Tuesday, January 02, 2007

How to Save Money on Gas

Source

Gas prices keep going up, and our wallets keep getting thinner. This how-to reviews many ways to save money at the local gas station.

Steps


  1. Don't drive. Don't drive when you don't have to. Carpooling, walking, taking the bus, and riding a bike not only save gas, but also are better for our environment and may be better for your health. Do you really need to drive to the store that is only a couple of blocks down the street?

  2. Get a credit card. Some credit cards offer gas savings when you use the card for purchases. This works in much the same way that some credit card companies give you frequent flyer miles when you use their card for purchases. But watch for interest rate charges.

  3. Get a membership card. Some gas stations offer membership benefits. There are also department and grocery stores that give discounts at the fuel pump when you use their store membership cards.

  4. Give your car a tune up. While giving your car a tune up won't actually save you money at the pump, it will save you gas. Using less gas saves you money. Have the oil changed, and have a certified mechanic give your engine a look over.

  5. Check the web for deals. Web sites let you find the best deals in your area. Check out the external links below to start.

  6. Buy a Diesel. Diesel cars can often get better mileage than comparable hybrids and do not have batteries that need replacing. Getting a Diesel car also allows for use of Biodiesel fuel.

  7. Buy a hybrid car. Not only do hybrid cars give you immediate savings at the pump, the U.S. government and your local state offer tax breaks for people who use gas-saving cars. Federal deductions for using gas-saving cars can be as high as $2,000.00, but check before buying to see if they're still in effect. If you can't afford the growing number of hybrid cars out there, consider getting a regular car with good MPG (miles per gallon), like the Honda Fit. In general, the smaller the car, the better the mileage.
    Enlarge
  8. Use the lowest recommended octane for your car. The lower octane gas is cheaper. Most modern cars are engineered to run efficiently on lower octane fuel. Check your owner's manual to be sure, as not all car engines should use lowest octane gas.

  9. Mix octanes. Using a higher octane has no effect on fuel efficiency and doesn't really gain you anything and costs more. In some areas, the lower octane may be too low for your car and the mid-grade or higher octane may be more than what you need. To avoid overpaying and still get the correct octane for your car you can mix the gas. For example, if your car takes 87 octane and the pumps have 85 octane and 89 octane, then when filling your car, fill half the tank with 85 octane and the other half with 89 octane and this will give you an equivalent of 87 octane plus it will save you money because the lower octane gas costs less. However, if you do not have a way of thoroughly mixing the fuel as it is entering your tank, your engine may receive "bursts" of lower octane fuel, causing problems.

  10. Avoid idling. While idling, your car gets exactly 0 miles per gallon. Although it is said that starting the car uses a lot of gas, it is still very little compared to idling for more than a few seconds. Idling to warm up is particularly bad, as the engine needs extra fuel to warm up. After start up, allow your car to idle 15-30 seconds, then drive conservatively until it reaches normal operating temperature. Park your car and go into the restaurant rather than idling in the drive-through. Idling with the air conditioning on also uses extra fuel. Warning: stopping and starting the engine frequently will cause extra wear. Don't stop the engine if you are going to idle for less than a minute. Note: diesel engines use much less fuel to idle than gasoline engines.

  11. Combine trips. If you can do several short trips in one longer trip, you will save fuel and time. Make lists to avoid having to go back. Call ahead to avoid wasted trips.

  12. Plan your trips in advance. This can prevent wasting fuel and wasting time. Plan to use alternative routes. Often back roads can prevent you from stopping at traffic lights and more importantly sitting in traffic jams.

  13. Buy a GPS system. Global Positioning Systems help you navigate to find the fastest and shortest distance to your destination. A good GPS can save you time and fuel. Also the cost of GPS systems has really come down and you can get a good GPS system for around $350. Also, there are some creative ways you can use GPS systems to save money on gas. For example, you could use a GPS to calculate how far away you are from the next state and if you know fuel tax is less in the next state, just put enough fuel in to get you to the next state and fill up with gas where it is cheaper.

  14. Check the tire air pressures weekly. Buy an inexpensive manual air pump and an accurate tire gauge (not a pencil gauge as they are not accurate). Keep all tires inflated to the pressure as recommended for your car. Go by the sticker on the door frame or fuel filler flap and not the tire wall. Don't be afraid to experiment with higher tire pressure, as long as you don't exceed the rating marked on the tire. Generally speaking, a slightly higher pressure will improve fuel mileage.

  15. Drive at a consistent speed Avoid accelerating fast or braking suddenly. Use cruise control when you can.

  16. Slow down. Air resistance goes up as the square of velocity. The power consumed to overcome that air resistance goes up as the cube of the velocity. Rolling resistance is the dominant force below about 40 mph. Above that, every mph costs you mileage. Go as slow as traffic and your schedule will allow. Drive under 60-65 since air grows exponentially denser, in the aerodynamic sense, the faster we drive. To be precise, the most efficient speed is your car's minimum speed in it's highest gear, since this provides the best "speed per RPM" ratio.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. Don't fill until the last quarter tank. If you do this, it can extend your gas because you are hauling a lighter load as the tank nears empty. This also allows you to buy gas on low-cost days. However, in cold weather, you may not want to do this. Also, running a car with less than a quarter tank of fuel can shorten the fuel pump life, and letting your tank empty completely can cause fuel pump and filter problems. And you never know when you might be in an emergency and need some gasoline in your car!

  20. Fill the tank full. If you need to fill up, fill up all the way. The more money you try to save by adding $10 today and then $20 tomorrow will be wasted since each time you will have to travel to the station and wait for a pump. Instead, do it all at once and $ave time and money.

