How to Increase fuel economy and miles per gallon posts are a dime a dozen these days. Some offer radical ideas that turn into heated discussions about science and perpetual motion. Then there’s the fluff article with very little useful information. I’m hoping this page will be neither of those and connect you to other articles I’ve written on the subject at the bottom.
With 2014 behind us we’re seeing stable but high gas prices. We set some records in the first quarter last year, but this year seems more stable for now. Periodic pull backs and slow increases in the twenty cent range are the new normal. Not bad when you think about what can happen. Still a few experts predict $5 a gallon or more by the end of 2015. All it takes is some turmoil and that could be a reality.
Never forget what is possible on this roller coaster ride. Anyone remember near 5 dollars a gallon in the U.S. in 2008? Let’s do something about it with at least getting the maximum MPG our cars allow. At the bottom are in-depth articles on this subject. I’m sure you’ve heard some of these topics before. The important part is to take action and stick with it. Maximizing fuel economy is like going on a diet. It’s not fun and it only works if you stick to it.
More Miles Per Gallon
The question is how to increase fuel economy. The idea is to get the biggest bang for the buck. There are many inexpensive ways to get more miles per gallon. While a number of things are common sense measures with proven results you have to aggressively follow them. I will touch on a few maintenance items and other measures requiring some adjustments that increase the bottom line numbers.
Of course I cover the modifications subject that makes people freak out because we have been led to believe there is nothing we can do except pay the pump. With that said being skeptical about devices and products that claim to increase your mileage or seem too good to be true is healthy. Whether they are legitimate solutions or just snake oil in a box is the question that I will attempt to answer in the articles below.
One
improvement I have personally installed was a cold air intake. Now this
does improve miles per Gallon and performance. How drastic the improvement depends on how well the original equipment one was designed from the factory.
After installing the
air intake on my Blazer the miles per gallon went down because I wanted to feel the new power! The hard part for most is keeping ones foot off the floor. If you want to try one Amazon has good prices on cold air induction kits.
Forcing
my self to crawl around for a tank full I did see an improvement of about
2 mpg. This isn’t bad and a step in the right direction. Coupled with other efforts it could be huge. This is why I think it’s worth learning about
fuel economy. Knowing more about the subject increases the chances of improving average numbers going forward.
Driving Habits Increase Fuel Economy
The most common mistake by new and experienced drivers alike is the
acceleration procedure. Discipline and consistency are so important to
increase fuel economy.
When the light turns green nailing the
accelerator and getting that rush as
you’re pushed back in the driver’s seat is a lot of fun but expensive. Be aware of what this does to your
overall average gas mileage. Quick starts cause the engine to literally
suck down fuel in large amounts instead of taking it in smooth and civilized like.
While we’re all probably guilty of
engaging in stop light drag races next time you feel the temptation
ask yourself if it’s really important to show the guy in the Corvette who the king of the road is. Remember it’s your wallet against a total stranger. Let me share a helpful trick with you.
Saying you will no longer smash the gas pedal to the floor and
holding to that promise are two different things. For me knowing what
my real time fuel economy is while driving helps keep me on track. I have an instant MPG function that I display on the
information center.
When I’m coasting I can see
an instant reading of over 50 miles per gallon (very motivating). When I
take off from a stop light this number is below 10 mpg. If I can increase the good number while reducing the bad number my average economy improves. If you don’t have the ability to read instant
mpg get a device like the ECO Meter or the PLX that can display on IOS or android phones.
Keeping your highway speed at 55 mph can increase fuel economy 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. And this dramatically increases rolling resistance.
Consequently, the fuel economy decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph because of the increase in air resistance.
As
a rule of thumb you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is
like paying an additional $.21 per gallon for gas. If you do the math
this adds up in a hurry. This tip and the other tips to follow on the
next pages could equal total gas savings of thousands of dollars in a
one-year driving period. Your personal experiences will vary with
commitment level.
Give this gas savings page a bookmark or share. Come back and read the articles listed below. Each one covers another aspect of this subject.
See Mark Gittelman’s Awards & ASE Certifications on Google+.
Increase Fuel Economy Articles
When you buy a vehicle and you look at the window sticker you hope
for the bigger highway number. You most likely get closer to the
smaller city number. See if turning off the car AC improves city
gas mileage.
Have you ever had your fuel expenses rise sharply and suddenly? Review mechanical problems that can cause poor gas mileage.
I touched on some hypermilling tactics on this page but I have some more
information on this driving style subject. I also would like to clear
up the proper procedure for calculating fuel economy. Next link takes
you to the page about saving gas with
hypermiling techniques.
I found yet another way to save on gas. You will love this method because it works so well at reducing monthly costs of commuting to work. See how my Dad saved on gas by not driving.
Maybe not driving isn’t an option for you. This next article talks about the most important criteria for securing vehicles that reduce fuel costs.
I came across a very comprehensive package that included the Internets
most popular resources on the radical fuel saving subject. This is
what was included in the no longer available
gas saver guide.
General Motors is trying to recover post bailout. Find
out what their plan is to win you back. Hint: it’s not all about
fuel consumption.
Sacrifices are necessary in life. Now you can learn how to remove all fun from driving at my next article on how to
improve driving habits.
This next page includes the full review of the water4gas hydrogen on demand system that claims to increase fuel economy. I purchased the product, see what I think about Water-4-Gas.
On this next page I provide some unique and often overlooked things that help towards
increasing fuel economy.
Oil is running out and this is most evident by diesel fuel prices.
Learn all about the subject of bio diesel and even learn how to make
your own.
Remember that diesel powered cars and trucks get 30%
more miles per gallon than their gas powered counterpart. You will see
more environmentally friendly diesels cars on the market later this
year.
Even if you can not produce enough to say goodbye to big
oil maybe you can make enough to mix with regular diesel fuel and create
a biodiesel blend. This means you might cut your fuel costs. Why not
see if making bio diesel is right for you?
More information about me and this website can be found on the Start page for Auto-Facts.org.