Gas Price Blues? Effective Fuel Saving Tips & Myths

 

Tip #1 Moderate Driving

You can save up to 37% by driving less aggressively, such as accelerating more slowly from stop lights and intersections.  The average savings according to Edmunds.com is around 31%.  You could potentially cut your number of fill-ups by almost 1/3rd.

Tip #2 Avoid Excessive Idling

If you turn off a light bulb as you leave the room you’ll save electricity. If you turn off your car you will save gas.
 
The question is if you’re going to stop for just a minute, is it worth it? Idling can provide wear and tear on automatic transmissions (it’s often advised to shift into neutral while idling to reduce wear), but if you will be idling an extended period of time turning the car off can help you save gas as well.

Tip #3 Keep your Tires Inflated

Maintaining proper tire pressure for your car will not only extend the life of your tires, but can help your fuel economy as well.  We recommend frequently checking your tire pressure to ensure proper inflation.  In the long run a few minutes can save you money!

An alternative many are finding useful is the use of Nitrogen Inflation to fill tires instead of regular air.  Tires inflated with nitrogen will maintain correct tire pressure longer, and don’t react to heat the same way as regular tires.   If you are interested in getting nitrogen for your tires,  contact us and we can get things started for you.

Tip #4 Use Cruise Control

Using Cruise Control is a fantastic way to save on gas everyday.  It smoothes out your accelerator by stopping accidental  ”surging.”  It also makes the driver take the long view of the road rather than reacting to every change in the traffic around them, leading to steadier driving and better fuel economy.

Tip #5 Fill your Gas Tank in the Morning

Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground; and the colder the ground, the denser the gasoline. When it gets warmer gasoline expands, so if you’re filling up in the afternoon or in the evening, what should be a gallon may not be exactly a gallon.

Number One Gas Saving Myth:  Are you turning your AC off for no reason?

The widely held belief has been that turning the AC off, and rolling your windows down will help you to save on gas.  It’s true that using the AC does take power from the vehicle and increases the amount of gas you use, but by rolling down the windows for ventilation you may be losing any benefit.

When you roll the windows down on your car it becomes less aerodynamic and creates drag.  When this happens it takes more power for your car to drive,  largely countering the effect of turning your AC off in the first place.

So unless you plan on keeping your windows up and your AC off, you might as well enjoy the cool AC rather then sweat for little if any savings on fuel with it off.

One great way to save fuel would be to upgrade to a Hyundai from Cocoa Hyundai, where we have the fuel efficient Hyundai Accent Compact, Elantra Sedan and larger Hyundai Sonata sedan that competes with Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.   All 3 of these Hyundai I mentioned get over 30MPG.

If a new car isin’t in the budget, you can always find more ways to reduce your fuel consumption by checking out the EPA’s website at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/drive.shtml