Saturday, 05 July 2008
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Save Gas.
Gasoline becomes denser in colder temperatures. Gas pumps are set to
measure the volume of the fuel that you pump and not the density.
This means that if you fill up your gas tank in the cooler morning
temperatures, or in the colder evening hours, that you’ll be getting better gas
price economy. Try to fill up your gas tank later in the evening to avoid the
rush of day hours.
Avoid buying gas on the weekends.
Try to buy your gas from a gas station that is consistently busy and therefore
has its underground tanks filled on a regular basis.
Gas stations that are slow will have gas that has been sitting in underground
tanks for longer periods of time, leading to gas contamination.
This contamination can mean that the gas you are purchasing is less
powerful than fresh gas and will decrease your fuel economy.
When you have finished filling up your gas tank try turning the nozzle of the
hose a full 180 degrees.
This will drain a bit more gas into your tank; in some cases up to an entire
half cup that would otherwise be a bonus to the next gas customer.
Try to avoid “topping off” at the gas pumps. When you purchase just a bit
of gas at the gas station the pump doesn’t have enough time to really
activate, resulting in short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the
amount of gas that you are purchasing.
The best time to replenish your gas tank is when you have half a tank or less
left in your vehicle, or when you find a gas price that you just can’t afford to
miss.
Try not to drive your car when the gas gauge is on empty.
You may think that you using very little gas when your car is on empty, but
you are in fact using more gas because your vehicle is running less
efficiently as it tries to accelerate and decelerate in a normal fashion.
Keep your gas level above the quarter tank mark if at all possible.
You should never purchase gasohol for your car since it contains only two thirds
of the energy of gasoline.
This means that you would need to buy much more gasohol to go the same
distance on a tank of gasoline.
Gasohol is a mixture of ethanol (alcohol made from grain) and gas, and is
used by some farmers to help cut the amount of pollution in the air. There is some controversy about ethanol which I’m sure you can find online. I won’t bother getting into other reasons to avoid it now.
Avoid getting gas when the tanks are being filled.
When a gas station has its underground tanks filled, the particles at the
bottom of the tank are stirred up.
These particles can become mixed in with the gas that you are putting into
your car, which can lead to efficiency problems. The particles can clog your
fuel filter, causing your car to stall and start with some difficulty.
One of the best things that you can do is to keep your vehicle as well tuned
as you possibly can.
This means taking note of those regularly scheduled maintenance checkups
that you so often ignore.
Studies indicate that a car with an engine that is poorly tuned will increase
the amount of fuel consumption from 10 to 20 percent.
Information found at www.fueleconomy.gov/ shows that when you tune up
a car that is due for a checkup or one that has emissions problems, you can
increase the gas mileage by up to 4.1 percent.
Change the oil in your car on a regular basis. When you keep the oil in your
car clean you reduce the wear that is caused by friction in the moving parts
of your car’s engine.
Keeping track of your last oil change will save you money at the gas pump
and increase your fuel consumption.
Use the right grade oil for your car.
Studies at FuelEconomy.com suggest replacing the air filter in your car on a
regular basis. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve the mileage that
you get with your car by up to 10 percent.
When you calculate that 10 percent into gasoline savings, you’ll be saving
up to 15 cents per gallon. You can ask your mechanic to replace the air filter
in your car or you can do it yourself.
Studies show that not only should you be replacing the air filter in your car
on a regular basis, you should also be maintaining and regularly replacing
the fuel filter.
The cleaner that your fuel filter is the more efficiently your vehicle is going
to run, saving you more money in fuel costs.
You should be paying attention to the alignment in your car. Improper
alignment will cause a certain amount of engine drag, which will increase
the amount of gas that you are using.
Rotate your tires and make sure they are full of air.
The best time to check your tire pressure is when it’s cool outside or in the
morning after your car has been sitting for several hours without driving.
Driving on rough roads, such as those made of gravel or dirt, will reduce
your fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent.
If there is an alternative route that you can take you should consider taking it
if it isn’t going to add too many miles onto your trip.
Try to combine as many purposes into one trip as you can for the following
reasons:
• You’ll save time and money by combining the number of errands and
stops that you make in one trip.
• When you make several smaller trips, especially in cold weather, you
will use up to twice as much fuel than if you were taking a
multipurpose trip.
• Cold starts for your car use up more gas and are harder on vehicle
maintenance than driving for a longer period of time, keeping the
engine of your car warm.
When driving to work avoid the peak times for rush hours. This way you’ll
use up less fuel and you’ll spend less of you precious time sitting around in
heavy traffic.
Find out about ride-sharing programs and carpools that are available in your
local area. By commuting to work with others you’ll be cutting your
monthly fuel costs by as much as half.
Use the public transit service if it’s convenient for you and available where
you live. You may be able to drive your vehicle to the bus depot and
commute from there. Even though you’re still driving your car part way to
work you’ll still notice a substantial savings when it comes to the cost of
your commute to and from work.
Walk, or ride a bike.
Get rid of excess weight. If you are not specifically hauling around some heavy material make sure
that you remove it from your car.
