As reported yesterday the price of gas is not going down. The US gasoline prices hit an all time high of $3.50 per gallon and there is no sign of relief in sight. Sure one of the presidential candidates reportedly spoke about a summer gas tax holiday- but really is this going to make that big of a difference. Relief won’t be realized unless we as a nation lighten our loads, drive vehicle appropriate to our actual need and reduce the demands’ on the supply. Here are some tips to help you drive more efficiently.
* Drive at the speed limit. This is the single most effective solution at increasing efficiency. The most fuel-efficient speed is the point at which your vehicle shifts to high gear. For most vehicles, this is somewhere around 50mph.
* Try to avoid traffic on busy days
* Avoid driving in times when it is raining or barometric pressure is high. Rain and high barometric pressure create extra wind drag that uses more fuel to create forward motion.
* Lighten your load. Get rid of any unnecessary weight in your car, like golf clubs or unnecessary tools.
* Avoid over using your brake unless you need to. People often use their brakes for no apparent reason; This slows forward motion, converting it into heat energy. In the future, cars will be equipped with systems in which braking power will be converted into reusable energy, but it is highly unlikely that your car has this technology.
* Accelerate slowly. Every time you punch the gas at the green light you are burning extra fuel. By accelerating slowly you are only using the fuel required to get the vehicle to speed.
* Drive smoothly. It takes more gas to allow the vehicle speed to drift lower and then accelerate back up than it does to maintain a certain position on the accelerator. Allowing the car to lose speed going up hills and gain speed going down increases efficiency.
* Clean that Air Filter!A dirty air filter will rob the engine of power and efficiency. It will use more gas than a clean filter. After market air intakes allow more air and increase your MPG on a larger scale than performance air filters. Make sure you have an Oil Change regularly, and have the air filter changed if needed.
* Keep the tires inflated to the proper pressure. Keep a tire gauge handy and be sure to check your tire pressure more often when the outside temperature changes frequently. Having properly inflated tires dramatically increases your traveling distance on a tank of gas. Improperly inflated tires have more rolling resistance and this will cut down your miles per gallon (MPG).
* Tune-Up at regular intervals: changing spark plugs, wires, and coil. The better your engine performs the more power it will get using less fuel.
* Be pernickety with the gas you use. Use synthetic oil in your car to save on average 5% gas. As a bonus, less oil changes are needed saving trips to the Mechanic as well as less used oil in the environment.
Don’t let the price of gas ruin your summer road trip experiences. Check gas prices regularly along your route and follow some if not all of these tips.
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