Tips to improve your fuel economy

[NJmaverick]

With gas prices going through the roof, I thought I would offer up some helpful tips to get every mile out of that black gold.

1) Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Under inflated tires can be a significant drag on your fuel economy.

2) Empty that trunk- All that extra weight costs you at the pump

3) Try to use the brakes less- In other words roll to stops, rather than braking when you get to them

4) Slow down- Wind resistance goes up exponentially, so the faster you go on the highway the lower the economy

5) In the warmer months open the windows when you first get in the car, to let the hot air out. Then let close them and let the AC cool the car down. This will take some of the load off the AC (which drains your fuel economy). On the highway though, it's better to use the AC than to leave the windows open (despite what you might has seen on myth busters, unfortunately in that challenge their lack of an engineering background showed).

6) You can get a roughly 5% boost in you efficiency if you use the oil additive Tufoil http://www.tufoil.com/ . I have been using the stuff for decades. It's the only additive that uses Teflon (this is hard stuff to work with, which is why others don't use it). I first started using it after a college professor talked about it, he knew the guy that invented the stuff. It's also good for extending the life of your engine.

7) Consider a hybrid for your next vehicle purchase (especially if you do a lot of city driving).

8) Don't idle- If you are going to idle for more than 2 minutes, shut off the car

9) Try to bunch your errands together- A warmed up engine is more efficient than a cold one. So try and do your driving errands all together so that you maximize the amount of time you are driving with a fully warmed up engine.


10) Consider walking, public transportation, motorcycle or bicycle where possible. All are more efficient alternatives. The more each of us save, the better off we all are.

11) Easy on the gas peddle. The faster you accelerate the more fuel you consume.

[jmowreader]

1. Avoid stopping

If you see a traffic light a block or more ahead of you turn red, get out of the gas. Chances are, unless you live in Fayetteville, NC (where the lights stay red forever even when no one's using the street the light's green on), by the time you get there the light will have turned green again. Stopping at red lights costs you gas, because you've got to build up momentum again.

[trof]

2. Getting more for your buck at the pump:

Got this in an email a while back.
Can't vouch for it's authenticity, but it makes sense.

1. Buy gas early in the morning when the storage tanks are still cool from the night before. Cool gas is denser (more compact) than warmer gas, so you'll get a little more for your dollar.

2. If a tanker truck is replenishing storage tanks, go to another station. The fuel is likely warmer in the truck and the incoming fuel stirs up the junk that's settled in the bottom of the tank.

[NJmaverick]

4. Well most stations have underground storage tanks

So the temperature of the fuel really doesn't fluctuate all that much.

Number 2, on the other hand, could have some validity (although I don't know if the difference is significant). I have also been told by many sources you should try and use busy gas stations that have large turnovers in their supplies. That ensures a better quality of the fuel (since gas doesn't age well).

[DarkTirade]

3. Another tip relating to the not braking one... coast as much as possible.

Most vehicles will have a few speeds where you can just coast while barely using any gas. The last vehicle I was driving was a big-ass van (my car went kaboom, so I had to borrow my parents' van for a while) and its best coasting speed was between 45 and 50. Lucky for me, the speed limit on the roads I used to get to work were all 45 and 50. :) When my parents had been driving it the mpg was about 18 mpg. I got it up as high as 25, and it never dropped below 20 the whole time I had it.

Also, try to shoot for doing your driving during low-traffic times. Less traffic means less stopping and starting.

[mainegreen]

5. Mount a harpoon on your car.

If you see someone going your way, harpoon them and let them drag you along.
Your gas mileage will go way up!

Unfortunately your harpoon bill, usually low for most people, will go up.

[DS1]

6. Number 3 is only relevant when you're planning on moving again

such as others have mentioned, mostly at stop lights. Coasting to a stop sign wont help because you'll have to start from a stop no matter what, assuming you follow the law.

[NJmaverick]

7. While I never pursued the occupation, I do have a degree in mechanical engineering

The most boring and dreadful 4 years of my life. Still it means I do have a pretty good understanding of this subject matter. It's all about energy. The energy of the fuel is used to propel your car. Resisting this motion is rolling resistance and wind resistance.


Now with that said consider a car that is on a straight road and asked to drive one mile going 25 MPH and stop.


Assume the car is already doing 25 MPH at the start so it will then consume fuel to overcome the wind and rolling resistance (a pretty much steady ammount for the time the vehicle is going 25). Now car one waits until the car is at a safe stopping distance from the stop point (say 150 ft ) and applies the brake. So this car consumed X gallons/ft for the whole mile (minus the 150 ft)

Now car two makes the same run, but the drive lifts their foot off the gas say 500 ft from the end and lets the vehicle roll to a stop. Now car consumed X gallons/feel for the whole mile (minus 500 ft)

So the car that costed saved the ammount of gas it too to push the car 300 ft doing 25 miles an hour. Now I know that's no a lot of fuel, but when you consider the number times you stop a car, it all adds up.

