With the rising increase in fuel over the last few years our gas bills keep going up. There are options available to help with this problem, you could buy a new more fuel efficient car or you could stop driving all together and rely more on public transit or ride your bike or walk. However, the most time and cost effective option is simply to drive your current car in a way that will increase your fuel economy. Below are a few tips that can help you reduce your trips to the pump.
1. Avoid aggressive driving. Starting quickly and braking suddenly greatly reduces your fuel efficiency. You will increase your fuel consumption up to 40% with “jack-rabbit” starts and braking hard. Studies have shown that you will only increase your travel time by 4 minutes and increase your toxic emissions by more than 5 times.
2. Avoid idling. If you are going to be stopped for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic, turn your engine off. While idling you are producing unnecessary greenhouse gases and wasting a lot of gas.
3. Keep your car in good shape. This includes maintaining the engine and keeping your tires inflated properly. When your tires are not properly inflated you will increase your fuel consumption by more than 6%. Check your tires at least once a month to make sure they are at the proper inflation.
4. Use your air conditioning less often. When using your air conditioning you are increasing your fuel consumption by as much as 10%. If it is a nice enough day use your flow-through ventilation instead of the A/C. At low speeds you can also roll the windows down to avoid using the air conditioning. However, at higher speeds using your air conditioning may be more efficient then having the windows down due to the wind resistance you will get from the open windows.
5. Whenever possible park your car in the shade and make sure your gas cap is screwed on until it clicks. Sitting in the sun can cause the gas to evaporate, especially if the cap is not screwed on completely. Also, if you park in the shade you may not need to turn on the air conditioning to cool it down.
Follow these tips and you could eventually buy a new car with all the money you'll be saivng on gas.
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