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+40 Gas Saving Tips!
Before we go to the gas saving tips, if possible, choose any of these transportation
means (in order of increasing pollution):
walk > bike >
electric
bike > electric scooter >
Black 'n
Roll (average speed 20 mph, easy to park and hop) >
shared/public transportation
(incl. train)
> car... in this order: small
(Smart) or hybrid car >
choose the car with best mpg within category (similar compact cars can have
48 mpg
or ... 21 mpg!)
Think of how much an improved mileage will save
you for retirement: over 35 years, $600/year savings amounts to $21,000!
(assuming no extra cost in car purchase, a 20% increase in mileage for a car
with 21 mpg, with an average cost of $3.00 per gallon, and doing 20,000
miles/year)
Plus compound interests at an average of 4.5%/year that would make you close to
$50,000 after 35 years!!
The Fuel Saving Tips
1. Driving Habits
- Maybe one of the most important tips for gas
saving: anticipate decelerations (incl. keeping distance from cars in front of you).
Anticipate traffic light changes as well...
- Don't idle your car engine to warm up (or if
it's hard to get you out of your old habits, try to
keep it to 20-30 seconds), it warms up best and most safely by driving immediately
but without accelerating rapidly. For colder areas: use a block heater with timer, cold engines can use up to 50%
more fuel for short trips.
- Use cruise control as much as possible (except
in hill areas) (But don't overdo it either. Modern
motors can handle better driving at lower rpm's).
- Change to a higher gear as soon as possible (& use overdrive gear when possible).
- Turn engine off if not driving more than one minute.
- Same if you still need to fasten
seatbelts of your kids or (un)load your car, wait starting the engine till
you're ready: a couple of
minutes a day turn into +10 hours of idle gas burning a year!
2.
Monitoring
- Keep a fuel consumption log to compare your
mileage.
- Have a real time mileage calculator installed
3. Car Cooling
- Avoid use of AC or try to drive at cooler times.
- AC vs. open windows? A good general rule might be
(but depends on car type) open your windows in the city (it will also avoid your
system 'sucking' in the exhaust gases from the car in front of you), use your AC
at highways speeds starting around 50 mph or open just a little your windows.
- Sunroofs can create a lot of drag depending on
the model.
- Park your car in shady
or covered areas. You will need less AC and there will be less evaporation of gas.
- If do
use AC, try to put temp a bit higher, switching from very cold to warm outside
will cost you your health as well.
- Use a solar car cooling device while parked.
4.
Planning
- Set yourself a target each year and try to reduce 10% compared to previous
year.... (well, if you can reduce 100% the first year...)
- Don't leave at the last minute, leave 5 minutes earlier and enjoy a
safer and more pleasant ride with less swearing... :)
- Establish a car pool or check for a car-sharing service.
Some car-sharing organizations and
clubs here
- If you need to make a trip to a special store in some faraway place, maybe you
can order it via internet/catalog?
- Part of your planning: driving and filling up
during cooler hours of the day (see Car Cooling and Fuel tips)
- Plan to combine various trips into one, this is maybe
one of the biggest gas
saver?!
- Avoid if possible busy hours, you'll help decongest and will have
a much better
mileage as well.
- Try to combine all your business places as much as possible in
one location or nearby locations.
5.
Tires
- Keep tires inflated at recommended level (Research
indicates that 50% of tires on the
road are under inflated! They will also live longer and your driving will be
safer.) Try to check your tire pressure monthly. Tire awareness campaign
in Canada: BeTireSmart
Just one under inflated tire can decrease your
mpg by 3% and reduce your tire life by 6.000 miles!
- Get your own accurate (digital) pressure gauge.
They are cheap and more reliable than the ones from gas stations and are always
available.
- Especially influencing: rapid temperature
changes can make your tire pressure drop.
- Use low rolling resistance tires. They can
increase your mileage by about 5%!
- Get your snow tires off as soon as possible when not really needed anymore, they are mpg
wasters!
6. Car Mechanics
- Overall badly serviced cars can increase fuel
use by 50%...!!! More info:
Auto$mart
- Keep car maintained and use recommended oil.
- Especially faulty
oxygen sensors, repairing these can improve your mileage by up to 40%!
7.
Driving Education
- Canada only: If you are learning how to drive:
Choose a school with the Auto$mart Driver
Education Kit in the program.
Map of schools
- Again in Canada: FleetSmart and SmartDriving training:
FleetSmart
8. Car Loads
- When loading heavily, try, if possible, to balance the weight more to the
front to avoid lifting of the nose and increased air drag
- Avoid the use of roof racks, try to load the
stuff in the car and if racks are not used take them off, they can create 5-10%
fuel increase.
- Don't carry around useless stuff in your trunk,
all those extra pounds will reduce somehow your mpg. (Maybe a new incentive to
loose some weight as well? Now, do leave the back seats in the car...)
9.
Fuel
10. Car Choice
- Lighter colors, both in and outside will reduce cooling needs!
If you are not getting a new car but have a dark interior, how about adding
washable light colored seat covers...?
- Buying a new car: think that you can use a "roof
rack box" for holidays or any use where the interior space would be too small
and would compel you to buy a larger model. A roof box will decrease your mpg
but will allow the purchase of a smaller car with better mpg that can be used
all year long.
- When buying a new car compare cars; choose the
car with best mpg within category: similar compact cars can have
48 mpg
or ... 21 mpg!
Canadians click here
- Get a manual gear transmission car
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