This is nothing new, but makes a lot of sense, especially now that the gas prices are skyrocketing and traffic means more fuel lost. Just a reminder that no matter how small the engine size of our vehicle is, if we don’t use it properly and apply bad driving habits including poor vehicle care, we won’t be able to achieve the fuel efficiency claims of our vehicle’s manufacturer. Here are 10 Ways to Improve Your Car’s Gas Mileage:
Eliminate long idling situations. This is a small step that won’t really make a huge difference at first, but over time, it’ll be saving you gas and money. Little steps. Park and go inside of Taco Bell, instead of sitting in line, waiting for the drive-through. Turn your car off, when you’re waiting in the driveway for your friend. If you’re letting your car warm up, make sure you only wait a few minutes and don’t forget that your car is out there using gas. Simple, but effective. Some brands (like Mercedes-Benz, for example) are even starting to incorporate built-in start-stop “ECO” modes on their cars that do exactly this. They stop the engine when you brake and come to a stop at a light or sign, and start back up when you let your foot off the brake.
Below around 80 kph, roll your windows down when it’s hot. This has been a hot topic of debate in the automotive real for decades. What’s better for gas, AC or windows down? In all reality, there is no one specific answer, as all cars (and how those cars are being driven) will have different results. However, as a general rule, you’re better off with your widows down when you’re just tooling around town a low speeds. But if you’re on the highway, the wind resistance with your windows down will greatly hurt your gas mileage. So, when you’re driving at higher speeds, it’s better to use the air conditioning.
Keep a clean air filter. Your engine is constantly sucking in air, and the air filter keeps all the nasty shit that’s clogged up our oxygen from getting into your block. When the filter is dirty and clogged, it’s going to be working harder to suck in air. That means more work for your engine.
Don’t use your car as a storage locker. Imagine putting a 100lb bag of rocks on your back and trying to continue on your day, doing the same routine. It’d be harder, right? You’d be using more energy, and therefore, you’d require more fuel. It’s the same with your car. More weight (yeah, we’re talking about your swirly bowling ball, box of old magazines and tool box) means more fuel required to run it.
Keep your gas capped. We’re not even talking about the idiotic act of forgetting to put the cap back on after you gas up. There are plenty of people who have gas caps improperly put on or gas caps that have been cracked and are allowing gas to evaporate right out of the tank. Your money could literally be disappearing into thin air.
(To be continued)