Simple Fuel Saver Strategies

Fuel Saver Strategy #8

Keeping your highway speed at 55 mph can increase your fuel saver miles by as much as 25%, compared to 75 mph. Keep in mind that over 50% of the energy required to move a vehicle down the road is spent overcoming aerodynamic drag, the faster you drive, the more air, you will have to push out of the way.

Speeds above 60 mph result in being anti-fuel saver. As a rule of thumb you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.25 per gallon for gas. If you do the math this adds up in a hurry. And in today’s rapidly rising fuel costs, this figure is rising rapidly too.

I’ve touched on this principle in my previous post concerning flag flying which is an anti-fuel saver practice.

Simple Fuel Saver Strategies

Fuel Saver Strategies #7

Keep your engine operating at its peak efficiency. A well-maintained engine will help you be a fuel saver. Incorrect fuel ratio, bad spark plugs, and incorrect spark timing can have a big effect on gas mileage.

Follow the service schedules listed in your owner's manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended. If you have engine performance problems like rough idling, poor acceleration and so on, solve these problems as quickly as possible. This will greatly impact your car as a fuel saver. Studies have shown that, a poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 to 20%.

Always use good engine oil, preferably a synthetic or synthetic blend with a friction-reducing additive. These have been known to improve fuel efficiency by as much as 12%. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish, if you don’t change your engine oil and filters as recommended by the owner’s manual, you may end up not only with poor fuel efficiency but your engine may be damaged and require an expensive overhaul. That bill could be 50 times more expensive than the cost of following the service schedules. This is one fuel saver strategy you can’t afford to ignore.

Simple Fuel Saver Strategies

Fuel Saver Strategy #6

Avoid unnecessary engine idling time. It’s an anti-fuel saver habit. When the engine is idling you are receiving 0 miles per gallon.

Most late-model cars do not need to be warmed up. In fact, no matter how efficient your car is unnecessary idling wastes fuel, costs money, and pollutes the air. If waiting for more than a few minutes at a drive-through lane or similar circumstance. Turn off the engine. Be a fuel saver.

Also do not leave the car idling while running into a store for a quick errand. This is especially hard on a vehicle during the hot summer months and is an open invitation for auto theft. That’s dumb.