How to Get Better Gas Mileage

These days, filling up your car with gasoline can cost an arm and a leg. It's no wonder that people are choosing to buy cars based on their fuel efficiency and gas mileage. For those of you who can't afford to purchase a new car, there are plenty of simple ways for you to improve the fuel efficiency of the car you have now. This page will give you tips and suggested techniques to help you get the most mileage out of your gas tank.
Tips for Improving Gas Mileage
1. Keep track of your mileage every time you fill up your tank.
2. Don't speed so you burn your gas more efficiently.
3. Don't carry unnecessary weight in the car.
4. Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure.
5. Change your motor oil frequently.
6. Use gas of the proper octane level.
7. Use your air conditioner sparingly.

Categories

Finance | Vehicles | Cars & Transportation | How Tos

Introduction
- With the price of gasoline continually rising, many drivers have begun to look for ways to use less gas in order to reduce the financial strain that increased energy prices can bring. Apart from driving less (which most motorists have a hard time doing), the other option for drivers is to look for ways to improve their car's fuel efficiency and increase its gas mileage. Curiously, most people are under the assumption that their car's level of fuel efficiency is set in stone and that there's little they can do to change it. In reality, however, there are many things that they can do to help their vehicles use less gas. Here is a brief overview of how you can go about improving your car's gas mileage.
Calculate Your Gas Mileage
- As you set out making changes to improve your car's gas mileage, it helps to know what the gas mileage of your car currently is. This way you can accurately calculate and monitor the improvements that you are making to your car's fuel efficiency. Don't worry. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to calculate your car's gas mileage. It's really pretty simple. Here's how:
  1. Take your car to the gas station and fill up your tank.
  2. Write down the exact mileage found on your odometer reading.
  3. Drive around like you normally would until your car needs refueling.
  4. Fill your tank up again - and this time record how many gallons it takes (you can find that number on the gas pump)
  5. Check your odometer again and write down the new number.
  6. Subtract your first odometer reading from your second one. This will tell you how many miles you've driven.
  7. Divide this number by how many gallons it took to refill your car. The resulting number is your car's current MPG
  8. Use this handy spreadsheet to keep track of your gas mileage.
Step 1

1st Gas Mileage: 40,500 2nd Gas Mileage: 40,850 Gallons Needed: 14 </td><td valign="top" width="30%" style="background:#f5faff;border:1px solid #cef2e0;padding:1em;height:100%;">
Step 2

