Here’s some advice from MSN Auto that could help save you money.
We know they work because because we get 33 mpg on an Escort and
we don’t take it out of town.
Here are some gas saving maintenance and driving tips that really
work:
* Vehicle gas caps - About 17 percent of the vehicles on the
roads have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or are missing
altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year
* Under-inflated tires - When tires aren’t inflated properly
it’s like driving with the parking brake on and can cost a mile or
two per gallon.
* Worn spark plugs - A vehicle can have either four, six or
eight spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000
miles, resulting in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion.
A dirty spark plus causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs
need to be replaced regularly.
* Dirty air filters - An air filter that is clogged with dirt,
dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a “rich” mixture - too
much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and
causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can
improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 15 cents
a gallon.
Fuel-saving driving tips include:
* Don’t be an aggressive driver - Aggressive driving can lower
gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent on
city streets, which results in 7 to 49 cents per gallon
* Avoid excessive idling - Sitting idle gets zero miles per
gallon. Letting the vehicle warm up for one to two minutes is
sufficient.
* Observe the speed limit Gas mileage decreases rapidly at
speeds above 60 mph. Each mph driven over 60 will result in an
additional 10 cents per gallon. To maintain a constant speed on the
highway, cruise control is recommended.
*** DO NOT USE THE CRUISE IN RAIN OR SNOW OR ON WET & SLIPPERY
SURFACES!!!
* Combining errands into one trip saves gas and time. Several
short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a
longer multi-purpose trip covering the same distance.
* Avoid carrying unneeded heavy items in the truck. An extra
100 pounds can cut fuel efficiency by a percent or two.
Click Here for Gas Prices - MSN Autos
So save some money if you’re not doing this already. Comments are welcome.
