With fuel prices climbing all over the country, this issue becomes burning hot in United States, too. Finally Americans joined the rest of the World in a passion for saving a little fuel. Here are some tips from the former car engine designer that should help you to up your gas mileage a tad. - Try and keep things in perspective. Bear in mind that your intent is to use less cash overall. Paying $1200 for a tune-up with likely cutback of $1 per tank fill is not rational. This is not to say you should not do a regular maintenance at all. When time for it comes, certainly go ahead and do it. Periodic maintenance is important to your vehicle wellness, including its gas mileage. However from gas saving perspective you are to carry out the least costly (free ideally) measures that offer you the best economy.
- If you drive an auto, use overdrive. If you drive a stick shift, use your gears. Your aim is to drive in the highest gear, but without taxing your engine.
- Maintain proper tire pressure. Inspect the tire pressure every now and then. Most vehicles have a sticker that lists proper tire pressure, your owner's manual has this data, too. Some people suggest inflating tires up to the maximum pressure shown on the tire wall. If you follow this advice, you will get higher thread wear in the middle of a tire on most vehicles, and you'll have to replace tires prematurely. I don't think the insignificant gas mileage improvement because of a higher tire pressure is enough to counterbalance added cost of early tires replacement.
- Carpool if possible. Yes, it is inconvenient at times, but this is the single most efficient way to save on your daily commute.
- Fill your tank when it is colder - early morning or late night. Gasoline is heavier when it's colder. Your engine uses gas by weight, and pumps distribute gas by volume.
- In a hot weather, turn off A/C and open windows while driving in the city if practical, and close windows and turn on A/C on freeways. At higher speeds (around 50 MPH and up) windage becomes a highest gasoline eater, at lower speeds A/C eats more.
All those tips will not turn your 15 MPG truck into a compact car, but they are guaranteed to give you a some improvement.
