Even though gas prices have come down- this is a reminder- you can should still save on gas and follow these tips because 1.) Reduces our dependence on oil 2.) It’s good for the environment 3.) It’s good for your wallet
16 Ways to Save Gas and Reduce Oil Dependency
1. Slow Down
- Consumer Reports estimated hat driving at 65mph on the freeway instead of 55mph means that drivers are using 12.5 % more gasoline.
- You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.
2.) Check Your Tire Pressure
- You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.
- Savings- $.05 cents a gallon
3.) Check Your Air Filter
- Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car’s air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine
- Savings= $.17 a gallon
4.) Accelerate with care
5.) Keep it Steady and avoid braking
- Using cruise control whenever possible will mean your acceleration andspeed maintenance will be more efficient. Also, using the built in acceleration button will allow you to gradually speed up, which is more efficient than crushing that pedal down
6.) Don’t use the Air Conditioner
7.) Keep the weight down
- Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
- Savings $.02- .03/per gallon
8.) Avoid Idling
- Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.
9.) Plan Your Trips
- Avoid Congestion By anticipating rush hour stop and go waves you save for yourself and maybe even those around you gas. Traffic Wave Experiments
- Plan Your Errands together
- Make more Right Turns
10.) Use Recommended Motor Oil
- You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
- Savings- $.02-.03 cents per gallon
11.) Engine Tune-up –
- Check belts, spark plugs and wires. When car parts fail, chances are your car will suffer from poor gas mileage. A regular engine tune-up of at least once a year can save you dough and a lot of headaches.
12.) Car pool –
- car pooling for students, office mates, neighbors and others would be a good idea. Gasoline costs are shared and it will also lessen traffic and pollution as there would be less cars on the street if everybody is into car pooling.
13.) Reduce the Drag
- At highway speeds, more than 50 percent of engine power goes to overcoming aerodynamic drag. So don’t carry things on top of your vehicle when you don’t have to. Installing a large Thule Cascade 1700 car-top carrier on our Camry dropped its gas mileage from 35 mpg to 29 at 65 mph. Even driving with empty racks on the car reduces its fuel economy.
14.) Minimize driving with a cold engine.
- Engines run most efficiently when they’re warm. In our city-driving tests, making multiple short trips and starting the engine from cold each time reduced fuel economy by almost 4 mpg. Engines also produce more pollution and wear faster when they’re cold. When possible, combine several short trips into one so that the engine stays warm.
15.) Use Regular Fuel-
- Most cars can run on the minimum rated octane gas. Using higher ratings will cost you more and will pollute more.
16.) Don’t Drive
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