Best Wheels

Top 10 Ways to Save Fuel

While the season of high gas prices might be over, you never
know when those prices will skyrocket again, which is why
you should start practicing fuel-saving ways, so that when
gas does reach the %4-dollar mark again, your wallet won?t
suffer.

Whether you drive a hybrid or gas-guzzling SUV, chances are
you can still squeeze a bit more distance out of each gallon
of gas. Even two to three more MPGs can make a big
difference. Here is a list of 10 fuel saving tips that have
helped others over the years and it can also help you
improve your car?s fuel economy. While most of these tips
will give you a slight increase in MPG, when using them all
together, you can see a dramatic increase in fuel
improvement, which is always a good thing.

1 Slow Down

Let?s face it: we all have a heavy foot at times. The speed
racer inside of all of us likes to take over every now and
then, but one of the best ways to save gas is to simply
reduce your speed. We all want to get to where we are going
faster, but in the end, don?t we end up there? As speed
increases, fuel economy decreases exponentially. Try driving
the actual speed limit for a couple of days and you will
definitely see a difference in how long your gas lasts.
Instead of filling up every week, your gas might last you
for a week and a half. You?ll save a lot of fuel and your
journey won?t take much longer if you take a slower pace.
Try it, it might also get you out of a ticket!

2 Check your tire pressure

You might not think it really makes a difference, but your
tires play a big and important part in good gas mileage.
Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored
causes of crummy MPG. Tires lose air due to time (about 1
psi per month) and temperature (1 psi for every 10 degree
drop); under-inflated tires have more rolling resistance,
which means you need to burn more gas to keep your car
moving. One way to make sure your tires? pressure is always
good is to buy a reliable tire gauge and check your tires at
least once a month. A good tip is to make sure to check them
when they are cold, since driving warms up the tires along
with the air inside them, which increase pressure and gives
a false reading. Use the inflation pressures shown in the
owner's manual or on the data plate in the driver's door to
make sure your tires? pressure is correct for your type of
car.

3 Check your air filter

Making sure your air filter is clean is important since a
dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine.
This harms performance and economy for your ride. Air
filters are easy to check and change actually: emove the
filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can't see light
coming through it, you need a new one. Consider a K&N or
similar "permanent" filter which is cleaned rather than
changed; they are much less restrictive than throw-away
paper filters, plus they're better for the environment. If
you do not want to do it yourself, you can easily go to your
mechanic or an automotive specialty garage.

4 Accelerate with car

A heavy foot on the pedal can make your gas decrease with
every punch you take after a red light. If you drive an
automatic, accelerate moderately so that the transmission
can shift into the higher gears. Stick-shifters should shift
early to keep the revs down, but don't lug the engine --
downshift if you need to accelerate. If you accelerate to
speed then have to brake right away, that's wasted fuel.

5 Chill with the trucks

In traffic jams, cars speed up when it clears and then
suddenly stop when traffic stops. This stop and go movement
can actually decrease your fuel since you?re accelerating
and then stopping fast. Trucks, on the other hand, just roll
along with traffic at a 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 and helps you keep your cool while
stuck in traffic.

6 Turning off the air conditioner

Go back to nature and turn off your air conditioner. Open
all the windows in your car and just enjoy the nice, natural
breeze. Even though it may be a tad warmer than you?d like,
but not using your air conditioner will help save you MPGs.
At higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind
resistance from open windows and sunroof.

7 Buy efficient wheels

Sure new wheels look cool and they can enhance performance,
but heavy ones can actually add to the car?s overall weight,
causing you to lose fuel faster. If the wheels are wider
than the stock tires, chances are they will create more
rolling resistance and decrease your fuel. Nowadays, there
are plenty of lightweight wheels that won?t cause that extra
drag, so that you can still roll in style and save gas at
the same time. A good tip is to keep your stock wheels and
tires handy so that you can change them when you are going
on long trips to have better fuel economy so that gas lasts
longer as you go cross-country.

8 Clean out your car

A clean car is a happy car. It also helps you save on gas.
It doesn't really take much to acquire an extra 40 or 50
lbs. of stuff, and the more weight your car has to lug
around, the more fuel it burns. Make it a habit to clean out
your car at least once a month or every time you get your
car wash and see how long your fuel lasts now.

9 Downsize

If you are in the market for a new car, make sure to really
do your homework before committing to anything. You should
really re-evaluate how much car you really need. Sure, your
heart might want that big Hummer H2, but do you really need
a big car if you are single and don?t have a family to fit
in it? Smaller cars are inherently more fuel-efficient, and
today's small cars are roomier than ever. he automakers are
designing their small cars to survive crashes with bigger
vehicles, and safety features like side-curtain airbags and
electronic stability control are becoming commonplace in
smaller cars. These smaller cars are also getting styling
upgrades and many tuners are now adding smaller cars to
their list of products?.just look at the SmartCar!

10 Don?t drive at all

At first this might sound a bit strange, since driving is an
everyday chore, but do you really need to drive to get to
where you are going? If you do your homework, you can
probably find alternative ways to get where you are going.
You can take the Metro train to work and not have to drive
at all, which many do. Instead of the headaches of driving
to and from work, Metro train riders get to rest and chill
as the train does everything for them. You might also be
able to carpool with friends. Walking or biking is good for
your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car,
always ask yourself: "Is this trip really necessary?" This
will definitely make your gas last a whole lot longer!

While the season of high gas prices might be over, you never
know when those prices will skyrocket again, which is why
you should start practicing fuel-saving ways, so that when
gas does reach the %4-dollar mark again, your wallet won?t
suffer.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 at 4:20 pm and is filed under car wheels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.