The Best Fuel Economy Tips
Being fuel conscious is one way to help you save a few extra dollars. To be fuel conscious, start by choosing a car or truck with the best fuel mileage. If you already own a car or truck, to get the most out of your fuel mileage and save some money combine your trips around town into one. Also, how you drive your car or truck and how you maintain your vehicle affects your fuel economy.
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An Efficient Vehicle
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When shopping for a car or truck, look at the sticker to see how many miles per gallon (MPG) it gets on the highway and in town. Or if you are buying a used vehicle through a private seller you can log on to the Internet to find out gas mileage estimates for the model year that you're looking to buy. You'll want this information because a car that gets 30 MPG as opposed to 20 MPG can save you an estimated $4,225 in fuel costs, assuming fuel is $3.38 per gallon and you drive 15.000 miles annually.
Combining Trips
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When you have to run errands, take a moment to plan your trip so that you can combine all the stops in one outing. If you make several shorter trips throughout the day, you increase the number of starts. Too many cold starts can burn twice as much fuel as making one longer multipurpose trip when the engine is already warmed-up. Also, if you can carpool with someone or adjust your work hours so that you are not commuting at peak times, this will help on fuel too.
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How You Drive
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Aggressive driving (rapid acceleration and braking and speeding) can lower your overall fuel mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent driving around town. On average, fuel mileage decreases at speeds over 60 MPH, so for every 5 MPH over 60 MPH, you'll pay an additional $0.24 per gallon of fuel. Also, avoid idling. In bigger vehicles this wastes even more than in smaller vehicles.
Vehicle Maintenance
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Vehicle maintenance is equally important to your fuel mileage. A vehicle that needs a tune-up can lose an average of 4 percent of fuel mileage. Making repairs, for example replacing a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your vehicle's mileage by as much as 40 percent. Properly inflating your vehicles' tires can improve your fuel economy by 3.3 percent. Your vehicle's proper tire inflation guidelines can be found in the driver's side door jamb, in the glove box or in the owner's manual.
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References
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