Tips on Improving Gas Mileage for Your Car

Improve Your Car's Gas Mileage

By: Jon Boyd Barrett

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For most people living in the U.S., it is hard to avoid the need to have and drive a car.Not only do you have to worry about the price of the car, you also have to be concerned with the maintenance costs, insurance costs, and of course, gas. Filling up your gas tank once or twice a week can start to add up. The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take to make your car more fuel efficient by up to 30%, which will translate to better gas mileage and 30% of your gas money saved.

Ease Off the Gas

Most cars are at their optimal mpg (miles per gallon) rate between 35 mph and 60 mph. At speeds above 60 mph, gas mileage tends to decrease quickly. Therefore, if you are driving on the highway, stick to the speed limit. Not only is it safer, but it could be saving you a lot of gas.

Drive Steadily

Accelerating uses gas, and the quicker you accelerate the more gas you use and the less fuel efficient your car becomes. Accelerate slowly and steadily. The same goes for breaking, the more you have to break, the more you will have to accelerate again. Learn to control your speed in a smooth and steady fashion. On the highway, use cruise control as it will help you to maintain a constant speed.

Don't Leave Your Car Idle

The gas mileage on an idle car is approximately 0 mpg. If you are going to be stopped for awhile, turn off your engine. However, if you are only stopping for a few seconds, or are in stop and go traffic, there would be no use in turning off your engine, as you will only be wasting more gas by getting the engine started each time.

Maintain Fuel Efficiency With Regular Maintanence

A car running in poor condition is most likely costing you more in gas, so give your car regular tune-ups. Faulty spark plugs can greatly effect your gas consumption and gas mileage, as can dirty and clogged up air filters. Try to at least follow the maintenance recommendations in your cars manual.

Weight and Drag The heavier your car is, the more gas you will use. Keep your car clear of junk and remove anything that isn’t needed. If you have a bike rack, roof rack, or other car attachment, it would be worth removing these when you are not using them.
Not only will the removal of these objects lower the weight of your vehicle, but it will also eliminate the drag that these things create when attached. Open windows can also cause drag and require your car to use more gas, so keep your windows closed if possible, especially when at high speeds.

Gas Cap

After filling your tank up, double check to make sure that your gas tap is screwed on all the way. This may not seem like an obvious way to improve your gas mileage, but a loose gas cap can lead to gas loss through evaporation, which is the cause for millions of lost gas in the U.S. every year.

Tire Pressure

Driving on under inflated tires is another cause for less fuel efficiency. At least once a month, check your tire pressure. This can be done at most gas stations. You can find out what your tire pressure should be by checking your car owner's manual. Worn tires will also be a problem, so remember to rotate or change tires when needed.

Journey Planning

Make sure that you know where you’re going so that you have less possibility of getting lost, and give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination so that you can drive at a steady speed. Check traffic reports, and try to avoid routes which will have you waiting in long lines of traffic. If possible, don't drive during rush hour.

Hybrids and Fuel Efficient Cars

If you are in the market for a new car, buy a hybrid or other type of car with a good mpg rating. This will dramatically reduce your gas costs. FuelEconomy.gov is a great resource for finding information on the best fuel-efficient cars.

Drive Less, Carpool, and Use Alternative Transport

Drive less: Only make journeys that you need to. For example, rather than going shopping twice a week, you could combine your shopping trips and just go once.
Consider carpooling to work or to other places. There are plenty of other people that will be interested in saving money. Ask around at your place of work or go to eRideShare, where you can search for other carpoolers. Craigslist is also a good place to find interested parties.
Most cities have efficient transit systems, whether by bus or metro. Using these will save you a lot in transportation costs.
Alternatively, you could cycle to places. This is also a great way to get excercise.

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