How To Save Money On Fuel Costs

By: Robert S.

4. Take care of you car

Properly maintaining your car will keep your car running as efficiently as possible. Change the oil regularly, and use a synthetic oil instead of mineral oil. This will give you better mileage. Upgrade your air filter. More efficient brands of air filters cost a little more but will pay for themselves in most vehicles in fuel savings. Check it every oil change and change it regularly. Clogged air filters cause engines to work overtime which requires more fuel.

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. Upgrade your tires. Low resistance tires, such as Michelin Energy MX 4 Plus claim to increase gas mileage.

Don't forget to check the air pressure in the tires every week. Buy an inexpensive air pump and an accurate tire gauge. Keep all tires inflated to the pressure as recommended for your car.

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. Also 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.

5. Buy a different car

Buy a diesel. Diesel cars can often get better mileage than comparable hybrids. Getting a diesel car also allows for use of bio-diesel or even waste vegetable oil (WVO/SVO) fuel. If you cannot buy a diesel, try to get a hybrid, a smaller car, or a motorcycle.

6. Drive smarter

Avoid idling. While idling, your car gets exactly 0 miles per gallon while starting the car uses the same amount as idling for 6 seconds. Also, avoid going so fast that you have to brake for someone. Whenever you brake, you waste the gas it took to get going that fast. Therefore it's best to drive at a consistent speed. Anticipate the stop signs and lights. Look far ahead; get to know your usual routes. 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 or stop sign!

Use a global positioning system (GPS) to help you navigate and find the fastest and shortest distance to your destination. Avoiding hills and stops will increase your gas mileage. When possible, also use cruise control. Use A/C only on the highway. At lower speeds, open the windows. This increases the drag and reduces fuel efficiency, but not as much as the AC at low speeds (35-40 mph).

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.