Gas - Saving Money Tips

[browneil]

Re: Gas - Saving Money Tips

And one more gas-saving tip, leftover from the 1970's gas crisis - when you are coasting down a hill or at a traffic light, put your car into neutral.

[Master Driver]

Re: Gas - Saving Money Tips

On a flat, straight, wide-open interstate, my best
gas mileage speed is right around 76 mph!

...I say 'right around 76 mph' because it fluctuates
depending on many factors.


Hunter
"Over 247 Gas Saving Tips"

p.s. That's a beautiful gas saving tip Browniel!
I dedicate an entire chapter to 'neutral coasts'.

And one more gas-saving tip, leftover from the 1970's gas crisis - when you are coasting down a hill or at a traffic light, put your car into neutral.

[poundwise]

Re: Gas - Saving Money Tips


This is an older thread but its nice to see it bumped because the first post is really full of quality tips. I especially appreciate the info re: tire pressure.

I would add that I have found MSN Autos' Gas Price page to be more reliable and cover more stations (in my area at least) than the aforementioned Gas Buddy site.

Also, I formerly thought that lower priced gas was fine and although I didn't use Hess (for one) very often, I did buy my gas at Murphy USA (Wal-Mart, Sam's.) This was often the best price in town, especially when using a Wal-Mart shopping card (gift card) to pay for it (additional 3 cents per gallon discount.) However, after doing this for a couple of months, my car began to knock severely. It was so bad that I thought I was about to throw a rod or something. A mechanic suggested that I switch gasoline. When I did, the knocking stopped and has never returned. Now, I look for the lowest cost gasoline excluding Hess, Murphy USA, and the like. Fortunately, the BP near my house is often among the cheapest in my area.

(Just to be fair, I should also point out that during the same time-frame as my vehicle was knocking, my wife's car, which was also filled at the same Murphy station, never showed any signs of problems. However, the fact that my car did is, to me, a tell-tale sign of the fact that it is lower quality. Not only this, but since that time a friend of mine has concluded that his vehicles get less gas mileage when using Murphy USA than when using Exxon/Shell, etc.; indicating further that the cheapest isn't always the best deal.)

[The Budget Man]

During summer use the gas pumps that are in the shade.

One of our local gas stations has a row of pumps that are always in the hot sun. Pertol expands when it gets hot so a 10 degree difference in temperature can make a big difference in how much petrol you actually get.

I try to fill up in the morning and never from the "Hot" pumps.

[ifeel100]

Small or compact car, better Fuel Consumption (FC)

[getforfree]

When it's hot, and I have to use AC, about a minute prior to stopping, I turn it off. It doesn't save much, but if the ac was running the whole trip, like 10 min or so, when I turn it off, the air in the car will still be cool for another minute.

[th_tan]

very ood tips, thanks . But I am concerned on this statistic you mentioned.

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9. Drive at the speed limit. Cars use about 20% more fuel driving at 70 miles per hour than they do at 55 miles per hour.
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can you show me where you found that at? thats a huge percent, sounds inaccurate, but prove me wrong please.

[Aleta]

On a trip that we make frequently, my husband and I switch off on who drives up and who drives back. Even if I drive in the heat, I have so much gas left over when I drive at the speed limits. When my husband drives and even if it's at night and the temperature is cooler, he uses almost the whole tank. I've normally only used half. There is a difference when you slow down, but I also read somewhere that you have to go at least 35 or 40 miles to be gas efficient.

[Jerryg50]

We have several cars in our family. We found that leaving the air conditioner on actualy saved a little in the gas miliage. With the air conditioning on and having the windows were rolled up, there was less air resistance. There is also the point that it is best to be comfortable when driving.

The big thing that saves fuel cost is to use moderate or light acceleration. When driving in the city, try to time the speed and distance between the traffic lights to allow less stopping when possible. There are many streets in large cities where the traffic lights are timed. Driving the posted speed limit gives the best results. Most of the fuel is used when accelerating.

Just remember that when using the breaks, you are using up energy that was used to accelerate the vehicle. Driving with gentle acceleration and gentle breaking will give the best possible savings. Also, when going easy on the breaks, there is less wear of the breaking system, and thus there will be added savings.

I found that it is best to have the correct tyre pressure. Handling and roll resistance is improved. This is also for safety reasons.

Using good common sense driving habits can save as much as 30% compared to the average. Hard driving also increases the maintenance costs as well. I was very surprised to see this amount of savings as a reality. I expected less.

[kimiko]

Source for fuel saving stats

[Jerryg50]

I agree very much with most of what you are saying here. I leave the air conditioning turned on all year around even though we have winters. In the winter time, it de-humidifies, thus reducing fog forming on the windows in the cold weather.

