1.
Energy Technology and Fuel Economy
Only
15 percent of the fuel that you put into your car gets used and the
rest of the energy is lost for many reasons. It is important
to maintain your car and have an understanding of how your vehicle
operates.
If
this information is foreign to you, you may consider taking a basic
mechanic’s course to gain some knowledge. Many
local high schools, vocational schools, and junior colleges offer such
“mini courses.”
The
more that you understand about the way that your vehicle runs, and what
it takes to properly maintain it, the more success you will have when
it comes to understanding what steps to take to start saving money.
If
only 15 percent of the fuel that you pay for gets used, that means that
you need to be absolutely certain that the condition in which your car
is running is as efficient as it can be.
2.
Paying for your gas the smart way
One
of the ways that you can save money at the gas pump is by using a
gasoline credit card or even a regular credit card. Many
offer discounts and cash-back rewards for gas purchases. When
you have a gas card you’ll be able to get 5 or 10 percent
rebate back on the purchase of your gas.
This
can amount to as much as $75 to $300 each year. If you have
multiple drivers in your family you’ll want to make sure that
every car-driving person carries a gasoline credit card with them so
that you can take advantage of multiple gas sales.
Many
gasoline companies are joining up with other retailers to give you
numerous savings at the gas pump.
You’ll
be able to not only save on your gas purchase, but you’ll be
able to earn points towards your next purchase with participating
retailers.
3.
Buy your gas in the morning or evening
Gasoline
becomes denser in colder temperatures. Gas pumps are set to
measure the volume of the fuel that you pump and not the
density.
 This means that if you
fill up your gas tank in the cooler morning temperatures, or in the
colder evening hours, that you’ll be getting better gas price
economy. Try to fill up your gas tank later in the evening to
avoid the rush of day hours.
4.
Buy gas from a busy station
Try
to buy your gas from a gas station that is consistently busy and
therefore has its underground tanks filled on a regular
basis.
Gas
stations that are slow will have gas that has been sitting in
underground tanks for longer periods of time, leading to gas
contamination.
This
contamination can mean that the gas you are purchasing is less powerful
than fresh gas and will decrease your fuel economy.
Try
to time your visits to busier gas stations at those busy times but make
sure that you’re not in a rush to get anywhere.
If you’re late for an appointment, you may find yourself
giving up in frustration because you have to wait to purchase your
gas. Then you’ll find yourself going over to a gas
station that has a higher gas cost for the day. So, leave
plenty of time in your schedule.
5.
Turn the nozzle
When
you have finished filling up your gas tank, try turning the nozzle of
the hose a full 180 degrees.
This
will drain a bit more gas into your tank; in some cases up to an entire
half cup that would otherwise be a bonus to the next gas
customer.
Once
you get into the habit of turning the hose you’ll find
yourself doing it without thinking. That extra half cup that
you get each time that you fill your gas tank can add up to a lot of
extra gas at the end of the year that you never have known about.
6.
High octane gas
For
most cars these days, buying higher octane gas is a waste of your
money. Regular unleaded has approximately 87 octane already
and is fine for your vehicle.
By
not buying high octane gas you’ll be saving a large amount of
money over a period of time.
High
octane gas is always more expensive at the gas pumps so the next time
that you feel guilty for filling up your SUV with regular gas, you can
be assured that no harm will come to your vehicle.
Octane
is simply a measurement of how difficult it is to ignite the gas in
your car and has nothing to do with the quality of the gas.
If you are experiencing engine pings, rattles, or knocks you can switch
to high octane gas for a tankfull or two.
However,
you shouldn’t be experiencing any of those knocks and rattles
if you are keeping your vehicle maintained and making sure that you
don’t miss those scheduled maintenance checkups.
If
you are driving a new model car you definitely shouldn’t be
hearing any pings or rattles and if you are you should take your
vehicle to a mechanic.
7.
Avoid topping off
Try
to avoid “topping off” at the gas pumps.
When you purchase just a bit of gas at the gas station, the pump
doesn’t have enough time to really activate. This results in
short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the amount of gas
that you are purchasing.
The
best time to replenish your gas tank is when you have half a tank or
less left in your vehicle, or when you find a gas price that you just
can’t afford to miss.
8.
Avoid running your gas tank too close to empty
Try
not to drive your car when the gas gauge is on empty.
You
may think that you using very little gas when your car is on empty, but
you are in fact using more gas because your vehicle is running less
efficiently as it tries to accelerate and decelerate in a normal
fashion.
Keep
your gas level above the quarter tank mark if at all possible.
9.
Avoid buying gas from a just-replenished gas station
When
a gas station has its underground tanks filled, the particles at the
bottom of the tank are stirred up.
These
particles can become mixed in with the gas that you are putting into
your car, which can lead to efficiency problems. The
particles can clog your fuel filter, causing your car to stall and
start with some difficulty.
If
the gas station that you have decided to stop at has the lowest gas
price in your area, you may want to think about taking the time to come
back at a later time rather than stopping at the next gas station that
is offering a higher price for gas.
10
Keep your car well tuned
One of the best things that you can do is to keep your vehicle as well
tuned as you possibly can.
This
means taking note of those regularly-scheduled maintenance checkups
that you so often ignore.
Studies indicate that a car with an engine that is poorly tuned will
increase the amount of fuel consumption from 10 to 20 percent.
Information found at http://20tipspub.pushbutton-marketing.com/www.fueleconomy.gov/
shows that when you tune up a car that is due for a checkup or one that
has emissions problems, you can increase the gas mileage by up to 4.1
percent.
