Last Updated On: October 21, 2016

How to Improve Gas Mileage?

Gas prices have progressively increased since the turn of the century. The average price is between 3 and 4 dollars per gallon. Filling up your car or truck may now cost somewhere between 50 and 100 dollars, depending on your vehicle. You are probably concerned about how to get better gas mileage with your car . If you cannot afford filling up your car to full at one time, then you find yourself at the gas station quite often. Depending on your travel and commuting situation, fuel expenses add up.

For many of us we budget our weekly expenses, and when gas prices go up, our budget suffers. Everyone would like to improve gas mileage few extra miles to the gallon on his or her commute to work. Some people go shopping for a different car for improved mileage and lower car payments only to find out the car is worse less than what they had.

However, You can learn how to get better gas mileage without buying a different car. A few little tricks will improve your fuel economy, and this does not include spending a boatload of money on one of those car modification gadgets. Knowing how to improve gas mileage can be money in your pocket. For some, lowering your car costs are a must, or your budget will need to be adjusted. You could refinance your car or truck to try to get lower payments for some cushion in your budget. However, with a little planning you could avoid that without many modifications to improve gas mileage.

How To Improve Gas Mileage By Adjusting Your Driving?

Avoid Speeding and Aggressive Driving

Many Americans lead busy and active lives. It seems as if we are always in a hurry to arrive at a particular destination. According to the recent report released by the United States Department of Energy, consistent speeding negatively impacts fuel mileage. That is something to remember the next time you feel your feet getting a little heavy.

Aggressive Driving Can Burn 33 Percent of Your Gas Mileage

When speeding or driving aggressively, you are bound to use up to 33 percent more fuel in highway driving. Add 5 percent in city driving. This list contains the biggest factors in the poor gas mileage of your car. Aggressive driving can burn 33 percent of your gas mileage. How to improve gas mileage easily will include changing your driving habit and correcting,

  • Sudden or hard braking.
  • Speeding.
  • Frequent and rapid acceleration.
  • Frequent and erratic lane changing.
  • Lack of car maintenance.
  • Many short trips instead of combining trips

Sensible driving not only improve gas mileage, but it is a safety precaution. Many accidents occur when people are driving fast or aggressively.

Saving Fuel While Behind Wheel

Two overlooked methods to improve gas mileage are the use of overdrive gears and cruise control. When using the overdrive gear your engine uses fewer revs per minute (RPMs). When you RPM level is lower, your vehicle uses less fuel. Also, your engine will encounter less wear and tear when in overdrive.

Motors appreciate consistency, and that is also the case when it comes to fuel mileage. When you use cruise control, your car remains at the same speed until you either brake or accelerate. As mentioned earlier, unnecessary acceleration hurts fuel mileage. Cruise control is ideal when on the highway for an extended period. In addition to fuel economy, cruise control reduces the chances of speeding, which in turn eliminates a possible speeding citation.

How to Improve Gas Mileage When Parking: Restarting Your Engine

You may have heard the myth that restarting your engine consumes more gas than leaving it running while parked. Well, that what is untrue. For example, if you leave your car running idle for about an hour, you can lose roughly $0.01 to $0.04 per gallon depending on if and what level your air conditioner is running.

How to Increase Gas Mileage With Proper Vehicle Maintenance

The first step towards a longer vehicle lifespan is by keeping it in good condition by providing proper maintenance and repairs. Many people shy away from the mechanical checks because it is probably not affordable. It is wise to understand that keeping a vehicle in good condition directly translates to better gas mileage and protects your investment. Keep your tires at the correct tire pressure and when traveling on the highway, adjust them to the maximum tire pressure.

How to save money on gas when it comes to proper auto maintenance includes engine tuning. If your engine fails any emissions tests, some issues must be attended to. Once the engine passes the tests, your fuel economy should improve by up to 4 percent depending on the type of vehicle you drive.

Lighter vs. Overburdened or Weighty Vehicles

As we increase more weight on the car, it becomes heavier. It is a fact that the larger trucks and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) do not have the ideal gas mileage as opposed to the smaller sedan cars. However, if you have a family sedan, you still could hurt your gas mileage with additional weight. In fact, an extra 100 pounds can cause you to lose 2 percent of your miles per gallon (MPG). This may seem slight, but 2 percent equates to roughly 0.04 to 0.07 dollars per gallon. Most of us would love to save that amount each time we pull into the gas station. Note that the effects vary in SUVs or large trucks, as they weigh much more than a couple or sedan.

Additional weight may be caused by a bike rack, tote bags, luggage, or child car seats. If you have small children, only remove the car seat if they are not in the vehicle with you. The less you carry, the further your fuel mileage will go.

How To Get Better Gas Mileage With Motor Oil

It is important never to skip a vehicle maintenance check-up or oil changes to improve gas mileage. The type of petroleum grade also affects fuel mileage. Always use the manufacturer recommendations when choosing your oil. Oil grades may be 5W-30 or 10W-30. If a manufacturer recommends a higher value, do not settle for the lower value. This will not improve fuel mileage and could put a strain on the engine.

Additionally, by keeping your air pressure in your car tires at the recommended amount, you can improve gas mileage by roughly 3 percent.

How to get better MPG

Another suggestion is to avoid carrying cargo on your vehicle’s roof. Not only does it weigh down the car, but it triggers a wind resistant aerodynamic drag. This pull lessens your fuel mileage. If you carried cargo, a blunt roof-top box would be more fuel-efficient. It can potentially save you up to 8 percent of highway gas mileage and up to 25 percent of interstate gas mileage. Again, this varies depending on the type and size of vehicle you own. Of course, remember to remove the box when it is not in use.

Fuel Efficient Vehicles

You may have observed all the processes mentioned above, yet you are still spending too much time and money at the gas station. It may be time to trade your vehicle in for a more fuel-efficient car. Most of the car manufacturers today are endeavoring to produce automobiles with the best fuel economy possible. However, it is a fact that hybrid cars offer the best results when it comes to saving on fuel. However, these green vehicles are out of the price range of many consumers. With that said, the money saved on gas eventually compensates for the higher price. Check the possibility of owning a hybrid vehicle if it is within your reach, and you believe you will benefit long-term.

Not everyone can afford or desires to own a hybrid car. Thus, there are options for everybody when it comes to saving on gas. For instance, if you are considering trading in your Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Heavy Duty pickup truck, perhaps you should check your options for vehicles with better gas mileage. You many not necessarily settle for a small compact car. Some smaller SUVs and crossover vehicles are built with fuel economy in mind. If you do not use a luggage rack than don’t get a car with one attached to the roof. Your engine will save about ten horsepower on highway driving without the wind drag of a roof rack. Also, roll up your windows if you are on the freeway. Any wind drag you can eliminate will improve your gas mileage. Companies such as Valley Auto Loans can assist you in finding the ideal fuel-efficient vehicle.

Future Pricing of Gas

Gone are the days, such as in the early 1990’s, when you could fill your car up for less than a buck per gallon and head out to your favorite destination without the thought of the cost of filling up the tank. We plan a little more carefully in this economy. How to get better gas mileage has become even more of a concern for most car owners. By following these tips, you can dramatically reduce your fuel expenses and over time, the money saved adds up. How to improve gas mileage is as easy as making it a priority when you drive. For other great tips and financial information check out our resource page. There is a wide variety of important topics that every car owner should be aware of like how-to install a tire plug, close a broken car window or jump-start your dead car battery.