10 Fuel Efficiency Ideas

10 Fuel Efficiency Ideas

In the United States, almost a third of the air pollution comes from cars and trucks, so keep fuel efficiency in mind.



1. Clean oil and right oil for your car - various oils contain additives that further reduce friction and can increase fuel efficiency by 3 percent or more.

2. Wind drag at speeds higher than 60 mph reduces a car's fuel efficiency - the faster you travel, the more gas you burn. More than 50 percent of the energy necessary to move a vehicle is spent overcoming wind drag. A loaded roof rack can decrease fuel efficiency by up to 5 percent.

3. Avoid storing heavy objects in your car. An added 100 pounds can reduce a typical car's fuel efficiency by up to 2 percent.

4. Buy your gas in the morning or evening. Gasoline becomes denser in colder temperatures. Gas pumps are set to measure the volume of the fuel that you pump and not the density. This means that if you fill up your gas tank in the cooler morning temperatures or in the colder evening hours you’ll be getting better fuel efficiency for your money.



5. Take off Your Winter Snow Tires. When it isn’t winter and there is no snow on the ground you should replace your winter tires with summer tires or all season radials. Big snow tires with deep treads use more gasoline than lighter tires. The amount of savings through fuel efficiency should inspire to make that appointment with your mechanic rather than weigh your car down all through the year.

6. Turn off the air conditioning, or keep it on a low level. It can decrease fuel efficiency from 5 percent to 25 percent when set on "high."



7. Have your tires properly inflated. On average, tires lose about 1 pound per square inch (psi) per month, and 1 psi for every 10-degree drop in temperature. For every 3 pounds below recommended pressure, fuel efficiency is decreased by about 1 percent. The US could save about 2 billion gallons of gasoline annually if more people drove with correctly inflated tires!

8. Take your vehicle in for regular tune-ups. A pure air filter can add up to 10 percent to your car's fuel efficiency. Even giving your engine a tune-up can improve gas mileage 4% and frequently much more. Replacing a clogged air filter can boost efficiency 10%. And keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage an addtiontal than 3%.



9. Service your vehicle before the winter.

If you car needs servicing and you decide to wait until the spring weather you will find that your fuel consumption goes up dramatically. If you are traveling greater distances during the winter months you may have to travel over roads that are experiencing winter conditions. Plan your trip accordingly by trying to travel when the roads are clear and there is no forecast of snow.

10. Check your fuel economy every month or so. To do so, fill your tank completely and then reset the trip odometer to zero. The next time you buy gas, fill up completely and write down the mileage on the trip odometer. Divide the number of miles by the gallons it took to fill the tank - that's your car's miles per gallon. If your vehicle starts to show discernible decline in performance, it looks like it may be time for a tune-up.