Making even small changes in your driving habits can save a lot of gas.
The cost of gas is going up and if news reports are right,
record high prices will be with us through the summer.
There isn't much you can do to lower your price of gas,
but there are some good ways to help you go further on
every gallon of that expensive gas you buy.
Conserving the gas in your tank calls for a combination
of changing some driving habits and taking care of some
maintenance items you might normally overlook. The
results of taking these steps will surprise you.
One of the best ways to save gas is simply to drive more
gently. Rapid accelerations are exhilarating, but they
guzzle gas like crazy. When you drive as though you had
a raw egg under the accelerator pedal, your mileage
should increase dramatically. Once you're at a safe speed,
anticipate the traffic ahead and adjust your speed
gradually. Use your cruise control on the open road
when you can use it safely. This helps to avoid the
natural tendency to slow down and speed up again.
When you limit rapid and unnecessary acceleration, you
will save gas.
Your tires and wheels are another big factor in getting
more miles from a gallon of gas. Under-inflated tires or
poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by forcing your engine to
work harder on each mile you drive. Hard working
engines need more gas for every mile traveled. Check
your owner's manual for recommended pressures front
and back and check your tires with a gauge. To be
accurate, let your tires cool down before checking the
pressure. Uneven tread wear and steering that pulls left
or right are clear indications that your wheels need to be
aligned.
Here's an easy one. Avoid excessive engine idling. Shut
off the vehicle while waiting for passengers. An engine
running while you are stopped gives you "0" miles-pergallon.
The tendency to drive 5 or 10 miles-per-hour
over the limit on the expressway is another gas wasting
habit. When you observe the speed limits, you will go
further on that expensive gallon of gas.
Don't use your trunk as a closet. Remove unnecessary
items and excess weight from the vehicle. Less weight
means your engine doesn't have to work as hard every
time you accelerate from a stop. If possible, avoid using
your air conditioner when the temperature in moderate.
Window ventilation may be just enough to keep you cool.
Finally, do your best to keep your engine running well . . .
at its peak efficiency. A well-maintained engine will always
help you maximize the gas mileage for your car. Even little things like a
misfiring spark plug
can greatly reduce gas
mileage. We
recommend following
the service schedules
listed in your owner's
manual. Replace filters,
fluids, and lubricants as recommended and correct engine performance problems
as soon as you notice them. Next time you fill up, write
down the miles shown on your odometer. Then, when
your fill up again, record the miles and the number of
gallons it took to fill up. Next subtract the miles
recorded at your last stop from the miles shown at this
stop. Then divide the miles driven by the gallons needed
to fill up. This is your mileage number in miles-pergallon.
When you use the methods described here, your mileage
number should go up. This is the only way to measure
how your efforts are working to save gas. It's a little more
work, but it sure beats complaining about high prices.
Web Resources
www.gas-saving-tips.netfirms.com/
www.hanford.gov/reach/viewpdf.cfm?aid=1496
www..astauto.com/fuelmisertips.shtml
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