ALT-4 What you can do to Save Money on Gas
It's almost become a tradition in the United States, as the heat index rises, so do the gas prices. In order to save some of your hard earned green backs here are a my own personal "top five ways to squeeze the most out of your gas tank.
5.Cleanlines is godliness.You can't expect to get much performance/efficiency out of your engine if it's clogged up with gunk. You'd be surprised what can get stuck in an engine on any given day of normal driving. A clean engine bay let's you spot leaks before they become a problem and generally allows the pulleys in your engine to run smoother, and an engine that runs more smoothly doesn't waste gas.Do it yourself: FREE!Ask a mechanic: Around $20
4.Slow and steady.It's often said that to drive slower saves gas. This is only partially true. A lower overall engine speed can help with fuel consumption but how you reach that speed is also key. It doesn't matter if you drive 55 on the highway if you are constantly feathering the throttle between 1,000 RPM and 6,000 RPM. The more consistent your RPMs are the less your engine has to work, and the less gas it uses. A good fuel saving guideline for daily driving is, if you have an Eight-cylinder engine try to keep it below 3,000 RPM. If you have six cylinders try to keep it below 4,500 RPM. Finally if you have four cylinders or below try to keep it under 6,000.Do it yourself: FREE!Ask a mechanic: FREE!
3.Under Pressure.It doesn't matter how well your vehicle runs if it's not running straight. A commonly ignored part of the car is the tires and steering system. If your tires are not all inflated equally then you have a problem. Low-pressure tires can cause drag and drag means that your car has to work harder than it needs to in order to move. Another factor is the alignment of the wheels. If the front and rear wheels are out of alignment then the car isn't moving forward in a straight line and once again is working harder than it needs to. So keep your tires inflated and your steering aligned and you'll save some gas.Do it yourself: Free-$30Ask a mechanic: $30-$50
2.There's always time for lubricant.Changing your cars oil is a right of passage where I'm from but if you don't enjoy the smell of motor oil then consider yourself lucky that the U.S.A. is home to a great many different shops who specialize in checking and changing your car's fluids. Oil changes with filter swap every three thousand miles and a transmission flush every 10,000 or 15,000 miles is worth it! If your car is using and old filter and old oil, or transmission fluid once again the engine will be working harder than it needs too, and thus wasting gas. Not only will changing your cars oil and transmission fluid make your car run more efficiently it will extend the life of your car. If you change your oil yourself, always use the correct grade of oil, if you do not you may cause serious damage to your engine.Do it yourself: $20-$60Ask a Mechanic: $50-$120
1.Give it some air.While gasoline is certainly a big part of making your engine run, it's only half of the equation. The other half to a good engine is all around you, in the air you breathe. An internal combustion engine, no matter what the size or type will always need air. And if an engine cannot get that air or has to work harder than it should in order to get it, guess what? It's wasting gas! A good time to replace your air filter is about once every six thousand miles. But if you wanted to save some more money over time, a good investment would be a performance air filter. There are a great deal of companies that make performance filters for almost all the cars on the road today. With a little leg work on google and a little more money than you would pay for a stock replacement filter, you can get something that works twice as well and lasts almost four times as long.Do it yourself: $15-$70Ask a mechanic: $40-$120
With all these tips I've been able to get my gas sucking V8 Truck to last just over two weeks on one tank of gas. With all the gas sipping hybrids and other small cars out there these tips should save you some time and money.
