There are many things that lead to lesser fuel economy, but I can tell you there is one huge killer – bad habits. Don’t get me wrong; being heavy on the gas pedal doesn’t make you a bad person, but it’s definitely affecting your gas mileage. So what driving habits can you fix to save money? Here are your best bets:
1. Lose the lead foot – the contender already mentioned above is also one of the worst. Going at slower speeds it better for your fuel economy in general, but we understand that’s not always a possibility. So try not to accelerate too quickly, go more slowly up hills and coast to that stop sign instead of accelerating before the stop.
2. Gear up – If you have a manual transmission, try to keep it in a higher gear, this makes your engine rev less and helps you save gas (if you have an automatic with overdrive, it’s the same idea).
3. Brake less – Just like your car needs energy to accelerate, it also needs that same energy to stop. Try to anticipate stops; don’t speed up on a green light when you’ve got another red one ahead. Try to accelerate slowly and coast to the next stop.
4. Shed the extra pounds – Any extra weight in your car adds to the cost of driving, so clean out your interior to make your car lighter and more functional! Also, if you have a roof rack you’re not using, take it off – it can be costing you up to 5 percent in fuel economy by creating an aerodynamic drag.
5. Don’t idle for more than 30 seconds – People always say it uses more gas to start a car than to idle; not true. Your miles per gallon are actually in the negative when you’re idling because you’re using gas, but achieving zero distance. It’s said that re-starting your car uses the same amount of gas as six seconds worth of idling – so if you’re idling for more than six seconds, shut it off.
6. Lay off the AC – of course there comes a time of year when AC is a necessity, but there are also times that people use it when it’s simply not needed. Not using your air conditioner can improve your gas mileage by 10-20 percent! Keeping your windows open on the highway is just as bad, however, so when it’s hot your options are pretty slim. What do we recommend? Use your AC on the highway, and roll those windows down in town.
7. Same goes for the heat – your heater works like a second radiator, meaning it can over-cool your engine in the winter, decreasing your gas mileage.
8. Keep your gas cap tight, park in the shade and fill your tank up when it’s cooler – all of these tactics are used for the same reason; gas evaporates. First, if your gas cap is open even slightly, the air that’s getting in your tank can cause your gas to evaporate. Warm temperatures also evaporate gas more quickly, so make sure to park in the shade in warmer weather (this will also help with the need for AC). The reason you should fill your tank when it’s cooler (early morning or evening) is because cooler temperatures increase the density of gasoline, and gas stations charge you for volume, not density – meaning you’ll actually get more gas per gallon just from filling up in cooler weather.
9. Cruise Control – Some say it’s better to use, some don’t. This really depends on where you’re located. However, strictly Vermont-speaking, our hilly highways make cruise control unfavorable. If you use it out of driving preference, no problem, just don’t use it to save money.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post -
Useful Tools, which will contain some apps, websites and resources you can use to help maintain better gas mileage!
Image 1 via L.A. Noire
Image 3 via wpclipart
Image 4 via Xtreme Syntek
Image 5 via shoshndavid Flikr
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