Fuel Saving Tips

Changes in driving habits and vehicle care can save fuel

Plan ahead - coast to stop signs; and try to time stop lights. If you drive a manual transmission car, coast in neutral or push in the clutch until you get to the stop. Time the stop and go lights, try to be rolling as the light changes. Do not race to the next light to just jam on the brakes. Take it easy, and anticipate the traffic and lights ahead. If you find you must stop at a light, take off gently and avoid a jack rabbit start, you are not at the local drag racing track. Constant acceleration and deceleration wastes fuel, again plan ahead, the idea is to avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
Try to drive smoothly. Imagine you have your morning drink sitting on your dashboard and you do not want to spill it. Drive like that all the time and you can save fuel, additionally you will save wear and tear on your vehicle. Some people say I drive like a grandma, but I pull 19 mpg out of my full size diesel dual wheeled truck.

Drive the speed limit. There is some debate, but at speeds over 60 mph, wind drag starts to affect fuel mileage. This is somewhat dependant on your vehicle and how it cuts through the wind. The bottom line is the faster you go the more fuel you will use because your engine has to work harder to overcome the wind resistance of your vehicle.

If your car has an overdrive gear, use it, or if considering a new car buy one with an overdrive gear, most new cars these days have an overdrive. The lower your rpms, the less fuel you will use, especially on the highway. Every engine has an optimum rpm range where the engine produces the best horsepower and torque. You ultimately will produce the best fuel mileage at or below the rpm of the highest torque. You do not want to run too low an rpm because the engine will then lug, work too hard, and will waste fuel also.

Many new cars have a gauge which calculates instantaneous fuel mileage, if your car has one use it (but keep your eyes on the road) to help you understand what driving conditions produce the best instantaneous fuel mileage. Use it to learn how to drive for mileage. Some cars have an average fuel mileage for the time based on different factors but you can use it to see if you are increasing the average fuel mileage in your vehicle. If your car is older like mine, you can install a vacuum gauge and try to keep the vacuum at its maximum at all times. Contact me and I can help you locate one or even install it.

Use your cruise control if you have one. Using the cruise will help reduce fuel use by keeping the speed constant.The cruise control can do a better job than your foot of holding speed. The exception to this may be on extremely hilly or mountainous roads.

Tire Pressure - make sure your tire pressure is at the recommended maximum amount. Check in your owners manual for the recommended tire pressure. You can also check on the side of the tire for the recommended maximum tire pressure. The more air in your tires the less rolling resistance they will have, but the trade off is the car will ride rougher and may handle differently. Low tire pressure is one of the greatest causes of wasted fuel. One can purchase a tire pressure gauge for under $10.00. You can also buy a tire pressure monitoring system, but they are more expensive. I have also seen some caps you can install on the tire valve stem which warns you when the pressure is low. Low tire pressure not only wastes fuel, but also can make a vehicle dangerous to operate.

Make sure your front end is in alignment. With proper alignment there will be less rolling resistance which will produce better fuel mileage and avoid excessive tire wear.

Lose the "junk in the truck", remove any nonessential items you are carrying around in your vehicle. More weight means the engine has to work harder to move the vehicle. A rough estimate from the Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air is a 4% loss in mileage for every 100 pounds of excess weight, the Federal Trade Commission says it is about 2% loss for every 100 pounds.

When you are carrying items, place them inside the cargo area instead of the vehicle top. Anything placed on top adds to the wind drag discussed above.

If you own a pickup truck, like I do, put a tonneau cover on the bed to help reduce wind drag. There is some debate on this, but GM decided to add a tonneau cover to their extra fuel economy (XFE) trucks to help increase fuel mileage, I believe they studied what was best.

It may look cool to lift that truck, but it will cost fuel mileage, better to install a lowering kit.

Keep your engine tuned at its best operating condition. This may include spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, sensors, etc. 1996 model year and later vehicles have the 2nd generation of on board diagnostics (OBD II) and tell the driver when there is a problem, do not ignore the check engine light. It maybe something simple and cheap, but could cost you more in mileage. Some vehicles prior to 1996 will also have a check engine light come on when there is a problem. On board electronics started to be installed in the early 80s.

Make sure your gas cap is secure, if not it may make the check engine light come on. You will also pollute the atmosphere with a loose or missing gas cap.

Install a vacuum gauge if your vehicle does not have a fuel mileage monitor from the factory. This will help your driving habit to stay in the efficient zone.

Get one of those prop up window shades to help keep the interior of your vehicle cooler in the summer when you park. You can also have the rear windows tinted (check your local laws) to help keep the interior cool. Using the air conditioner uses more fuel.

At a minimum use the proper grade of oil, for example SAE 5W-30. The manufacturers have determined what the best grade oil is for your vehicle and will be recommended in the owners manual. Some manufacturers are now recommending a SAE 0W-20 oil. I recommend the use of synthetic oil, AMSOIL, because the engine can operate more efficiently when it is lubricated better. I would recommend synthetic lubricants for the transmission and differential also to get the best mileage possible. I run all synthetic lubricants in my 1 ton dual wheeled diesel pick up truck, and again I can pull 19 mpg or more out of it.

Plan your day so you only have to make one trip. For example, do your grocery shopping on your way home from work instead of a special trip to the market another day. The alternative is plan a day to do all your shopping and make all the stops in one trip.

Plan your trips so the engine is warm, so go to the farthest location first and work your way back home. It takes less fuel to start a warm engine. According the the Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air when you start your car after it has been sitting for more than an hour you will pollute up to 5 times more than when the engine is warm.

Avoid excessive idling. Idling produces 0 mpg! If you have to wait more than 30 seconds it is better to turn off your vehicle and restart it. Avoid the drive through convenience of banks and fast food restaurants.

Idling is NOT a good procedure for warming up your vehicle on cold days. Putting the engine to work will warm it faster than letting it sit idle. Again idling produces 0 mpg!