Source: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/fed/maintain.shtml
Pay attention to the signals that your car is giving you.
When the red message light on your dashboard lights up letting you know
that it’s time to “check your gauges”
make sure that you have your car looked at as soon as you can.
11
Change the oil in your car
Change
the
oil in your car on a regular basis. When you keep the oil in
your car clean you reduce the wear that is caused by friction in the
moving parts of your car’s engine.
Keeping
track of your last oil change will save you money at the gas pump and
increase your fuel consumption.
If
you are
reluctant or unable to change the oil in your car on your own make sure
that you fuel up at a gas station that offers you full service.
This
way you can ask the gas attendant to help you fill your car with gas as
well as take a look under the hood of your car to see if you need to
change the oil.
 12 The right
grade of
oil
Make sure that you are
using the right grade of oil that is required by your car or
truck. Oil grades are measured in viscosity,
which determines how much the oil can resist flow. Grades of
oil include:
¶
0W (this is the thinnest) (“W”
stands for winter)
¶ 5W to 25W
¶ 20 to 60 (60 is the thickest)
Check
with the owner’s manual that comes with your car for more
information about the grade of oil that is required by your car.
Make
sure
that you use the right grade of oil to ensure that your car runs as
smoothly as it should in all types of weather.
If
you find
that you are always running out of oil when you need it, you can buy
car oil in bulk at stores such as Costco or WalMart, etc. so that you
always have oil available for your vehicle.
If
you
can’t change the oil in the car yourself, ask a family member
or friend to give you a hand.
13
Check the alignment of your car
You
should
be paying attention to the wheel alignment of your car.
Improper alignment will cause a certain amount of engine drag, which
will increase the amount of gas that you are using.
The
better
maintained that car is, the better all around performance that
you’ll get. Talk to your tire merchant or
mechanic about your next alignment servicing.
One
of the
ways that you can tell if your car is due for alignment is if there is
a pulling on the steering wheel when you are driving. If you
are experiencing a type of pulling action, it’s important
that you schedule an appointment to have an alignment done.
14
Avoid an idling vehicle
Try
to
avoid letting your car idle, even on those cold mornings when you try
to heat up the car before driving to work.
Studies
show that there is no need to let your car idle for more than 30
seconds even in cold weather and that idling will reduce your fuel
consumption.
New
cars
are specifically designed for you to be able to start and drive away
immediately without any idle time.
Make
sure
that you get up early enough to scrape the snow and ice off your car in
the winter months. There is no need to start your car while
you are cleaning off your windows. Finish cleaning off your
windows and then start your car when you are ready to leave.
15
Avoid using the air conditioner
When
you
first get into your hot vehicle, try to drive with the windows open to
let out the hot air and let in a fresh breeze.
If
this
fails to lower the temperature in your car, you can put on the air
conditioning. The air conditioner will work more efficiently
and faster if you open up the windows first.
If
you need
to use the air conditioning in your car, you should keep in mind that
your fuel economy will be reduced by 10 to 20 percent. One of
the ways to use your air conditioner is to use it for minimal amounts
of times. Keep the windows closed when you are using the air
conditioning.
Once
the
car has reached a cooler temperature, you can turn off the air
conditioning but it is important to note that you should still keep the
windows closed since opening them will only allow in the hot air once
again.
16
Avoid fast driving in lower gears
If you
drive at fast speeds using the wrong and often lower gears, you will
reduce your fuel economy by as much as 40 percent.
If
you are
driving a standard vehicle, make sure that you know how to properly
operate the gears and know when to shift.
This
is one
of the common mistakes that many drivers make. By paying more
attention to your driving techniques, you will find that you can reduce
some of your fuel costs.
17
Keep your foot off the brake
Try
to
avoid the habit of keeping your foot on the brake, even lightly, when
you are driving. When you rest
your
foot
on the brake, you
use more gas than you would otherwise and you also will wear out your
brakes much sooner.
If
you find
that you are keeping your foot on the brake without being aware of it,
you can try sticking a reminder note to yourself on the dashboard of
your car.
Start
paying attention to your driving habits to see how important they are
and to see how efficiently you drive.
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18
Travel Tips
 One
thing to keep in mind when you are traveling with a carrier or a roof
rack is that you will be increasing your fuel cost by as much
as 5 percent.
Try
to
reduce the amount of aerodynamic drag and improve your fuel consumption
by placing as much as you can in the trunk of your car.
Another
thing to keep in mind is that when you are carrying heavy objects in
your vehicle, you reduce your fuel economy by as much as 1 to 2
percent.
If
you are
going to be doing some heavy hauling, you might find it to your benefit
to hire a truck or borrow one from a friend so that you can reduce the
wear and tear on your car as well as keep down your fuel costs.
 19
Tighten the gas cap
It may seem
like a small thing to do, but tightening the gas cap on your car will
prevent gas from evaporating and escaping into the air. If
you have a gas cap that doesn’t fit tightly, or
you’ve lost your gas cap, buy a new one to replace
it.
Contact your mechanic or
the car dealer of your make of vehicle to see if they have your
particular gas cap in stock or if they can place an order for one to be
shipped to you.
20
Cruise control
When you
are driving on the highway, you should be using cruise control whenever
possible to maintain a steady pace.
This will
help to increase your MPG and therefore, decrease your fuel
consumption.
If you are
driving a vehicle that currently has no cruise control, it’s
easy to have it installed by your mechanic. Many newer
vehicles come with cruise control as a feature and not as a luxury
choice for just this reason: to save on fuel costs.
*****************************************************
Well
. . . That's it for now.
Remember: there are over 40 additional
strategies
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