Now all of this is independent of what happens after the vehicle stops. What you do after the stop, does not affect the calculations I just explained.

[DS1]

8. Yes, I understand that part, but 500 feet is rarely practical

I shouldn't have said it makes zero difference, but it makes much less difference than slowing down and anticipating a stop light which is about to turn.

[kentauros]

17. One way of anticipating the light change

is to watch the crosswalk signs. The caution part will flash a certain number of times (varies for each intersection) before it stops flashing. When that happens, your light usually turns yellow. At least, that's how I've observed it to be the case in Houston. Watch the lights in your own town and find the patterns :)

[DS1]

18. It's 10 seconds here from flashing Do Not Walk to the other direction

and then another 5 seconds before the next direction to go is green


around here, anyway. Texas might be more sporting with their pedestrians and have shorter times.

[kentauros]

22. I haven't paid attention to the seconds

only counting the number of times they flash. If it's an intersection I'm unfamiliar with, I just pay attention to whether the crosswalk has the nice bright "walk" person lit or if it's flashing. Then I watch for a yellow change.

And Texas is as inconsistent as any other state. I've seen lights within walking distance of each other have completely different rules for how long the red lights are that way for all lights until one turns green, to no "leeway" between red on one street to green on the cross-street. And then there's the neighborhood light that I come to within my neighborhood that just loves to turn red right as you approach it with no traffic across. It's probably set that way to slow traffic back when fuel was less expensive and has never been reset to accommodate such "trivialities" in the minds of the bureaucrats ;)

[Beausoleil]

12. Still, you'd save on brake maintenance

The less pressure you need to apply to the pads, the longer they'll last.

[NJmaverick]

14. That's true and you reduce tire wear as well

[taterguy]

9. Do you sincerely believe in Rule No. 10?

Isn't it "possible" to get to most destinations by walking or bicycling?

If you have enough time.

Seriously, what criterion do you use when deciding whether or not to drive or go somewhere via your own power?

[NJmaverick]

11. I personally love to walk, think it's great excercise

Time is an issue though. As long as I have the time (and weather permits), I will walk to many places under a mile. If the objects I have to buy allow it, I don't have a problem going up to 5 miles out, by bicycle. In fact I am looking to get a new bike this spring, with better carrying capablity. I am also considering an electric bicycle that allows for assisted pedally and gets you speeds of up to 14-15 mph. I use the every bit helps philosphy, so even a few trips a month can make a difference.

[taterguy]

15. Do yourself a favor and stop considering an electric assist bike

I asked a cycling expert about them. He pointed out that the weight of the motor counteracts any advantages it provides.

There's a reason that the most expensive bikes are the ones that are light weight: They're easier to ride, faster, more efficient, etc, etc.

I'm an overweight smoker and 15 mph is my cruising speed when I'm not exerting myself. The folks I know that are in good condition easily attain speeds of about 30 mph on regular bikes.

[NJmaverick]

24. thanks

[Orsino]

10. And, on a closely-related issue, drive less.

Combine trips when feasible, and eliminate the frivolous ones. Your mpg can be less important than the sheer number of miles you travel by car.

[NJmaverick]

13. That's a really under appreciated one

Here in New Jersey, there are so many people who say "oh I am going to buy a house in PA and work here in NJ. You get more house for your money" Of course they have to drive 100-200 miles each day, but what the hell. That's more consumption than an over sized SUV that just drives 10-20 miles each day.

[Deep13]

16. When drag-racing with other motorists, reduce wind resistance by not flipping off the other driver.

:evilgrin:

[ghostsofgiants]

26. Or do so without sticking your hand out the window.

[NJmaverick]

19. Another reason to walk- People get good mileage

Good mileage


A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles per year.

Another study found Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year.

That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.

[billyskank]

20. All of that is correct, but the trouble is

if no-one else is doing it then you'll just piss all the other drivers off.

Back in 2000 we had fuel shortages caused by a tax protest. For a week it was nigh on impossible to get petrol. Everyone was driving really slowly and calmly... it was brilliant. Didn't last once everybody managed to fill up again, though.

[NJmaverick]

23. I do try and balance things- I keep an eye on my rear view mirror

So I don't go crazy with the rolling thing if there are people behind me.

[PVnRT]

21. About idling

If you're going to idle for anything other than being stopped at a red light, shut the car off. Idling is 100% wasting gas, and it drives me nuts when I see assholes parking their 16 mpg pickups at the gas station in the morning and leaving them running to run inside, because they "don't want their trucks to get cold."

Fuck you, assholes, wear a fucking jacket and get over it.

[gmoney]

25. Kick your boss in the shin...

When you lose your job, you will reduce the amount of miles you drive to and from work each day. This will be slightly offset by trips to the unemployment office, welfare office, and fruitless job interviews, but overall gas savings should be substantial. Also, don't fill up more than 1/2 tank so that when your car is repossessed, you won't lose a full tank of gas.