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Lower Gasoline Consumption
The unstable Middle East combined with demand from China has created a surge in gas prices. With the price of gas on the rise, saving even a few gallons a month can add up to a nice amount of money.
- Carpool
- This is the most obvious and efficient way to save gas, don't drive. I am amazed at how many people do not carpool. There are all sorts of excuses such as "I can't leave work when I want to", "I would have to leave the house earlier", "I don't know anyone at my work that lives close to me", etc...
These are just excuses for you can always meet new people at work or who work in the same office complex. Some cities offer lists of people looking to carpool. Most major cities include carpool lanes that allow you to cut your commute time. I whip through miles of stalled traffic each day, saving 30 to 60 minutes each way. This makes up for the extra ten minutes I have to stay at the office and overrides the inconvenience of leaving the house 15 minutes early.
The savings from carpooling are incredible. For example, if gas costs $2.00 per gallon and you drive 15 miles each way to work with a car that averages 20 mpg (road / highway mix) it would cost you $ 3.00 [(30/20)* 2.00) to drive to and from work each day. For each day per week that you don't drive, you save $156.00 (52 * 3.00) a year on gas.
Additional Savings: By not driving you will save wear and tear on your vehicle's engine, tires, and other components. You will also delay oil changes and tune-ups by keeping the mileage down. Add these savings to the gas savings above, and you are saving hundreds dollars a year by carpooling.
- Drive conservatively
- Driving aggressively, stomping on the gas and slamming on the breaks, wastes gas and wears on car components. Ease the gas when you accelerate. When slowing down or going down a hill, take your foot off the gas and coast. When you press the gas pedal, gas flows into the engine. It is then burned to create energy. Whenever the brake is pressed, a force is applied against the energy that was created. Therefore, you stop the energy of the car and waste the gas that produced this energy. If you see a traffic jam ahead and decide to coast, your car is moving from previously created energy; therefore, you are not using more gas to create more energy. Also, remember that each time you use the brakes, you put wear and tear on them.
- High Performance Air Filters
- One cheap and easy thing you can do to gain performance and gas mileage is to install a high performance K&N air filter. For $40 - 50, you can increase your gas mileage by 3-5%. This will also increase horse power by another 5 to 10%. If you are worried about spending $50 on an air filter, the K&N lasts 50,000 miles before it requires cleaning with their $10 cleaning kit. Compare this to your normal $15 air filter that lasts 15,000 miles and the K&N will easily pay for itself in air filter replacements alone.
I have driven 4 cars (Pontiac Grand AM, Mercury Cougar, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi 3000GT) with and without the K&N air filter. Averaging the gas mileage out over a few thousand miles, I have found the K&N increases mileage 3-4%.
- Change the Air Filter
- Make sure your air filter is clean. A clogged air filter causes less air to enter the engine. This decreases the fuel air mixture which decreases performance of the engine and wastes fuel.
- Check Tires
- The biggest cause of poor gas mileage is under inflated tires. Ensure that your tires are properly filled with air. A couple PSI difference between tires will cost you around 5-10% of your gas mileage. This will also put extra wear on the tires, shortening their life. A $2 tire gage will easily pay for itself.
- E85 Fuel
- Read your owners manual and find out if your car is E85 compatible. E85 fuel is mainly available in the midwest. The fuel is an 85% Ethanol to Petroleum mixture. Newer cars can handle this fuel and the costs can be 40-50 cents less a gallon. Not to mention Ethanol supports local US farmers. For more information, fueling locations, vehicles supported, and common misunderstandings on E85 fuel check out the Department of Energy's web site.
- Other Maintenance
- Keeping your car in check always keeps the gas mileage at its best. Get regular tune ups and oil changes as recommend by your manufacturer. Also, replace the fuel filter when it is dirty.
- Additives
- Using fuel injector cleaner helps keep your fuel injectors spraying at their full potential. This prevents fuel from being wasted. Also, using oil treatments on older engines can restore lost horsepower by restoring the compression in the cylinders.
- Driving with the Windows Open
- Driving with the windows open will decrease gas mileage a little because it increases drag on the car. If you don't need to, don't drive with the windows down; although, fresh air could be good for you.
- Don't Leave the Car Running
- While making that quick two minute run into the post office or video store, turn off the car. While this does not save a lot of gas, you might want to consider how easy it is for someone to steal your car while you are in the store.
- Turning off the Air Conditioner
- Most people over use the air conditioner in their car. If you are alone in the car, point all the vents towards you. This will allow you to use the air conditioner less. If you are cold, turn the air conditioner off, don't just increase the temperature.
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