In an increasingly dismal economy, we all must learn to adapt to the ways of frugality. Inflation is happening at a record pace and no where is that more evident than at the gas pump. Therefore, your friends at Charapp Auto Group have comprised a list of fuel saving techniques that are proven to increase your MPGs.
MPG Saving Tips
- Keep your vehicle well maintained: A car not running up to par will use up more gas than one that has been tuned up and serviced regularly. Faulty spark plugs can reduce gas mileage up to 12% and a dirty air filter will set you back a whopping 20%. It’s a good idea to change your oil and filter every 3k miles (2k miles for vehicles over 100k).
- Keep your windows up and A/C off – A common misconception among gas saving techniques is that running your A/C uses more gas than rolling down the windows. This is actually untrue as having the windows down increases drag and makes your engine work harder in order to reach a desired speed. If you’re worried about making it to the pump in time, shut the A/C off and roll the windows all the way up. It might be a bit stuffy, but you are less likely to be pushing your jalopy to the pump.
- Avoid traffic – This seems like something most of us would want to do anyways. If trying to save a few bucks, try to leave before or after traffic dies down.
- Reduce drag – In addition to rolling up the windows, there are other measures you can do to reduce your vehicle’s drag such as removing luggage racks, bike racks, ski equipment, etc. It’s estimated that half of your vehicle’s energy is expended by overcoming air resistance.
- Use the right octane level – Check your owner manual and see what level of octane is recommended. Putting premium gas in an engine designed to run on regular does nothing to improve performance. Even some vehicles that call for higher octane fuels can run fine on regular unleaded (although with some loss of performance).
- Tighten your gas cap – According to a recent study by Advance Auto Parts, “Improperly seated gas caps allow 147 million gallons of fuel to vaporize every year in the U.S.”
- Maintain a constant moderate speed – According to Edmunds, the best way to improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency was to accelerate slowly and brake over a longer distance. Fueleconomy.gov reported “As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 MPH you drive over 60 MPH is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.” Not to mention the amount of money you will save on speeding tickets.
- Use cruise control – This takes out the human element of maintaining a constant speed over an extended period of time, thus improving fuel efficiency.
- Don’t top off the tank – Overfilling can lead to wasted gas. Even if the auto-shutoff stops at an odd number, try to let it go.
- Lighten your load – Your car loses about 1 MPG for ever extra 250 lbs. your engine has to haul. Keep that in mind the next time you carpool with the Steelers offensive line.
- Inflate your tires – Make sure your tires are inflated to the recommended level. Under-inflated tires can reduce fuel economy by as much as 25%. Additionally, keeping your tires properly balanced and aligned also improves fuel economy.
- Avoid excessive idling – If you plan on stopping your car for more than 30 seconds, turn your engine off. Starting your engine uses a burst of fuel, but less than it takes to idle your engine for an extended period of time.
- Utilize overdrive gears – Overdrive gearing slows the engine down, which saves gas and reduces engine wear.
- Speed up BEFORE hills – Your engine is already working hard to fight gravity. Try speeding up before hills and letting momentum take you up to the top and then back down.
- Beware of “gas saving” products – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission warns that most gas-saving products are frauds. Even in the few products that have been found to work, the savings are very small.
We hope these tips help you save some money. For more information, visit us at http://www.charapp.com. You can also save money on your next oil change or service by adding us on Facebook and printing out our coupons.
Charapp Auto Group
(800) 280-3470
http://www.charapp.com
Charapp Ford North
(724) 294-2000
http://www.charappfordnorth.com
Charapp Rt.28 Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
(724) 295-5000
http://www.charappdodge.com
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