Before driving your vehicle,
make sure it is properly maintained. Bring your vehicle promptly to the
shop when you are notified of a scheduled preventative maintenance inspection
or when you notice a change in the performance of the vehicle. Tune-ups
and a regular maintenance program can save 4% on average in fuel. Keep
your front suspension and steering properly aligned and repair body damage.
Be sure the tires are properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can cost
as much as 1 mpg. Generally, studies indicate that keeping proper air
pressure can improve your gas mileage by 3.3%. Make sure the tires are
checked for proper pressure at least once per month and every time the
vehicle is fueled.
Don't use premium fuel if your car does not require it; using it is an
unnecessary expense. Getting the best fuel economy depends not only on
how the vehicle is maintained, but also on how it is driven. Here are
some fuel-saving driving tips to follow:
- Avoid extended warm-ups. Modern engines do not require
it. As soon as your vehicle is drivable, accelerate
gently and slowly for the first few blocks until the vehicle is fully warmed.
- Don't drive fast until the engine has fully warmed
to normal operating
temperature.
- Don't carry unnecessary equipment and minimize drag. Weight
is the largest single factor
in fuel usage, and every extra hundred pounds in cargo costs about 1% in
fuel economy. Keep your trunk and backseat clear of any unnecessary items.
- Avoid unnecessary idling. One minute of idling uses
more fuel than
it takes to restart the engine. Prolonged idling uses fuel at the rate of about ½ gallon
per hour. During a six month span in 2005, Safelite Group, an auto
glass service company, decreased gasoline usage in their fleet of vans and
light duty trucks by 6% after implementing a corporate initiative, called “Turn
It Off – Idling Gets You Nowhere.” Remember, when you idle, you
get “0” mpg.
- Avoid sudden stops and starts. Hard acceleration
uses up to one third
more fuel. Achieve your desired speed with a steady foot on the accelerator
and try coasting to stop. Speeding, rapid acceleration, and braking can lower
your gas mileage by 5% at lower speeds around town, and by 33% at higher
highway speeds.
- Don't vent your anger behind the wheel. Aggressive acceleration
wastes fuel and can be dangerous as well.
- Drive at a steady pace. Plan your route to avoid
stop-and-start conditions
and heavy traffic. Be aware of the traffic around you and adjust your
driving to avoid constant acceleration and deceleration.
- Many traffic light systems are "timed" for a given speed. Try
to pace your speed to make the green lights rather than going faster
and stopping for red or yellow lights.
- The best fuel economy is obtained at moderate speeds.
More fuel is
consumed below 35 mph than at 45 mph, and generally, you'll lose 1 mpg for every
5 mpg over 50.
- Try to anticipate traffic jams and avoid them when
possible. Despite
stops for traffic signals on other roads, avoiding those expressway traffic
jams can lower fuel consumption as much as 50%. Listen to radio reports for
alternate routes around congested areas.
- Avoid excessive braking. The need for braking can
often be eliminated
by downshifting or simply taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.
- Carpool whenever possible or practical.
- Combine several short trips into a single trip. Short
trips (fewer
than 5 miles) don't let the engine reach its most efficient operating temperature.
By combining numerous short trips, you can save on the total miles
driven and take advantage of the vehicle's more efficient warmed-up condition.
- If you own more than one vehicle, use the most economical, especially
for commuting or stop-and-go driving.
- Use the transmission properly. If your vehicle has
a manual transmission,
shift gears as soon as the engine can run smoothly in the next gear.
Low gear at 20 mph gives only about two-thirds the mileage as high gear at
the same speed. In second gear, it is four-fifths the mileage you'd get in high.
With an automatic transmission, lifting your foot slightly off the accelerator
will make the transmission shift sooner.
- When approaching hills, don't wait until the vehicle
begins to "lug" before
shifting gears. Don't accelerate once you have started up the hill,
because speed increase is slight and fuel consumption is high. You can minimize
the speed loss by gradually increasing speed as you approach a hill.
- If equipped, use the cruise control. A cruise control
can gain 1-2
mpg by maintaining a steady, preset speed over any kind of terrain.
- Relax while driving. Find a comfortable driving position;
fidgeting in the seat leads to constant speed changes and decreases fuel economy.
- If you drive a manual transmission vehicle, start
in second when going
downhill.
- Keep accurate records. Over a period, you can check
your fuel economy;
a sudden drop in miles per gallon may mean it's time for a tune-up or other
maintenance.
* - Source:
ProCarCare.com