How to Improve Jeep Mileage

Jeep design is often focused on off-roading rather than fuel economy.

Jeeps are sports utility vehicles and smaller four-wheel drive vehicles designed for rugged off-road driving and marketed with those capabilities in mind. Jeeps are not known for their fuel efficiency and never will be competitive with small fuel-efficient cars in that regard. That said, there are many ways that you can improve the Jeep mileage (Reference 1). With some attention to basic engine maintenance, some changes to your driving habits and a little bit of foresight, driving a Jeep can become a less gas-guzzling experience.

Instructions

Increasing Fuel Efficiency Through Maintenance

1. Inflate your tires to the manufacturer-recommended pressure. Every one pound per square inch of under inflation in each tire results in a .3% loss in fuel economy. This is a special concern for Jeep drivers who take their vehicles off-road, since off-roading often involves removing air from the tires (Reference 2). Failing to reinflate the tires will result in much lower fuel economy once back on the road (Reference 1) .

2. Keep the engine well-maintained. Cleaning the fuel filter, replacing old spark plugs and topping up fluid levels will improve your mileage, making the engine run more smoothly (Reference 1). Changing the air filter will improve the fuel economy of older, carbureted engines (Reference 2).

3. Use the right type of oil as recommended in your Jeep's manual. Look for oils that include friction-reducing additives; these will have a label that says "Energy Conserving" (Reference 2). Switching to synthetic motor oil also can slightly raise your fuel efficiency (Reference 1).

Fuel-Efficient Driving

1. Drive more slowly. Fuel efficiency falls off steeply at speeds above 60 mph (Reference 3). Driving your Jeep at 62 instead of 75 mph improves mileage by up to 15% (Reference 1).

2. Steer, accelerate, and brake smoothly. This improves your mileage 33% on the highway and 5% in the city. It also has added safety benefits as smoother driving is more predictable for both pedestrians and other drivers (Reference 3).

3. Avoid using the Jeep's air conditioning system which draws power from the engine and can reduce fuel efficiency by 20%. That said, open windows greatly reduce fuel efficiency at highway speeds. It may be a better idea to use the A/C instead (Reference 1).

4. Unload your Jeep. Although it may be necessary to carry tool kits and sandbags for off-road expeditions, unloading them before regular driving will improve mileage (Reference 1). Adding 100 pounds of weight to a vehicle could reduce mileage by 2%, although this is worse in small cars where the ratio of load to car is higher (Reference 3).

5. Use cruise control on highways. Cruise control keeps your Jeep at a constant speed, which can save on gas if set in the more efficient 60 mph-range range (Reference 1).

6. Turn off your Jeep instead of letting it stand idle. It is worth shutting off the engine if you plan on being idle for more than a minute. The extra wear on the starter will be made up for with gas saved (Reference 1). Idling wastes plenty of fuel since Jeeps have large engines (Reference 3).

7. Drive in your overdrive gears. This lets the engine turn more slowly, which wears it down less and saves on fuel. (Reference 3)

References

• A Jeep Thing: Fuel Economy Tips for Your Jeep
• U.S. Department of Energy: Keeping Your Vehicle in Shape
• U.S. Department of Energy: Driving More Efficiently