gear, and get going.
Allow extra time to accelerate when the engine is still warming up. Your
engine is a fuel PIG for the first 5-20 minutes.
Some people are putting Mobil 1 Trisync oil into their cars and gaining
mpg.
Keep the oil level on the full mark, not above or below. Change your oil
frequently.
Keep the tire alignment maintained.
Have a clean air filter.
Keep in mind that on a flat, level road a vehicle gets its best mpg, while
just maintaining a constant speed between 40-50 mph.
For a quick boost in mpg while coasting down a long hill, you can back
off the accelerator and put the transmission into neutral and let the
engine idle. The longer distance you roll while in N the more dramatic
your savings will be. This is a good time to switch on the A/C if you
are working the button to conserve fuel.
Especially good judgment must be used in this case. You can crash so extreme
caution must me made. Maximum speed while rolling should not exceed 40
mph, and on familiar roads where it can be done safely—not mountain
passes while traveling on your family vacation.
Be sure to raise the engine's rpm by stepping
on the gas a little to about 1.5-2K rpm before re-engaging the transmission.
That is called "Rev-Matching" and will prevent transmission
strain. If your shifter is located on the steering column—not in
a console—I'd avoid this procedure. Column shifters can be difficult
to move accurately. |