40,850 - 40,500 = 350 </td><td valign="top" width="30%" style="background:#f5faff;border:1px solid #cef2e0;padding:1em;height:100%;">
Step 3
350 / 14 = 25 MPG </td></table></center>
- (Example)
Driving Tips
- OK. Now that you know how to calculate your current gas mileage, we're ready to get into some of the ways in which you can increase that amount. Some of the most useful things that you can do in order to improve fuel efficiency have to do with How you drive. Here are some things that you can do to drive more efficiently and use less gas:
Watch Your Speed
- - Try to keep your driving speed at or below 60 mph. Driving faster than 60 mph can significantly decrease your gas mileage. While this may be tough for some of you speed demons out there, it helps to think about this fact: You will end up paying an extra $0.20 per gallon for every 5 mph above 60 that you drive.^[1] Add that up and you've got a pretty little chunk of change that you're wasting in order to get somewhere a little bit faster (not to mention all those speeding tickets).
Reduce Excess Weight
- - The heavier your car is (and the stuff in it), the more work that your engine needs to do in order to move it forward. The more work that your engine has to do, the more gas it needs to use in order to do it. This is why a good deal of excess weight in your car can reduce the gas mileage that you get (and why larger cars often get worse gas mileage than smaller ones). Go through your car and remove any unnecessary items that you don't need (power tools, skis, boxes, etc.). The lighter your car is, the better gas mileage you'll get.
Avoid Idling
- - Besides getting you nowhere, idling in your car can be a serious waste of gas and fuel efficiency (basically 0 mph). When you idle, your engine is still using gas even though your car isn't moving. While some amount of idling is necessary, such as at red lights and in traffic congestion, the rest of the time you should try to idle as little as possible. Whether you're waiting in line at the drive-thru or sitting at the curbside pickup at the airport waiting for a friend, if you anticipate that you won't be moving for an extended period of time - go ahead and turn off your car.
Don't Drive Aggressively
- - Besides being one of the leadings causes of traffic accidents and fender benders^[1], aggressive driving can also have a detrimental effect on your car's gas mileage. From hard braking and quick accelerating to jerky steering and speeding, erratic driving can cause a serious drop in your fuel efficiency. Try to stay calm when you drive. Give yourself enough time to break gradually at stop lights. Don't slam on the accelerator when the light turns green. And in general, try to drive defensively rather than aggressively. It'll end up saving you money (and reduce the chances of you having an accident).
Use Overdrive and Cruise Control
- - These two functions are found on most cars and can be effective tools for increasing fuel efficiency and saving gas. Cruise control works by automatically maintaining the speed at which your car is going. Keeping your car at a steady speed for extended periods of time (like on road trips) can help save gas. Overdrive gears work by reducing the speed of your engine - which can also save you a good deal of gas. While these two functions shouldn't be used all the time, they can help your gas mileage in certain situations.
Car Maintenance
- Keeping your car well maintained and in good working condition is another way that you can ensure you are getting the best gas mileage possible out of your vehicle. While regular service and maintenance are important parts of keeping your car running properly (and preventing costly repairs), they can also save you money by raising your car's fuel efficiency.
Monitor Tire Pressure
- - One simple thing that you can do in order to improve fuel efficiency is to always keep your tires inflated to the correct level. Tires that are low on air are harder to roll and require more work from your engine and more gas consumption^[1]. Make sure that you check your car's tire pressure every time you fuel up (most gas stations have an air pump that customers can use). If you're unsure about how much air to put in your tires, check the owner's manual to find out the recommended psi for your specific vehicle.
Replace Your Air Filter
- - Another part of your car that can effect gas mileage is the air filter. A clogged air filter can greatly reduce the amount of oxygen that your engine can use for burning fuel^[1]. This lack of oxygen can result in an inefficient fuel mixture and a decrease in engine power (all leading to lower gas mileage). Besides improving fuel efficiency, replacing your air filter can also help improve performance. Check your owner's manual to see how often they recommend changing filters (usually every 15,000 miles).
Change Your Oil
- - While you've probably been told that changing your oil every 3,000 miles can help keep your engine clean and problem free, you may not know that it can also help improve your gas mileage. When getting your oil changed, make sure that you always choose the recommended grade of motor oil for your specific vehicle (you can find this information in your owner's manual). ]Motor oil that is advertised as "Energy Conserving" often contains additives that can reduce friction and help improve your fuel efficiency.
Use the Right Octane Level
- - When choosing which octane level of gas to buy at the pump, always go with the manufacturer's recommended level. If your car runs best on regular octane gas, then there is no reason for you to buy higher grade fuel (basically a waste of money). But if your car requires higher octane fuel, lower octane gas can damage your engine and decrease your car's fuel efficiency.
Other Gas Saving Tips
- Here are some other tips that you can use to help improve your gas mileage (and save money!)
1. Avoid Using Air Conditioning: Having your air conditioning on causes your engine to use more fuel than driving without it on. So, unless you absolutely need it (people who live in extremely hot climates are exempt from this), try to keep your air conditioning use to a minimum.
2. Keep Your Windows Closed: Having your windows rolled down can greatly increase wind drag on your car - making your engine work harder to keep you at the same speed (and of course reducing fuel efficiency). Just like air conditioning, only keep your windows down if necessary.
3. Improve Your Car's Aerodynamics: External vehicle accessories like ski racks and luggage containers can lower the aerodynamics of your car and make your engine work harder. Unless you are using them - take them off and put them in storage.
4. Plan Your Driving Route: Since starting your car when the engine is cold for a few short trips can often use twice as much fuel as one continuous trip (traveling the same distance)^[1], try planning your driving route so that you can take care of as many errands as possible with as few stops as possible.
Resources
Mahalo Daily: How to Increase Your Gas Mileage
- Mahalo Daily: Gas Prices, Increase your Mileage, Hummer vs. Prius (Time: 4:10)

Tips for Improving Gas Mileage

Categories

Introduction

Calculate Your Gas Mileage

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Driving Tips

Watch Your Speed

Reduce Excess Weight

Avoid Idling

Don't Drive Aggressively

Use Overdrive and Cruise Control

Car Maintenance

Monitor Tire Pressure

Replace Your Air Filter

Change Your Oil

Use the Right Octane Level

Other Gas Saving Tips

Resources

Mahalo Daily: How to Increase Your Gas Mileage