15 Gas Saving Tips

With the national price of gas currently averaging $3.55 a gallon we are all looking for ways to get the most miles per gallon possible. Here are a few tips:

1. Avoid letting your car idle. Do not let your car idle more than 30 – 60 seconds to warm up, then drive conservatively until it reaches normal operating temperature. If you are going to idle for more than 60 seconds, turn your car off. Starting your can uses as much gas as it would if it idled for 30 seconds.

2. When visiting a fast food restaurant, park your car and go into the restaurant rather than idling in the drive-through. This especially helpful if you are running the air conditioner. Idling with the air conditioning on uses extra fuel.

3. While driving, accelerate slowly, this is not a race, you don’t have to be the first one off the line. Stop driving aggressively! This can be a huge savings. Maintain a safe following distance. Don't stick to the bumper of the car directly in front of you. You will brake more and accelerate more.

4. Clean out any unnecessary items in your car. If you have heavy objects in your car that you don't need, remove them. If your car is lighter, it will use less fuel to get where you're going. This can be a savings of 2%.

5. Remove unneeded racks. If you have a bicycle or ski rack, remove it when you're not using it. It causes drag and lowers mileage.

6. Anticipate red stop lights (and stop signs). Look far ahead; get to know your usual routes. You can let up on the gas earlier. Coasting to a stop will save the gasoline you would otherwise use maintaining your speed longer. If it just gets you to the end of a line of cars at a red light or a stop sign a few seconds later, it won't add any time to your trip. Why keep accelerating only to hit the brakes to stop?

7. Park in the shade. Gasoline actually evaporates right out of your tank, and it does so faster when you park directly in the sun - winter or summer. Parking in the shade also keeps it cooler inside, and you will need less A/C to cool off when you get back in. If there is no shade available, park so that your gas tank (the actual tank under the car, not the valve to fill it) is facing away from the direct sun.

8. Instead of running your AC, lower your windows; AC can waste up 15% of your gas. When you are “on the open” road and driving faster, it is better to close your windows and sunroofs to eliminate drag. The point at which AC is more efficient is at 35-40 mph.

9. Go to RideSearch.com and find a carpool. Check with co-workers to see if there is anyone that you can carpool with. Use the bus. Take a look at a map, maybe there is a better, shorter route to work. Avoid heavy traffic, and a lot of traffic lights. The shortest route may not always be the most efficient route if you have to stop a lot.

10. Do not rest your left foot on the brake. The slightest pressure could cause a drag that will demand additional gas, and will wear out the brakes sooner.

11. Anything electrical that is on in the cars draws electricity from the battery which causes the alternator to run, which causes the engine to work harder which, in turn, uses more gas. In theory even the radio would decrease gas mileage but it would be so insignificant that you would not be able to tell.

14. Save 3% in gas by maintaining correct tire pressure. My Theory is to over inflate tires by a pound or two of pressure. This makes them roll easier and, therefore uses less gas. Don’t over inflate more than 2 lbs.

15. And to repeat a tip from a previous posting: Get organized before you leave the house! Make a list of the stores/errands that you have to go to and make a mental road map of the shortest distance between stores. Combine your shopping: buy postage stamps at the grocery store instead of making a trip to the post office. Does your grocery store have a Red Box? Get your movie there too. Pick up your dry cleaning on the way to/from work. A little planning will save you big bucks on gas.