By Bruce Brennan
With gas prices rocketing skyward these days, everybody is scrambling to find ways to increase their fuel efficiency. Luckily, there are several easy things you can do to help save gasoline this summer! I'll be showing you a few tips I've learned over the past few years to keep my tank, and my wallet, as full as possible.
1.
Local Awareness
I know you've done it before, you fill up soon after leaving your house, and halfway to work you realize you could have saved 10 cents per gallon just by waiting a little longer to gas up. If you haven't noticed the pattern, certain areas will consistently have cheaper gas than other areas. This is caused by a number of factors, including population, distance from the interstate, etc. By paying attention to which areas generally have cheaper gas, you can think ahead and plan your stop in the cheapest area that you will be passing through.
2.
Reduce Your Idling Time
Your engine uses less gas when idling than when under load, which is great. Unfortunately, you're getting 0 miles per gallon while you are sitting still with the engine running! I like to turn off my car while waiting in long lines. Perfect examples would be while waiting in line at a drive-thru, waiting for your children after school, waiting to pick someone up, etc. You'd be surprised how much gas you can actually save by not running your engine while sitting.
3.
Ration your A/C Use
In general, it's best to roll your windows down when possible instead of blasting the A/C, in terms of gas mileage. When making short stops, leave your windows slightly cracked open to allow air that heats up to escape from the vehicle until you return. At that point you can simply turn on your A/C until the interior is comfortable, then roll the windows down and enjoy the natural breeze! In hotter areas it may not be feasible to turn the A/C completely off. In this case turn it on high until you are comfortable, then turn it down to the lowest setting to maintain a cool temperature. Keep in mind that fuel efficiency of 4 and 6 cylinder engines suffer more from A/C usage than most V-8's do, as the load is handled better by the more powerful engines.
4.
Slow Down!
It still amazes me when I see people flying down the highway at 90mph, doing nothing but burning money as they do. I know some of us (including myself) tend to have a lead foot, but I challenge you to try going the speed limit, slowly accelerating, and keeping unnecessary passing to a minimum to see how it affects your gas mileage. I was surprised to find that by going 65 instead of 75 on a 4 hour trip, I was able to save over a ¼ of a tank. Accelerate slower from full stops to see much better fuel efficiency. The drive to work shouldn't be like a drag race if you're trying to save gas!
5.
Pay Attention at the Pump
Most gas stations, especially in the Southern portion of the Unites States are now adding Ethanol to the gasoline to reduce smog and combat higher gas prices. Unfortunately, some stations are adding too much, and you aren't getting the fuel efficiency you deserve. I tend to look an Ethanol content of around 10% or less, as that percentage actually increases fuel efficiency by allowing the fuel to burn cleaner. Higher levels of Ethanol with reduce the energy content (the potency, if you will) of the fuel, causing a loss in efficiency.
6.
Consider a Hybrid Vehicle
This is a pretty obvious solution, so there's not much explanation needed. Most hybrid cars these days use electricity while under low power operation, such as reversing, accelerating from a stop, driving under 10mph. etc. Simply by cutting down on fuel usage at these times, hybrid cars are able to see gas mileage in the range of up to 60+ miles per gallon! Obviously not everyone can just go out and buy a new car, but if you have the opportunity to purchase a hybrid, you should definitely consider it if fuel efficiency is an important issue to you.
I know anyone reading this can easily implement 5 out the 6 tips I've outlined, so give it a try and see for yourself! The little things go a LONG way when it comes to keeping money in your pocket and gas in your tank.
If you are REALLY ready to start saving gas, check out http://www.jonascrazy.com to see how I'm squeezing 37mpg out of my 500hp Trans-am daily driver. The best part is, you can do it yourself! I hope these tips have been helpful to you and your family.
Bruce Brennan
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Brennan
With gas prices rocketing skyward these days, everybody is scrambling to find ways to increase their fuel efficiency. Luckily, there are several easy things you can do to help save gasoline this summer! I'll be showing you a few tips I've learned over the past few years to keep my tank, and my wallet, as full as possible.
1.
Local Awareness
I know you've done it before, you fill up soon after leaving your house, and halfway to work you realize you could have saved 10 cents per gallon just by waiting a little longer to gas up. If you haven't noticed the pattern, certain areas will consistently have cheaper gas than other areas. This is caused by a number of factors, including population, distance from the interstate, etc. By paying attention to which areas generally have cheaper gas, you can think ahead and plan your stop in the cheapest area that you will be passing through.
2.
Reduce Your Idling Time
Your engine uses less gas when idling than when under load, which is great. Unfortunately, you're getting 0 miles per gallon while you are sitting still with the engine running! I like to turn off my car while waiting in long lines. Perfect examples would be while waiting in line at a drive-thru, waiting for your children after school, waiting to pick someone up, etc. You'd be surprised how much gas you can actually save by not running your engine while sitting.
3.
Ration your A/C Use
In general, it's best to roll your windows down when possible instead of blasting the A/C, in terms of gas mileage. When making short stops, leave your windows slightly cracked open to allow air that heats up to escape from the vehicle until you return. At that point you can simply turn on your A/C until the interior is comfortable, then roll the windows down and enjoy the natural breeze! In hotter areas it may not be feasible to turn the A/C completely off. In this case turn it on high until you are comfortable, then turn it down to the lowest setting to maintain a cool temperature. Keep in mind that fuel efficiency of 4 and 6 cylinder engines suffer more from A/C usage than most V-8's do, as the load is handled better by the more powerful engines.
4.
Slow Down!
It still amazes me when I see people flying down the highway at 90mph, doing nothing but burning money as they do. I know some of us (including myself) tend to have a lead foot, but I challenge you to try going the speed limit, slowly accelerating, and keeping unnecessary passing to a minimum to see how it affects your gas mileage. I was surprised to find that by going 65 instead of 75 on a 4 hour trip, I was able to save over a ¼ of a tank. Accelerate slower from full stops to see much better fuel efficiency. The drive to work shouldn't be like a drag race if you're trying to save gas!
5.
Pay Attention at the Pump
Most gas stations, especially in the Southern portion of the Unites States are now adding Ethanol to the gasoline to reduce smog and combat higher gas prices. Unfortunately, some stations are adding too much, and you aren't getting the fuel efficiency you deserve. I tend to look an Ethanol content of around 10% or less, as that percentage actually increases fuel efficiency by allowing the fuel to burn cleaner. Higher levels of Ethanol with reduce the energy content (the potency, if you will) of the fuel, causing a loss in efficiency.
6.
Consider a Hybrid Vehicle
This is a pretty obvious solution, so there's not much explanation needed. Most hybrid cars these days use electricity while under low power operation, such as reversing, accelerating from a stop, driving under 10mph. etc. Simply by cutting down on fuel usage at these times, hybrid cars are able to see gas mileage in the range of up to 60+ miles per gallon! Obviously not everyone can just go out and buy a new car, but if you have the opportunity to purchase a hybrid, you should definitely consider it if fuel efficiency is an important issue to you.
I know anyone reading this can easily implement 5 out the 6 tips I've outlined, so give it a try and see for yourself! The little things go a LONG way when it comes to keeping money in your pocket and gas in your tank.
If you are REALLY ready to start saving gas, check out http://www.jonascrazy.com to see how I'm squeezing 37mpg out of my 500hp Trans-am daily driver. The best part is, you can do it yourself! I hope these tips have been helpful to you and your family.
Bruce Brennan
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Brennan
Labels: Auto Part
0 Comments:
<< Home | << Add a comment