Whether You Improve Your Gas Is Up To You
Improving gas mileage in any type of vehicle is dependent on two factors.
Those are the maintenance of the car and the way you drive. The way you drive effects your mileage more than maintenance which is easier to solve.
Using the correct motor oil for your engine, regular tuning and maintenance and proper tire inflation are the three keys to keeping your car at it’s most fuel efficient.
A car that has failed it’s emission test will save you 4 percent on fuel usage once it has been tuned properly. You can save as high as 40 percent on fuel usage if something dramatic had to be fixed like a faulty oxygen sensor which would mess the ratio of fuel and air. Typically, however, if gas is $2.75, a tune up can save you the equivalent of 11 cents per gallon in increased fuel efficiency.
Tires are safer and last longer when they have the right air pressure. The proper pressure is usually found on a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb, and should be in your owner’s manual. The maximum level of pressure which is printed on the tires should not be followed. Proper tire maintenance can save you about 8 cents a gallon or make your car run 3 percent more economical.
Using the recommended grade of motor oil improves gas mileage only one or two percent, but that’s 3 to 6 cents per gallon.
A great saving of 25 percent can be achieved by following the recommended products, parts and maintenance for your car.
Bad driving habits, however, can cost you more than $1.50 per gallon by consuming your fuel at a much higher rate. Mechanical problems can be solved quickly but when it comes to bad driving you cannot get a mechanic to fix that.
The worst offender is aggressive driving – speeding, rapid acceleration and braking to maneuver through traffic. As much as a third of your gas mileage is gone by driving that way 10 mpg around town that is 5 percent. That’s 91 cents extra per gallon ad very high indeed.
Speeding is the second greatest waste of fuel. For every 5 mph you are traveling more than 60mph speeding you actually drop 11 percent of you gas mileage. So if you only drive 10 mph faster than 60, you’re looking at a loss of about 50 cents per gallon.
It can cost you an extra 6 cents per gallon by idling too long and carrying extra weight, 6 cents is for 100 pounds alone. You can also improve mileage by using cruise control on the highway and using overdrive gears, which slow your engine while maintaining speed.
By tackling these problems your mileage can be improved greatly, so get your car properly maintained and remind yourself to keep up good driving habits you will save money on fuel.
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