Does your car get so-so gas mileage and you’ve been thinking of getting a new car that does better? Well, there’s no question that a new, highly-efficient car will get you great mileage, but you may not be getting all you can from your present car. Read this article. You may find that you can increase the mileage on your present car rather dramatically by doing a just a few things to it and altering your driving habits a little.
- Keep your tires inflated – This is a major one issue. More than one-third of vehicles on the road today are driving on deflated tires. With an average under-inflation pressure of 7.5 pounds, this causes a loss of 5% in fuel efficiency.
- Slow down – For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by a whopping 7%. That’s right 7%! This is especially true for vehicles that have large, frontal surfaces such as vans and trucks. Most people don’t realize this.
- Be sure and check your air filter – Studies have found that nearly one in every four cars on the road needs an air filter replacement. Dirty air filters prevent air from flowing freely into an engine and this can reduce a cars gas mileage by up to 10%.
- Check your tire alignment – Poor alignment not only causes tires to wear out more quickly, but also forces your engine to work harder. Align your car’s tires and save up to 10% in gas mileage.
- Keep your car tuned up – When was your last tune up? A properly maintained engine tuned to the manufacturer’s specifications can improve mileage by up to 8%.
- Combine errands into one trip – It’s simply amazing how few drivers do this. It is possible to save a great deal of money by simply combining errands into a small number of trips. Try it and reap the savings.
- Tighten your gas cap – Believe it or not, a loose gas cap can cost you money due to evaporation of gasoline from your tank. According to one report, this could rob you of 30 gallons of gas a year!
- Always drive smoothly – This is an easy one! Avoid “jack-rabbit” starts and you will improve your fuel economy. In particular, feathering the gas pedal when you leave stop signs and lights can save you up to 10% in mileage.
Source: Klick Lewis