Friday, May 30, 2008

Experts Offer Tips For Conserving Gasoline

  With gasoline prices soaring and residents searching for ways to cut the cost of traveling to and fro, experts are offering a few tips for conserving that precious commodity.

  Some common sense tips for everyday driving include:

*Skip the drive through – experts say that idling can waste as much of one gasoline per hour.

*Use the cruise control – but not on hill! When you use the cruise control on hills it causes the engine to rev up and down to maintain a constant speed. This actually wastes more gas.

*Eliminate racks and the likes from the exterior of your vehicle – Anything attached to the outside of the vehicle causes it to be less aero-dynamic and thus use more gas.

*Clean out your car!! The lighter your vehicle, the less gas it burns!

  Experts indicate that you can save money while reducing both fuel consumption and air pollution by following some of the tips listed below. Which steps you choose to take will depend upon your own particular circumstances, but utilizing any of them will reduce the amount of money you spend for gasoline.

Driving

• Avoid rapid acceleration; most horsepower (consumes a lot of gas) is built into cars for acceleration; relatively little power (and thus fuel) is required to maintain speed.
• Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly, which saves fuel for everyone.
• When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine.
• Drive more slowly. One study reported that for all vehicles tested there was at least 20% loss in fuel economy as cruising speed was increased from 55 to 75 mph. So, 20 mpg at 55 mph becomes 16 mpg or less at 75 mph.
• If your car has an instantaneous mpg indicator, use it to improve your driving efficiency.
• Remove extra weight from the car; 100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg. Pack lightly for trips.
• Try to avoid using roof racks and remove when they are not in use.
• Use cruise control on highway trips.
• For any stop you expect to last more than a minute, shut of your engine rather than letting it idle.
• Do not warm engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather.
• Do not rev engine before shutting it off; this wastes fuel and can dilute motor oil, leading to excessive wear on engine parts.
• Reduce the use of your air conditioner at low driving speeds. When driving over 40 mph using the air conditioner costs less fuel than having windows open.
• Park in the shade and/or leave windows slightly open to reduce the need for air conditioning.

Fuel and Maintenance

• Replace air and fuel filters regularly as instructed by your vehicle’s maintenance manual; change air filter more often if driving in dusty conditions.
• Keep engine properly tuned.
• Use API certified "Energy Conserving" motor oil, either conventional or synthetic. Use the service classification and viscosity specified for your vehicle. Example: SJ and 5W-30. Follow use/change interval in vehicle owner’s manual.
• Do not buy "aggressive" tread tires if you do not need them.
• Keep tires properly inflated and wheels aligned.
• Do not use mid-grade or premium grade gasoline unless specified for your vehicle. Older vehicles may require these grades to avoid "knock" which reduces power and may damage the engine.
• Do not overfill the tank.
• Determine gasoline mileage periodically. Declining mileage can be an early indicator of mechanical problems or a need for servicing.
• Store emergency fuel supply or fuel for gasoline-fueled power equipment in sealed, airtight containers, and it will still be usable in another season.

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