7 Steps to Better MPG

Gas is getting more and more expensive and if you have a long commute or if you just like to drive the gas bill can become a burden.

Luckily there is easy ways to lower your gas bill and I’ll list seven that are easy to do and does not require you to invest money in a new car or snake oil add-on kits. I’ll show you seven ways that are widely available and easy to do.

1. MAINTAIN PROPER TIRE PRESSURE

Driving with tires not properly inflated increases the rolling resistance of your tires and spoils your fuel mileage. It also can make a tire overheat and blow.

Inflate your tires at least to the maximum allowed by the car’s instruction manual, and check the pressure at least once a month using a reliable pressure gauge.

Many hypermilers inflate their tires more than that, to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewalls of the tires themselves. This is often as much as 60 percent more than what the car manufacturer recommends and it will give additional gas savings due to lesser rolling resistance.

The cost is a harder and less comfortable ride. And I can’t recommend you outright to do this, even if it’s safe, as there is a possibility of uneven tire wear in some conditions.

2. DETACH SKI BOXES, ROOF RACKS AND TRAILERS

If you thought it’s too much of a hassle to remove the roof rack or ski box when it’s not needed, think again! It’s the same thing if you drive a pick-up truck without a truckbed cover or if you tow an empty trailer with no purpose.

Anything added or tied to the outside of the vehicle spoils the aerodynamics resulting in a reduction in fuel economy. Always remove roof racks, bicycle holders, ski boxes and trailers when not needed.

3. SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT

Even if some  argue that the air conditioning unit does not affect fuel economy, it actually uses lots of energy. That energy is taken stright from your tank and from your gas mileage. If at all possible, turn it off completely. If that’s too uncomfortable set it to a higher temperature as that will  use less fuel.

TIP: Park the car in the shadow, have the doors open for a minute before leaving, drive at night if going for a longer trip in hot weather.

Just remember, driving at high speed with the windows open is even worse for the fuel economy than using the A/C.

4. ENHANCE YOUR DRIVING 

The way you drive is one of the biggest factors affecting your fuel economy. Keep your top speed below 60MPH or 100KM/H, avoid breaking by letting the car roll to a stop when you’re not in the way for other traffic and do not push the pedal to the metal when accelerating.

5. WALK

Usually if you’re not going many miles, walking or biking is a good alternative, and it’s significantly more economic than using the car. You’ll not only save fuel but also the wear and tear on the car that can cost as much as the fuel itself.

6. FIX ANY FUEL LEAKS

Obviously if you have a fuel leak you will spill your hard earned gas on the ground costing you money and polluting the environment. Plug all fuel leaks asap.

TIP: If your gas cap is missing or broken and you live in a hot environment, especially if you park in the sun and the car gets really hot, a lot of gas will evaporate and escape through the missing or broken cap into the air. The loss can be sizable and the gas vapors will harm the envirnment.

7. CAR POOL

Sharing the car on the daily commute can feel like a fair amount of hassle compared to going by yourself but then you’ll save more using this arrangement than using any of the others (except for walking of course).

Joining with just one other person to use the same car for your commute will save you half your monthly commuting cost.

ADDITIONAL FUEL SAVING IDEAS

Those tips are among the easiest, most readily available, low cost ways you can save barrels of gas. And you don’t have to buy any new gadgets to do it.

There are many additional ways to save fuel. You can get a more fuel efficient car (hybrid, diesel, smaller vehicle), improve your driving style, make adjustments to your cars aerodynamics, use low rolling resistance tires, plan your driving, plan for extreme weather and much more that this article is too short to cover.

There’s also many ways to NOT save gas, like installing one of those fuel saving gadgets advertised everywhere. They take your hard earned cash but the majority will barely improve your mileage.

To keep track of your actual gas mileage you can use a handy online mpg calculator or your cars gas mileage display if it has one.