7 Easy Steps To Better Gas Mileage - No Purchase Required

7 Easy Steps To Better Gas Mileage - No Purchase Required

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Gas is getting more and more expensive and if you have a long commute or if you just like to drive the gas bill can become a burden.

Luckily there is easy ways to lower your gas bill and I'll list seven that are easy to do and does not require you to invest money in a new car or snake oil add-on kits. I'll show you seven ways that are commonly available and easy to do.

1. MAINTAIN PROPER TIRE PRESSURE

Driving with under inflated tires is not only dangerous as the tires could overheat, it also uses more gas than inflated tires.

Inflate your tires at least to the maximum allowed by the car's instruction manual, and check the pressure at least once a month using a reliable pressure gauge.

Many hypermilers inflate their tires more than that, to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewalls of the tires themselves. This can be as much as 50 percent more than the car manufacturers recommended pressure and results in additional gas savings due to a reduced rolling resistance.

This comes at the cost of a harder more uncomfortable ride though. I can't however recommend you to do this, even if it IS safe, as there is a risk of uneven tire wear in some conditions.

2. DETACH TRAILERS, SKI BOXES AND ROOF RACKS

If you thought it's too much of a hassle to remove the roof rack or ski box when it's not needed, think again! The same goes for driving with an empty trailer or a pick up truck with no flatbed cover.

Anything attached or tied to the outside of the vehicle disturbs the aerodynamics resulting in a reduction in fuel economy. Remove roof racks, ski boxes, bicycle holders and trailers when they are not used.

3. SHUT OFF THE A/C UNIT

Despite what some would say the air conditioning unit is using a lot of energy and that energy is taken directly from your gas tank. Turn it off when possible and if that's too uncomfortable set it to a higher temperature as that will make it use less gas.

TIP: Park your car in the shadow, keep the doors open for a minute before going somewhere to cool off the seats of the car and, when possible, drive at night to avoid high temperatures and sunshine during the day.

Just remember, driving at high speed with the windows open is even worse for the fuel economy than using the A/C.

4. BECOME A BETTER DRIVER

The way you drive is one of the biggest factors affecting your fuel economy. Refrain from breaking by letting your vehicle roll to a stop when you're not in the way of other motorists, keep your top speed below 60MPH or 100KM/H and don't push the pedal to the metal when getting the green light.

5. WALK

Many times if you're not going that far, walking or biking is a lot more economic than taking the car. You'll save barrels of gas and you'll also save the other maintanance costs connected to driving.

6. FIX ANY FUEL LEAKS

Clearly if you have a gas leak you spill your valueable petrol into the environment costing you cash and polluting the ground. Fix any fuel leak immediately.

TIP: If the gas cap is broken or missing a lot of gas will evaporate through the missing or broken cap and escape into the air.This is especially true in hot environments and when parking in the sun. This can be a significant loss and it's bad for the environment.

7. FIND A CAR POOL

Sharing the vehicle on the way to the job can feel like a fair amount of hassle compared to going by yourself but then you'll save more using this trick than using any of the other tips (except for walking of course).

Just adding a single person to your vehicle when going to work will save you half your monthly expences.

ADVANCED GAS SAVING TIPS

Those tips are the easiest, most readily available, low cost ways you can save lots of fuel. And that's a no gadgets required bag of tricks.

There are many additional ways to improve your mpg. You can get a more fuel efficient car (hybrid, diesel, smaller car), improve your driving style, improve your cars aerodynamics, use tires with a low rolling resistance, plan your trip, adjust for extreme weather and much more that this article is too short to cover

There's also ways you could end up NOT saving gas, like if you install on of those fuel saving devices advertised everywhere. They take your money but most will barely improve your fuel economy.

About the Author:
Simon Byholm runs the free online gas mileage calculator http://www.MilesGallon.com where you can find out the true MPG of your vehicle. There's also many more automotive calculators and converters to convert miles to km and much more



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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