As gas is getting more expensive every day, those of you with a long commute or many driving miles can feel the weight of ever growing gas expenses.
Luckily it s easy to lower your gas bill and below I list seven strategies that are easy to implement and does not require you to invest money in a new car or snake oil add on kits.
1. MAINTAIN PROPER TIRE PRESSURE
Driving with under inflated tires is not only dangerous as the tires could overheat, it also uses more gas than driving with properly inflated tires.
Inflate your tires at least to the maximum allowed by the car s instruction manual, and check the pressure at least once a month using a reliable pressure gauge.
Many hypermilers inflate their tires more than that, to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewalls of the tires themselves. This can be as much as 60 percent more than the vehicle manufacturers recommendation and results in additional fuel savings due to the lower rolling resistance of a hard tire.
The downside is a harder and less comfortable ride. And I can t even recommend you to do this, even if it IS safe, as there is a possibility of uneven tire wear in some conditions.
2. REMOVE SKI BOXES, TRAILERS AND ROOF RACKS
If you thought it s too much of a hassle to remove the roof rack or ski box when it s not needed or to unhook the trailer, think again!
Anything that you attach to the outside of the car will spoil the aerodynamics of the car and with that your fuel economy. Always remove roof racks, bicycle holders, ski boxes and trailers when not needed and use a truck bed cover to enhance the aerodynamics of your pick up truck.
3. TURN OFF THE A/C
Even if some argue that the air conditioning unit does not affect fuel economy, it actually consumes lots of energy. That energy is taken stright from your tank and from your fuel economy. Turn it off when possible and if that s too uncomfortable set it to a higher temperature as that will make it use less gas.
TIPS: Park the car in the shadow, have the doors open for a minute before leaving, drive at night if going for a longer trip in hot weather.
Keep in mind that driving fast with all windows open is worse for your MPG than turning on the A/C, thus use the air condition instead of opening windows.
4. BETTER YOUR DRIVING STYLE
Your driving style is one of the biggest factors affecting your fuel economy. Keep your top speed below 60MPH or 100KM/H, avoid breaking by letting the car roll to a stop when you re not in the way for other traffic and do not push the pedal to the metal when accelerating.
5. WALK
Many times if you re not going that far, walking or biking is a lot more economic than taking the car. You ll save a lot of fuel and you ll also avoid the other maintanance costs associated with driving.
6. FIX YOUR FUEL LEAKS
Obviously if you have a fuel leak you will spill your hard earned gas on the ground costing you money and polluting the environment. Repair all fuel leaks immediately.
TIP: If the gas cap is broken or missing a lot of gas will evaporate through the missing or broken cap and escape into the air.This is especially true in hot climates and when parking in the sun. The loss can be sizable and the gas vapors will harm the envirnment.
7. FIND A CAR POOL
Sharing a car on your daily commute can be a fair amount of hassle compared to going alone but you ll save more gas and money than from using any of the other tips except for actually walking or biking.
Joining with just one other person to use the same car for your commute will save you half your monthly commuting cost.
ADDITIONAL GAS SAVING TIPS
Those tips are the easiest, most readily available, low cost ways you can save lots of fuel. A no gadgets needed gas saving bag of tricks.
There are many additional ways to improve your gas mileage. You can get a more fuel efficient vehicle (hybrid, diesel, smaller car), make adjustments to your driving style, improve your cars aerodynamics, use tires with a low rolling resistance, plan your trips, adjust for extreme weather conditions and a lot more that this article is too short to cover.
There s also many ways to NOT save gas, like installing one of those fuel saving gadgets advertised everywhere. They usually cost a lot but give barely measurable improvements in MPG.
To keep track of your actual gas mileage you can use a handy online gas mileage calculator or you can use the fuel consumption display that s included in many new cars or an aftermarket fuel consumption display that can be installed in most newer cars.
Author Resource:
Simon Byholm runs the free gas mileage calculator at http://www.milesgallon.com , where you can find automotive calculators and tips on how to improve your fuel economy. Simon has a B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering, owns a 15 acer hobby farm and is a proud owner of a diesel powered car.
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