Here in the southern California area we are now paying over $4.00 per gallon for gas. I am making these tips available to help any and all save as much as possible at the pump.
13. Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle
When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicles rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission (if you can find one) will provide you with great fuel economy.
14. Don’t make jackrabbit starts.
It will take a couple extra minutes, but you’ll save another couple mpg.
In a comparison between jackrabbit vs. turtle accelerating. There turned out to be a two-mile per gallon difference in accelerating quickly vs. taking the slow and easy approach.
Result: 2-mpg savings being a turtle, not a jackrabbit.
15. If you want to buy the most gasoline for the buck buy it during the coolest time of the day. That is when gasoline is the densest. Gas is sold by volume, not density.
16. Don’t top off your tank.
When you hear that first click of the fuel nozzle it’s time to stop.
17. Travel at the speed limit and use cruise control whenever you can.
Cruise control is the best, but not practical in stop and go traffic. Stick with the speed limit and shift to the higher gear.
18. Look ahead.
If there is a hill coming up, accelerate on the downside, engaging the engine, instead of accelerating on the upswing.
19. Keep a steady speed in the city.
Most signal lights are set to the speed limit stated. If you stop and idle, put your automatic transmission in neutral. This will reduce the strain on the transmission and allow cooling.
20. Get regular tune-ups and make sure to change the air filter.
If your air filter is dirty it decreases your gas flow. Watch your wheel alignment as well; going in a straight line, instead of wobbling will save gas.
21. Going forward takes less gas than going in reverse. When parking in shopping lots, etc., take this into account.
22. Keep pace with the trucks.
Ever notice how, in bad traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down, while trucks tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace? A constant speed keeps shifting to a minimum — important to those who have to wrangle with those ten-speed truck transmissions — but it also aids economy, as it takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving. Rolling with the big rigs saves fuel.
23. Change your tires.
If you live in an area where you have to use snow tires. Also, check tour tires for maximum tire pressure every three months, as you get your oil changed perhaps. Spin and balance your tires and ask which tires are best fuel savers for your vehicle. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent. And under inflation is the leading cause of tire failures/blowouts.
24. Turn off what you can.
Anything you can turn off, do so. Radios, fans, all these new great technologies put a load on your engine, which decreases your gas mileage.