  21. Avoid buying gas with ethanol, if possible. The lower energy content of the fuel will almost always lower mileage. Other additives may do the same, or may increase mileage depending upon your vehicle. Experiment to find out. Also the minimal price difference is often offset by a lower price due to lower fuel taxes or subsidies. Consider using ethanol because it is a lot better for the environment. Note, however, that turbocharged cars often get better mileage with ethanol blends. This is because the higher (over 100!) octane of ethanol permits more boost, which means more efficient fuel usage.

  22. Avoid having to stop. If approaching a red light, see if you can slow down enough to avoid having to actually stop (because you reach the light after it is green). Speeding up from 5 or 10 miles per hour will be easier on the gas than starting from full stop.

  23. Anticipate the stop signs and lights. 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. Ditto for coasting to lose speed before a highway off-ramp: if it means you catch up with that truck halfway around the curve instead of at the beginning, you haven't lost any time. (Do not coast to slow down until you're in the exit deceleration lane, unless you have checked your mirror to make sure you won't interfere with non-exiting traffic in the right-hand travel lane.)

  24. Take off slowly from a full stop. This is one adjustment that will have dramatic effects on your gas mileage; don't tear off from a stoplight! If you move out slowly, it will help save you money at the pump. Also, if you are driving a stick shift, note that 50% throttle at 1200 rpm's uses less gas than 10% throttle at 2500 rpm's. As long as the engine is not lugging or pinging, shift as soon as possible and use plenty of throttle. The engine is more efficient when it does not have to pump air past a closed throttle plate. Warning: this advice is only true for fuel-injected cars or those with constant velocity carburetors.

  25. Park in the first spot you find. If you wander all over the parking lot looking for that really close parking space, you'll use more gas. Don't be afraid to walk a ways if it comes to that - the walk will do you good!

  26. Use A/C only while slowing. This is sometimes enough to keep your vehicle at a reasonable temperature without using fuel and going easier on the brakes. You can also use the A/C to cool the car and then switch to the fan only. (Turning on the A/C at low rpm's may save the compressor from a "jolt" and additional wear.)

  27. Shift into neutral if you are not comfortable with downshifting. Standard transmission vehicles may save gas by shifting into neutral when going down hills steep enough to maintain speed (although engine braking is safer on steeper declines). Do not do this in a Hybrid car, they use this "regenerative engine braking" to generate electricity and charge the batteries. NOTE: This strategy will result in more wear and tear on your brakes. Neither of these strategies is recommended for normal automatic cars. Also, if you own a car with fuel injection, it is more efficient to keep the car in a high gear while going down hills. Simply take your foot off the gas.

  28. 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.

  29. Drive a small motorcycle or scooter instead of a car. They are cheaper and often get 70 MPG or better. Riding gear is available for most weather conditions. A good example is the Kawasaki EX250, which costs about $3,000, gets 60-70 MPG at highway speeds, and can go 0-60 MPH in under 6 seconds!

  30. Use a synthetic oil instead of 10W30 and 10W40. This will cause your engine to run better and giving you better mileage..

Tips


  • Gas prices are statistically the cheapest on Wednesdays, but this is only statistically true over a large number of days. It won't be true every week.

  • Getting a fill-up three days before a holiday will help you save on the price bump.

  • At every oil change, check your air filter. Clogged air filters cause engines to work overtime which requires more fuel. Reusable air filters are not recommended, as they can destroy expensive Mass Airflow Sensors if they are over-oiled. A quality paper filter does a better job of filtering.

  • Use a fuel injector cleaner or complete fuel system treatment occasionally. Not only will you see a boost in gas mileage, but in your car's overall performance. Fouled injectors vaporize fuel poorly, affecting how completely the fuel is burned.

  • Most car modifications do not improve mileage. Extra wings add drag. Power improvements often hurt mileage. However, if your car is turbocharged, chiptuning may result in a mileage boost. The mileage boost will be canceled out if you drive more aggressively due to power improvements.

  • So-called gas saving devices don't work. Use these wikiHow tips and save yourself the cost of the snake oil.

  • Many of these tips change slightly if your engine is turbocharged or diesel. For instance, diesel engines use almost no fuel while idling. Diesel trucks will often be left idling all night to provide heat or power for the trucker inside the cab, at the cost of relatively little fuel.

  • Wholesale unleaded is now a traded commodity. Watch the futures price as it will forecast price at the pump, which will be about equal to the wholesale price plus taxes plus about a nickel per gallon for the station.

Warnings


  • Keep in mind that low octane gas is usually slightly worse for the environment.

  • Check your vehicle's Owners Manual for minimum fuel octane ratings. Some engines are designed to use higher octane fuels. Using a lower octane fuel (over extended periods of time) in these engines may result in premature engine failures.

  • Nearly all gas-saving devices do not work, and some even decrease fuel mileage. Intake twisters, gas pills and fuel line magnets do not help mileage. Even if the mileage improvement claims were true, they often cost enough to negate any potential savings.

  • Be very careful when shifting into neutral when going down hills. While you are likely not to need to accelerate, you can never know that types of accidents/problems other cars will create that will necessitate an immediate increase in speed.

  • Getting into the habit of downshifting to slow the car instead of using the brakes will cause early wear of your clutch. It is generally known among auto mechanics that it is better to wear out your brakes than to wear out your clutch. Brake pads can be replaced for much less money than a clutch, which often requires removing the entire engine, transmission, or both.




Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)