Less Known Ways Of Improving Fuel Economy

Obviously every driver would be glad if he could pay less of his hard earnings at the pump. With this in mind, all drivers are fast becoming good learners of simple and free ways of improving their fuel-mileage ratios. Fortunately for these drivers, there is not just one, but several free simple ways of improving their fuel economy.

Despite knowing most of these non-costly simple ways of improving the mileage they get per gallon of petrol, it is very unfortunate that most of them show a distinct apathy at the same time to implement some of those very simple measures. One such method is to drive slowly, that practically everybody knows as an obvious fuel saving measure. It is common sense. Yet a lot of drivers literally refuse to tow that line on highways.

This, I believe is a question of their ego and self-respect or a sense of pride and prestige more than anything else. There is no point in preaching this point to them further, if the response you get from the vast majority of motorists to this issue is a resounding “No”.  So let us look at some other simple methods to help them enhance their fuel economy.

How Much Gas Do New Spark Plugs or Air Filter Save?

Firstly, take some items of regular periodic maintenance. A badly clogged air filter is known to increase fuel consumption by around 10 to 20%; which means that for every 5 gallons required under normal conditions, you would be actually pumping 6 gallons. Further, changing spark plugs at specified intervals too is known to result in a 10% increase in fuel economy; but are you aware that running about with inadequately inflated tires too could cost you a lot, by adversely affecting your fuel economy?

Carrying unnecessary junk can cause excessive fuel wastage to the tune of approximately 1 mile lost per gallon for every 250 lbs. of excess weight carried by you. You may even consider the removal of any heavy hood racks etc to improve your fuel-mileage ratio if the racks are not used by you. The reason for getting rid of junk material is that heavy weights cause extra drag on the vehicle, whereas certain types of racks cause wind resistance apart from the drag if they are also heavy. In both cases the engine is made to work harder to offset the said reversing forces by consuming more gas in the process.

It is quite common for drivers after having pumped the requisite quantity, to request the pamper to squeeze in a little more juice to bring the total amount to a complete dollar without any fractions of dollars. This is a costly mistake because you may not get even a fraction of the benefit of what you subsequently “squeezed in”. Further, gas will evaporate as vapor from a loosely closed gas cap, causing you a considerable loss in gas.

Cruise Control And Gas Milage

Finally, ensure that you take full advantage of any special features available in your vehicle such as Cruise Control and Overdrive at the appropriate times. With the feature cruise control on, the engine will not respond to every minute fluctuation in your gas pedal, thus saving on fuel that is likely to be wasted at least partially. Having the overdrive feature on will ensure that your engine does not overwork itself.

You should not only know your onions on enhanced fuel economy, but also ensure that your knowledge is put into implementation on a consistent basis. Only that can guarantee less frequent visits to those dreaded gas stations!