5 Important Tips To Improve Your Car Gas Mileage
Car ownership in this day and age is no longer a privilege of the few, but more of a fundamental necessity in modern life. Families get to enjoy a long weekend with the convenience of embarking on a trip as a group while emergencies are better managed with a vehicle readily available. Sadly, there is one thing about owing a vehicle that frustrates a lot of ordinary folks, if not all of them.
You can indeed be frazzled by maintenance costs and instant fix-its but the one thing that is constantly changing is the price of petrol. Regrettably, the prices of petrol fluctuate more frequently than the ebbing of the tides. But all is not lost, since there are things you can do to extend the utility of the fuel you put in you tank.
On this note, we’ve prepared some tips to improve your gas mileage and see some savings into you bank account.
#1. Take it Easy on the Pedal
Stay within the speed limits. Driving at reduced highway speed requires less fuel to get you where you are going. On long level highway drives, cruise control maintains fuel consumption better than drivers can on their own.
Fast starts, aggressive passing and abrupt braking all contribute to higher fuel consumption. There's no need to race up to the speed limit when the signal turns green. Easing down on your accelerator pedal rewards you with less fuel consumption. Additionally, when your car is coasting, almost no fuel is being used. Rather than racing to the next stop light, let your foot off the gas pedal sooner and coast a longer distance toward your stop.
Use of overdrive gears reduces your engine speed and uses less fuel than running at higher RPMs (Revolutions per minute). On warm days, park in a shaded area to minimize the need for air conditioner use. Air Conditioners place additional loan on engines requiring more fuel.
#2. Get the Junk out of your Trunk
Clear out the junk! Extra weight from unnecessary cargo in vehicles forces the engine to work harder, affects the balance of the car and use more gas. Carry only what you need for each trip in your vehicle. Use the oil grade recommended in your owner's manual. Improper oil weight can also cause the engine to work harder. Address a “check engine” light immediately. It may reflect a condition which wastes fuel. Keep your engine tuned and in top working order.
#3. The Pressure on your Tire Matters
Every pound of pressure that your tires are missing costs you rolling resistance, which is inefficient. Air molecules slowly seep out of tires over time so check the pressures on all four tires regularly. Keep tires inflated to their recommended levels listed on the label located on the driver's side door frame as this is one of the easiest ways to improve your gas mileage.
Unfortunately, car owners today neglect this part. As long as the wheels can turn and the tires maintain good contact with the ground, then it’s already good enough for them. Regrettably, running on low tire pressure increases the rolling resistance of your tires on the ground surface. So, make sure you inflate your tires to their correct pressure even before rolling out of your garage. Thankfully, there are now plenty of useful gadgets that seamlessly connect to your mobile giving you real-time information on tire pressure. This way you will know when you need to make the necessary adjustments.
The fact is that many tire manufacturers today produce tires with relatively low rolling resistance. The implication of this is that the tires can roll along the surface of the road almost effortlessly. This reduction in resistance translate to easier workload for your engine which means better gas mileage for you.
#4. Cruise Control comes handy
Most car users tend to match the speed of the motorist in front of them whenever they are on the highway. Even if the other driver is already beyond the speed limit, you are more likely to follow his lead without actually realizing it. Not only is this act illegal, it is also very unsafe, not to mention very fuel-inefficient. Using the cruise control on your car will help you maintain speed that is legal, safe and very fuel efficient. This is because it helps you move along just fine regardless of how fast the other motorists are going. Cruise control also helps reduce your need for acceleration and braking which we already know can have a significant impact on fuel economy.
#5. Consider an Electric Fan
It’s not news that most vehicles today already come with electric fans replacing the belt-driven fans of old. Unfortunately, if you are still driving a vintage, you won’t have this luxury. The good news is that you can also replace your engine driven fan with more modern electric thermatic units. This effectively reduces the drag that is inherent in belt drives, although don’t expect the gas improvement in gas mileage to be very significant, it may be even negligible. But, given that fans are an important component of your car, then installing more efficient ones should help in the overall reduction of fuel consumption.
Tellz Auto is a full car buying service and easy to use resource that helps people find the right vehicle. We believe the car you ride in is just as important as the home you live in. We offer guidance from start to finish and will help you negotiate a great deal on the perfect vehicle. For more information, give us a call at +1 512-400-4243 / +234 (803) 650-2556 or Get Started here today.