Here Are Tips To Improve Your Gas Mileage

Pulling up to the pump these days can certainly take your breath away. Even here in Hamilton where our gas prices are decent compared to other regions. Whether you’re driving a luxury car that takes premium-grade fuel or a gas-savinghybrid, you want to use as little fuel as possible. It’s not just economical, it’s better for the environment too. So this guide is full of tips to improve your gas mileage.

CHECK YOUR FRONT END ALIGNMENT – Approximate savings $6.00 for the average fill-up.

There is no pot-hole shortage here in Hamilton, which is why this is an important consideration for us. Driving over them, again and again, can easily throw your wheels’ alignment off. This not only causes your tires to wear out faster but it forces the engine to work harder, reducing gas mileage about 10%. When you’re driving down an empty street or parking lot, check to see if your steering wheel drifts one way or another, if there’s a noticeable difference, then it’s time for an alignment.

CHECK THE GAS CAP – Approximate savings $.40 for the average fill-up.

A broken or missing gas can is hugely detrimental to the environment and your mileage. Surprisingly 17% of all the vehicles on the road have this problem. Some cars have sensors hooked up to your check engine light, to let you know when it’s broken, others need to be spotted manually.

CHECK ON YOUR TIRES – Approximate savings $2.40 for the average fill-up.

It’s estimated that 25% of all cars on the road are driving with improperly inflated tires. Whether your tires are over or under-inflated, this can affect your mileage as well as tread wear. If your tire is under-inflated by 7 pounds, it will cause an approximate 2.8% drop in your mileage. (It helps to know your recommended PSI is usually noted on a sticker that’s fixed on the driver’s door frame.

USE THE RIGHT OIL – Approximate savings $1.50 for the average fill-up.

Whether you take your car in for oil changes or do it yourself, you need to confirm that the right oil (recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer) is being used. If you’re supposed to be using 5W-30 for example, and you switch to 10W-30, your vehicle’s fuel consumption will increase by about 2%.

GO IN FOR A TUNEUP – Approximate savings (up to) $2.50 for the average fill-up.

If your vehicle hasn’t had any basic service or a tune-up in a while, chances are it’s getting 4% less mpg than it should. Depending on how bad it is, if it fails an emissions test, for example, it could be even worse.

CLEAR IT OUT – Approximate savings (up to) $1.50 for the average fill-up.

The lighter your vehicle, the less gas it needs, it’s really that simple. If you’re carrying around junk in your car, an additional 100 pounds, for example, increases your mpg by 1%-2%.

STOP IDLING – Approximate savings $.50 for every two minutes idling.

In the winter it’s especially difficult to not leave the car running for a couple of minutes or to start it several minutes in advance in the morning. The reality is most engines don’t need to warm up that long, it’s not only unnecessary, but it also wastes fuel. Letting your car run for five minutes every morning costs about $1.00-$1.50 per morning.

EASE OFF THE BRAKES – Approximate savings (up to) $15 per fill-up.

This makes a surprising difference. Constantly riding the brake pedal, or speeding up and breaking, speeding up and braking will not only wear your brakes out early, but it will also increase your gas consumption up to 35%.