How to Get Good Gas Mileage With Your Car

You probably can't control all the factors that contribute to getting good gas mileage, but following these steps will make your fuel costs a little easier on your wallet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Automotive Parts
• Automotive Repair Manual
• Car Oil
• Car Jacks
• Tire Gauges

1. Take care of your vehicle. Clean oil, fresh spark plugs and a well-tuned motor are more efficient than a run-down system.

2. Check your air filter. If dirty or old, replace it.

3. Run your air conditioner less.

4. Use the correct gasoline. Most cars run well on an octane rating of 87. Mostly it's just high-performance and turbocharged engines that need higher octane. If your engine is pinging on acceleration or up hills (sounds like shaking uncooked popcorn in a glass jar) use a higher octane gasoline. Check the owner's manual for your vehicle's requirements.

5. Keep your tires inflated properly. Incorrect inflation leads to rolling resistance from the tires. Most car tires should be inflated to 32 PSI.

6. Drive at an even speed, whenever possible. It's more efficient than rushing to the next traffic light and then stopping.

7. Use cruise control on the highway.

8. Choose the route with the flattest terrain and fewest stops, if you can.

9. Drive on highways instead of city streets, where practical. A vehicle moving at constant speed is more efficient than one that slows and speeds up, stops and starts.

10. Do all your driving errands at once.

11. Read the label the federal government requires on new cars the next time you shop for a vehicle. It tells a model's estimated city and highway mileage so that you can compare mileage figures for all the vehicles you consider.

12. Eliminate unnecessary cargo. Hauling heavy loads in the trunk or inside the car will lower your gas mileage.

13. Drive at 55 MPH. It saves gas.

14. Keep track of your car's mileage: if it changes drastically, follow the above steps and then go see your mechanic if you can't figure out why.

Tips & Warnings

• The bigger the car and the engine, the more gas you will use. Consider your gas budget when buying a new car.

Who Can Help Sponsored

[hvguy]

on 4/29/2007 the comment about stay below 55 saves gas is false for me. on a road trip from houston to dallas, I used medium grade fuel and stayed at a constant 90mph, and got 23MPG, but on the way back I drove the speed limit when it was posted and got 16mpg.

Also, using regular unleaded fuel is not the wise choice. Allthough the engine is made for regular, I run medium and get better gas mileage.

Car: 98 toyota 4runner SR5 4X4
Engine: 3.4L V6
Any Q's? [e-mail]

[GasDork]

on 3/6/2007 Full tank theory is a myth. I tested with 140000 miles of data and there is no correlation between gas mileage and full vs empty tank.

[GasDork]

on 3/6/2007 Full tank is a myth. I just tested with over 140000 miles of data and there is no correlation between a full tank vs an empty tank with gas mileage.

on 8/8/2006 Putting the tailgate down allows the air to flow over the cab and put down force on the bed, which creates drag. Fighting drag creates a low fuel mileage. Keeping the tailgate up allows for a pressure pocket of air to keep the air moving over the cab and straight back the truck. I.e., its more aerodynamic.

on 8/8/2006 If you have a truck, leave the tailgate up. Putting the tailgate down is an old wives tale. Maybe it was true in the past, but it isn't now.