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Driving Efficiently (continued)
2. When you are driving your car, changing driving habits can improve fuel economy considerably.
a. Avoid idling your vehicle when possible. Turn off the engine if you anticipate
a lengthy wait (more than one or two minutes). Do not turn on the engine until you
are ready to go. It is really not necessary to warm up your car before you begin
driving. Even on very cold days thirty seconds of warm-
b. Always accelerate gently and avoid aggressive driving. Jack-
c. Do not tailgate and anticipate slow -
d. Try to maintain a steady speed on the highway. If possible, avoid getting stuck behind slow traffic and then speeding up to pass. Use cruise control when possible. When not using cruise control, maintain a steady speed by keeping your foot steady on the gas pedal, rather than constantly moving your foot up and down in a pumping motion.
e. Avoid high speeds and stay within the speed limit. Speeds above 60 mph reduce gas mileage as much as 20% or more. Instead of driving at 10 mph over the speed limit, try the speed limit. It will not take much longer and you will save.
f. Use overdrive gears when appropriate during highway driving.
g. Limit the use of air conditioning, and open windows when at lower speeds to save fuel. At high speeds keep windows closed to reduce drag, and use only the fan and not air conditioning, if possible, to still remain comfortable.
h. Take advantage of electronic toll devices like E-
i. Park in the shade and use your garage to keep your car cool to limit air conditioning use and to minimize fuel evaporation.
j. If you have more than one vehicle, use the one that gives better mileage.
Configuring Your Vehicle For Fuel Economy
The type of vehicle you drive and how it is outfitted is key to the gas mileage you will receive. Buying the most fuel efficient vehicle that will meet your needs will probably provide the biggest savings on fuel. In other words, do you really need that big gas guzzler? However, there are several other actions you can take with your present car to improve mileage.
1. Clean out of your car all the items that are not necessary on a regular basis. The more weight you do not carry around in your car, the better the mileage.
2. Do not fill up your vehicle with fuel unless it is near empty to minimize the amount of fuel weight you are carrying around. And if you do not mind buying fuel more often, only fill up your vehicle until it’s half full to minimize the weight you are carrying around.
3. If it’s winter, remove snow and ice from your car completely to minimize the weight you are carrying. Also, using a block heater in freezing winter temperatures can improve your fuel economy. A block heater warms the engine block and lubricants allowing the engine to start more quickly and reach peak operating temperature more quickly. If you put a timer on your block heater, running it for only two hours before starting your car should be all you need.
4. Carry cargo inside the vehicle when possible. Roof racks and other means of carrying cargo outside the vehicle will increase drag and reduce mileage.
5. Forego those new wide profile tires. They increase rolling resistance and reduce mileage. Consider purchasing low rolling resistance tires.
6. If you own a pickup, consider a soft-
7. Do not waste your money on fuel saving devices or additives. They don’t work.
Maintaining Your Vehicle For Fuel Economy
How you maintain your vehicle will also impact fuel economy. Here are some tips on proper maintenance to improve fuel economy. But remember, keep in mind the cost of the maintenance versus the fuel savings. If the maintenance item is only being done to improve fuel economy, make sure it makes sense.
1. Keeping your vehicle properly tuned can improve gas mileage up to 5%. For newer cars, this means replacing your spark plugs when recommended by your manual.
2. If you replace a bad oxygen sensor your mileage improvements can be very large, perhaps over 20%.
FUEL ECONOMY -
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