This means not using your car as a storage box for unwanted items that you
don’t know where to put. The more weight that you carry in your car, other
than passengers, the more fuel that you are going to consume as you drive.
Studies show that it’s more fuel efficient to turn off your car than it is to let
it idle for much longer than about 45 seconds.
When you first get into your hot vehicle try to drive with the windows open
to let out the hot air and let in a fresh breeze. After your car has cooled down a lot turn on the ac… or just keep the windows down.
When you are driving your vehicle you should try to avoid braking suddenly
or starting abruptly.
Studies indicate that when you brake gradually, start slowly, and avoid those
sudden stops that you can increase your fuel consumption. Drive
responsibly and with care to avoid these stops and starts.
Make sure that you observe the speed limit. Your gas mileage will decrease
rapidly when you travel at speeds over 60 mph.
For every 5 mph that you drive over the 60 mph mark you are adding an
extra 10 cents onto each gallon of gas that you purchase.
Source: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml
If at all possible try to anticipate the driving conditions that you will be
taking on your route. If you know the traffic is heavy on a certain road try to
take an alternate route.
This also applies to driving conditions that may cause you to tailgate or
practice some other inefficient driving procedures.
The cleaner and smoother that your driving is the more fuel costs you will
save. Take the time to plan your driving routes accordingly. You’ll find
that in the long run you’re saving yourself frustration as well as money.
Avoid rush hour!
If you are approaching a hill try to accelerate before you reach the hill. This
will help you to use up less gas while you are climbing the hill in your car.
Remember to accelerate in a safe manner or you won’t be able to use this
gas saving tip. You in no way want to put your life, or the lives of others, in
any danger.
If you drive at fast speeds using the wrong and often lower gears, you will
reduce your fuel economy by as much as 40 percent.
Try to avoid the habit of keeping your foot on the brake, even lightly, when
you are driving. When you rest your foot on the brake you use more gas
than you would otherwise and you also will wear out your brakes much
sooner.
One thing to keep in mind when you are traveling with a carrier or a roof
rack is that you will be increasing your fuel cost by as much as 5 percent.
Try to reduce the amount of aerodynamic drag and improve your fuel
consumption by placing as much as you can in the trunk of your car.
It may seem like a small thing to do, but tightening the gas cap on your car
will prevent gas from evaporating and escaping into the air.
If you have a gas cap that doesn’t fit tightly, or you’ve lost your gas cap, buy
a new one to replace it.
When you are driving on the highway you should be using cruise control
whenever possible to maintain a steady pace.
This will help to increase your fuel consumption.
When you are traveling on the highway try to use your overdrive gears. By
using your overdrive gears you can improve the fuel consumption in your
car during highway type driving.
The concept behind overdrive gears is that they decrease your engine speed,
saving you on engine wear and gas consumption.
Overview of quick tips.
• Use a sunshade to keep your car cool and avoid the use of the air
conditioner.
• Park in the shade when it's warm.
• Make sure that your parking brake is fully released before you start
driving.
• Use a block heater in winter to pre-warm your car engine.
• Don't ride the brake. Drive with a smooth, constant speed.
• Keep the transmission fluid in your car at the proper level.
• If there is smoke is coming from your tailpipe make sure that you make
an appointment with your mechanic.
• Make sure that your cooling system thermostat in your car is working
properly.
• Avoid air conditioning leaks by constant checkups with your mechanic.
Pre-1994 vehicles use CFCs for cooling.
• Immediately fix a slipping transmission.
• When you rev up your vehicle's engine it wastes gas. Avoid revving
your engine before your turn it off.
• If you can’t find a place to buy low priced gas on one day wait if you
can until a few days later since the price of gas is constantly changing.
• Buy your gas at the wholesale clubs, like Costco. You can often save
over 10 cents a gallon or more. If you don't like the wholesale clubs
get a gas credit card. You'll get a 1% to 5% discount when you buy
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that brand of gas.
These websites are a great place for you to find more information about how
to save money at the gas pump:
• Advanced engine performance in new model cars.
www.gm.com/company/gmability/adv_tech/200_ice/fact_sheets.html
• Understanding fuel economy ratings.
www.autorepair.about.com/library/weekly/aa021251b.htm
• Hot new hybrid cars.
www.about.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/101677/articl
e.html
• Determine how much in fuel and fuel costs a trip will cost you.
www.fuelcostcalculator.com/
• Information about octane gas.
www.autorepair.about.com/od/generalinfo/a/aa060504a.htm
• General information about your vehicle and gas consumption.
www.fueleconomy.gov/
• Save money on car expenses.
www.askmen.com/toys/cars/30_car_review.html
• Fuel consumption calculator.
www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/tools/fuel-trip-calculator/fuelcalculator-
input.cfm?attr=8
• Gas tips for Canadians. www.gastips.com/
• Car tune-up information.
www.autoeducation.com/ask_the_mechanic/answer5.htm
• Another gas pricing site. www.gaspricewatch.com/usgas_index.asp
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