Also, during the summer, I like to ride in comfort. I personaly did some tests and found that with both our family cars, that the air conditioning made very little increase in fuel consumption if any at all. In fact, on the highway, because I was able to keep the windows rolled up, there was a slight improvment in the fuel economy.

I had some of my friends do the same types of air conditioning tests with their vehicles. We all found that leaving the air conditioning on was a better all around option than not.

What made the biggest savings was avoiding hard acceleration, and when possible, driving at a speed where it was possible to synchronize to get the green lights. This also saves wear on the breaks.

Another thing that saves wear on the breaks, may also save some fuel and increase safety, is leaving a lot of space between your vehicle and the one in front. This way, if the traffic slows down a little, you don't have to be as hard on the breaks to slow down and then quickly speed up again.

I have one vehicle that must use premium petrol. If not, the engine pings. I have another vehicle that must use a medium grade of petrol. I found that with the vehicle that uses medium grade, if I put in the premium grade, I get better fuel economy, which actualy makes up for more than the difference of the cost! I was told by the dealer that this is possible with some models of cars.

Following all the advice that you gave, except for the air conditioning part, really saves a lot on the cost of the usage of the vehicle. Common sense and good judgement are in good order to have savings.



Jerry G.


______________

1. Shop around for a lower price, but don't go miles out of your way to get the best price. When traveling a long distance to save a few pennies, you end up spending more on car driving expenses (AAA estimates that it costs 56.1 cents a mile to drive a car in 2005 while the IRS allows a deduction of 40.5 cents a mile) than you end up saving with the lower gas price.

2. To find the least expensive gas in your local area, don't drive around looking. Hit the Internet. Sites like GasBuddy.com - Find Low Gas Prices in the USA and Canada will let you find the lowest gas price without leaving your driveway.

3. It's best to purchase gas from a station that is busy. Gas that sits in tanks for long periods can get contaminated and lower its effectiveness. Fresh gas is less likely to be contaminated ensuring you get the most power for your dollar.

4. Avoid purchasing gas from a station that has just had a truck fill the station's underground tanks. Filling up the station tanks will stir up particles from the bottom of the tank which can clog your fuel filter and make your car run less efficiently.

5. Purchase your gasoline in the early morning or at night when it is cold outside. Gas becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Since gas pumps only measure the volume of fuel - not the density - you'll get better overall gas mileage for your money by purchasing fuel when it's cool outside rather than in the heat of the day.

6. Take the time to check your car's tire pressure each month (purchase a good-quality dial-type gauge for yourself -- pencil-style gauges and the ones mounted on the air hose are unreliable according to federal surveys). Under inflated tires reduce fuel efficiency by 2% for every pound they are under inflated. Under inflation also causes premature tire wear giving your tires a shorter use life.

7. Be sure to use your owner's manual for the correct tire pressure. The pressure printed on the sidewall of the tire indicates how much the tire will safely hold and should not be used since it has no connection to how much air should be in the tire for routine use.

8. Check your tire pressure when it is cool outside. A good time is in the morning after the car has rested overnight. Driving only a few miles to a gas station will build heat in the tire and can increase the pressure enough to give a false reading.

9. Drive at the speed limit. Cars use about 20% more fuel driving at 70 miles per hour than they do at 55 miles per hour.

10. Avoid driving fast in low gears. Driving at high speeds in the improper gear can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 40%.

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11. Avoid using air conditioning whenever possible. Air conditioning reduces fuel economy by 10% to 20%.

12. Don't open windows when traveling at high speeds. Open windows on the highway can reduce fuel efficiency by 10%. It is much better to use the ventilation system.

13. Remove car racks and other items which make your car less aerodynamic when they're not being used. Leaving them on only makes your car less fuel efficient.

14. Use cruise control to maintain a steady pace on the highway to increase fuel economy.

15. Avoid rough roads. Driving on roads made of dirt or gravel can reduce fuel economy by up to 30%.

16 Don't let your car idle. Even on cold mornings, there's no need to let your car idle for more than 30 seconds. Newer cars are designed to be driven almost immediately and letting your car idle longer is a waste of gas.

17. It's more efficient to turn off your car and turn it on again than to let it idle for more than 45 seconds while waiting.

18. Remove all excess weight from your car. Many people use their car trunk as a storage space adding unneeded pounds to the car's weight. This unnecessary weight reduces the car's fuel efficiency.

19. Try to accelerate gently, brake gradually and avoid stops when driving. Gunning engines, quickly accelerating, and abrupt stops all waste fuel.

