Peak Fuel Efficiency
Here it goes one more time… mainly for the ladies.
1) [b]Fill Up Smart[/b]
[i]Fill up your vehicle during the coolest part of the day. With older pumps that don’t have a temperature-compensating flow meter, fuel is denser when it’s cool, so you actually get more for your money when you pump gas in the early AM instead of filling up at 5:30PM on your way home from work.[/i]
2) [b]Keep Your Car Clean[/b]
[i]It doesn’t just look good, it actually lowers the wind resistance of your vehicle. No, not by much, but every little bit helps, remember? More importantly, clean out the inside of your vehicle, particularly any unnecessary boxes of heavy junk you have in the hatch/trunk/backseat. By removing weight, you can improve fuel economy.[/i]
3) [b]Check Your Tire Pressure[/b]
[i]Underinflated tires take more energy to push down the road so check your tire pressure often. Invest a few dollars in a good dial-type tire pressure gauge and use it to check your tire pressure once a week. Even if the pressure is only a couple PSI low, you’re burning a lot more fuel than you need to.[/i]
4) [b]Change The Air Filter[/b]
[i]If your engine’s wheezing and has to work harder bringing in the air it needs to burn fuel efficiently, it doesn’t complain to you. It simply burns more fuel. By replacing your air filter annually, or biannually if you live in a dusty area, you’ll ensure the engine can breathe freely. Consult your owner’s manual for filter changing instructions — it’s usually a straightforward process. While it won’t save you dollars per fill-up, it could save you at least the price of an air filter each year depending on your mileage.[/i]
5) [b]Replace Your Spark Plugs[/b]
[i]Worn spark plugs can’t ignite the air/fuel mixture in your engine as effectively, resulting in more fuel used for a given amount of power produced. Depending upon the vehicle you drive, your spark plugs may need to be changed as often as yearly or as rarely as once a decade or so. Again, consult your owner’s manual for details. Note that we’re now getting into “real work.” If you drive an older vehicle with an inline engine, changing plugs can be done in as little as an hour. A transverse V6, like that commonly found on minivans and domestic sedans, can be an entirely different story involving bloody knuckles, part removal, flex sockets, and extensive cursing. If your car is due for plug replacement and you’re not up to the task, a competent shop should be able to do the work for a reasonable fee.[/i]
Wow. I never heard about #1. Seems like they would have mass-based flowmeters on them. If not, I’m filling up in the morning every time. Not that it makes that much of a difference since the station’s tanks are underground anyway.
[b]#6[/b]
Don’t hit the brakes! Every time you hit the brake you are converting energy you paid for (ie gasoline) into heat that doesn’t do you a bit of good. Changing your driving style to not hit the brakes as often will have more of an effect on your mpg than all of the other methods put together. No, I’m not saying floor it everywhere and ignore red lights, but if you keep a reasonable distance from the car in front of you at least 50% of the time they hit their brakes, you won’t have to. Or just think of it in these simple terms: [u]Hitting the brake pedal is throwing money away.[/u] Adjust driving accordingly.