Gas mileage Tips and Tricks

>This section covers the basic tricks and techniques associated with operating your vehicle at it's peak efficiency ! The first thing you need to do as a driver is slow down ( I hope I'm not turning anybody off here) Take it easy out there traveling at 55mph vs 65mph can save up to 17% in highway fuel mileage. Enjoy the ride, what's all the rush for anyway?

Practice maintaining a nice smooth operation of the gas pedal, keeping a smooth ride looking ahead for road conditions that might slow down your fore ward momentum .

Don't Jackrabbit start ... Start smoothly and slowly accelerate being care full not to over rev the engine.. when you mash on the accelerator you are dumping twice the fuel into the engine than utilizing a nice easy smooth rise to speed.

Here's a trick for cars with disk brakes .... after you have applied the brakes and it is safe to do so. Move the steering wheel from side to side once to allow the slight play in you wheel bearings to move the brake shoes out of contact with the brake rotors. It will actually help reduce your rolling resistance.

Follow at a good distance behind the car in front . Tailgating can cause you to continually apply the brakes and having to compensate for the lose of momentum by applying the gas. 10-25%

Try not to drive in the slow lane , you will constantly be compensating for merging traffic.

Limit your morning warm ups to 30 seconds even in colder regions . Don't race away you can warm up on the road .

Plan ahead - if possible try to plan you routes and errands to be efficient , combine most of your errands in one trip.

Get a GPS system for your car . They can be programmed for the most efficient route and some have traffic alerts so that you can avoid accidents and traffic Jams. Shop Around.

Try to reduce needless idling. Especially when waiting to pick up the kids. If you are going to be stopped for more than 60 seconds and are not in traffic go ahead and turn off the engine. Idling gets 0 mpg .

The easiest thing anyone can do to maintain the fuel efficiency of a vehicle is to keep up with your regular scheduled maintenance. ;A properly tuned vehicle can save you big money . Staying on top of your maintenance will also help you to catch potential mechanical problems early, potentially saving you even more money in expensive repair bills .

Filling up - Try to fill up in the morning when the day is at it's coolest , the fuel at the pump will be at it's densest and you will actually get just a little more from the pump (every little bit helps right?).

Don't overfill the tank . Fill until the pump clicks off , ensuring that the pump isn't cutting off prematurely.All vehicles have a overflow tube and you will be dumping gas around the first corner. Now is a good time to check your tire pressure and overall vehicle condition , you should make sure to take a good look a them a least weekly.

Under inflated tires can cost your mileage 4% for every 5 psi that your tire is under inflated.

Buy a quality tire gauge , filling station air gauges are notoriously inaccurate.

ALWAYS ALWAYS buy gas at the cheapest station in town. If we all do this vendors will be forced to compete , meaning lower prices for everyone. I stand in line and don't mind waiting at the cheap station . It's the principle after all.

Sam 's club and costco's gas prices are usually 10 cents lower , you may want to join the club.

Some gas stations will charge you extra for using a credit card ,always check and use cash. Don't use your ATM card if you will be charged a transaction fee.

An estimated 147 million gallons of gasoline is lost every year to evaporation , make sure you have a tight fitting cap and as a general rule make sure it clicks 3 times to ensure a tight seal.

Some credit card companies offer 1%-5% discount on gas purchases , keep an eye out for deal and try not to carry a balance on that card for anything other than gas ...to avoid interest payments.

Shop online , you can get great deals ,avoid having to pay sales taxes , save on time and save on gas !

Remove snow tires as soon as to season permits.

On your next trip buy gas on indian reservations . There are no taxes on the reservation and you can save 25-40%

'Don't waste your time with high octane gas. It doesn't give you better mileage. High octane fuels are designed for higher compression engines to reduce detonation. If your vehicle is knocking or pinging you probably need it , in all cases refer to your owners manual or mechanic.

Remove the junk from your trunk . For every 100lbs of extra weight you carry you loose as much as 1% (more for small cars) so leave to golf clubs at home when your not playing that day.

Not only is cruise control the greatest thing ever invented but it will save you lots of money on the highway. By eliminating needless surging and slowing of the accelerator pedal on the road , a smoother and steadier ride resulting in better gas mileage. 5-10%

Limit the use of air conditioning . If it's really hot out there than try to use it sparingly , I recommend cooling down the cab and then turning it off until you need it again. On hot days park in the shade when you can so you don't come back to an overheated interior. Save 10%

Speed up for the big hills let your momentum help to carry you over . If your aren't paying attention and have to adjust on the hill you will use allot more gas to get the weight of your vehicle moving at speed and over the hill.

If you are parking on a hill .....park with the front of your vehicle facing down. It will take less energy to start your foreward motion . If you have a manual transmission ... you can start of in second gear.

Tip- When a new car is broken in properly it can get 5% better fuel economy during it's lifetime. Consult your owners manual for proper break in procedures .

A common misconception is that if you take the tailgate off of a pickup truck you can improve your mileage, actually the reverse is true and was recently proven on the popular show myth busters.

A bad Catalytic converter can cost you 10%

An Automatic Transmission will have on the average 5-10% less fuel economy than a properly used 5 speed manual.

Removing unneeded roof and bike racks can save you as much as 5% of your gas mileage by reducing drag.

Most city signal lights are timed to manage the flow of traffic . Pay attention to your speed try to adjust so you arrive at the next intersection when the light has turned green and traffic has started rolling .

Have you ever seen people run at full speed just to stop at the red light ahead? When you see that there is a red light start slowing down and try to conserve your momentum so when you reach the intersection the light will have already turned green before you arrive . That way you don't have to start again from a dead stop . Be mindful for cross traffic and be on the watch for someone who may try to run a red light . Safety first!

It's the little things we do that can make a big difference in your vehicle's over fuel economy . By adjusting a few of your personal habits and making good decisions you can save a considerable amount of both gas and money through the course of the year . Try some of the tips and tricks from this page and compare your mileage with our mileage calculator . You could easily save hundreds a year , depending on your vehicle and how much you drive and that could mean a nice little get away vacation for you and your family.