20. Try to avoid driving during rush hour periods when you know traffic will be stop and go. If you do find yourself in stop and go traffic, try to maintain a crawl.

21. When approaching hills or steep slopes, accelerate before the hill. Accelerating once on the slope will consume much more gas.

22. Service your car regularly while paying special attention to oil and filters. Blocked air flow from clogged air filters will increase fuel waste.

23. Check your car's alignment since this can cause engine drag which will also increase gas waste.

24. Periodically calculate your car's fuel efficiency. A loss in fuel efficiency is an indication of possible mechanical problems.

25. For most cars, higher octane gas is a waste of money. Regular unleaded(approx. 87 octane or so) is the least expensive and what you should purchase. It's important to remember that octane is a measurement of how hard it is to ignite the gas, not the quality of the gas. Purchase mid or high octane gas only if your engine pings, knocks or rattles when using regular unleaded fuel.

26. Don't purchase gasohol if possible. Some areas require gasahol (a mixture of gas and ethanol for your car. Ethonal is alcohol made from grain) because using it for fuel is considered a way to help farmers as well as help cut pollution. The problem is that ethanol contains only about two-thirds the energy of gasoline which means gasahol forces you to use more to go the same distance.

27. For short trips close to home, try walking or riding your bicycle. Not only will you save money on gas, you'll also get some healthy exercise.

28. When you go shopping or run errands, take a little time to plan and combine them all into one outing instead of several. In addition to saving gas, you will also save yourself time.

29. Car pooling or using mass transportation systems when possible is an excellent way to reduce your gas consumption. There is an added benefit that utilizing these methods to commute will likely result in a discount in your car insurance.

30. Refrain from "topping off" at the gas station. Gas pumps don't contain enough pressure to deliver gas well in short bursts meaning that you get short changed when you top your tank off.

31. After you have finished filling up, turn the gas pump nozzle around 180 degrees. This will drain about a half cup of gasoline into your tank which you would otherwise spill or give to the next customer.

32. Rotate your tires and periodically check them for uneven wear. Proper alignment saves both gas and tires.

33. Keep the outside of your car clean and waxed. Doing so will reduce drag and save gas mileage.

34. Keep your foot off the brake. Some people have a habit of resting their left foot lightly on the brake while driving. Not only will this will cause drag that will require you to use more gas than needed, you'll also wear out your brakes sooner.

35. The next time you are in the market for tires, consider purchasing radial tires instead of standard. They can cut your fuel bill (if kept properly inflated) by 2 - 3%.

[Magicman]

The best way to save gas is to simply drive less.

I know that this might sound like a foreign concept, but if we cut back on our consumption of oil in this country, the prices for everything else will inflate slower and we will all save money in the long run.

This is because everything that we use is either made of plastic, or has to be delivered by truck to the stores. Our increasing demand for crude oil and its derivatives, like gasoline, puts upward pressure on on the prices of all the goods sold in America.

The sad fact is that when there is not enough of something to go around, the price of that item will rise for everyone. If we don't start to limit our consumption of gas, the price will sooner than later approach $5.00 a gallon. So the choice is clear. The less you drive your car, the lower the price of gas will stay.

[Aleta]

I agree with driving less. I try to arrange all of my errands into one day and do it in a circular fashion bringing me back home from the last stop. A lot will have to do with food and anything cold. But, I can usually arrange for that to be my last stop before home.

Yesterday, I had several errands and a mistake on one of my receipts that would have given me money back from my grocery store. I instead, did all of my other shopping, came home , picked up the receipt and my grocery list and did both at the same time. It takes just thinking and sometimes calling before you go out shopping for an item that may or may not be there.

[Magicman]

Thanks for the support on driving less.

All in all, until we raise our collective voices, the auto induxtry will not stop selling gasoline powered cars. There is just too much money at stake for them.

They have the technologies in place right now to switch to ethanol, propane, hydrogen or electric hybrid cars. Yet, until it is totally necessary for the auto industry to make this change, they won't do it.

It has taken 75 years to "perfect" the automobile experience by the auto makers. They see huge amounts of money that can still be drained from this inefficient method of powering cars. In the meantime, we are destroying the planet's ozone and global warming is rising because more cars are polluting the atmosphere every day.

Everyone has an idea about saving gas. How about looking to the future and saving our children and our planet too.

The writing is on the wall. Raise your voice before it is too late.

[Aleta]

I have often thought that if Americans were asked to drive one day less, that they would do it if asked. That would probably involve carpooling with other people, carpooling kids, picking up an item for a neighbor from the store. I think if we could do that, that we would be sending a message that we don't want to be this dependent on oil. In the 70's I think that people were asked to cut back. I know that the gas was being rationed.