March 3rd, 2012 Posted in Tips and Advice | No Comments »
It’s like a nightmare that you can’t wake from. Every gas station on every road selling gas you can’t afford, no matter where you go. Except it’s not a nightmare and it’s happening across the globe. Gasoline has surged as its primary component, oil, gets more expensive. Oil prices climbed 10% since the start of 2012 on fears that world supplies could be reduced as the West confronts Iran over its nuclear program. As if the threat of nuclear war isn’t scary enough, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service, drivers nationwide are now paying an average of $3.741 for a gallon of gas. That’s an increase of 46.5 cents per gallon since the start of 2012 and an all-time high (last year’s peak price was $3.985 per gallon on May 4, and the record was $4.11 per gallon in July 2008).
Even more disturbing is that it appears the nightmare isn’t going to end anytime soon. Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service, along with other experts, said he expects the nationwide average to go as high as $4.25 per gallon by late April. Experts indicate they expect that figure to rise and peak in the summer months as travel and family vacations increase demand.
So what can you do to ease the pump price tag? The way we drive and how we maintain our vehicles has a direct impact on our gas mileage. Data from OnStar indicates the fuel economy of drivers in identical cars can vary by as much as 75%, depending on the care of their vehicle and their driving habits. A well-maintained vehicle, combined with the best driver gets up to 25% more miles per gallon than average. In comparison, when you combine a poorly maintained vehicle with inefficient driving habits, the fuel economy of the worst driver can be 50% below average.
Gas prices are sky-rocketing, so why pay more at the pump than you have to? We’ve put together the following tips to help ensure you get more bump at the pump the next time around:
Driving Tips
Back it down. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aggressive driving, such as punching the gas and slamming the brakes, can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33% on the highway and 5% in the city. Rushing to get to the next red light or to catch up to traffic won’t get you home any faster, but driving smoothly will definitely save you gas money and wear on your vehicle.
Bag the flags. Hood ornaments can be super cool and showing support for your favorite team is always fun, but would you skip the flags and fanfare if you knew that up to 1/3 of your fuel is used to overcome wind resistance at highway speeds? That’s right, even small changes to your vehicle’s aerodynamics can have a major impact on your fuel economy if you frequently travel by highway and the changes are long-term or permanent.
Roll up your windows and turn on your air. Really? Yes. On the highway it’s better to roll up your windows on a hot day and use the air conditioning. Why? When you’re traveling at higher rates of speed and the windows are down, the increased air pressure acts like a parachute, slowing the vehicle down and consuming more energy than air conditioning would. Not operating the air conditioner at all is ideal, and operating the air conditioner on “Max” can easily reduce your gas mileage by 5-25% compared to not using it - so choose a middle ground when you have to.
Avoid the drive-through lane. Turn off the engine anytime you anticipate a wait. It wastes gas, costs you money, and pollutes the environment. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner use, and wastes more gas than turning off your engine and restarting it. If there’s a long line at the drive through, park your car and go inside. You could save up to $1 in gas, help the environment, and get a little exercise to boot. Not too shabby.
Slow down. Most vehicles get the greatest amount of fuel efficiency when driving between 45 and 55 mph. The Department of Energy (DOE) figures that for every five miles you drive going in excess of 60 mph, you could lose between 7-23% of fuel efficiency. According to AAA, if your average commute includes 20 miles of highway time and you drive at 60 mph instead of 70 mph, you’ll save approximately 1.3 gallons of gas in a five-day work week.
Use cruise control and overdrive gears. Slow and steady still wins the race. Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This also saves gas and reduces engine wear.
Use your phone. Really? Yes, really…just not while driving. Use your iPhone and applications like GasBuddy.com, AAA’s TripTik, GPS’s Waze and others to plan your commute ahead of time. You can shop for the best gas prices in your area and the best routes to avoid heavy traffic before you ever leave the house or office.
Maintenance Tips
Check your tires. Check the pressure on each of your tires on a regular basis, especially when it’s cold out. Low tire pressure makes the engine work much harder to turn the wheels, and keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3%.
Get a tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%.
Don’t put maintenance repairs off. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40%. Seriously, don’t put that repair off.
Change your oil. Changing your oil and filter helps minimize engine stress. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), you can improve your gas mileage by using the grade of motor oil in your owner’s manual and changing it according to the recommended schedule. Using the recommended grade of oil can improve your gas mileage by 1–2%. Motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the performance symbol of the American Petroleum Institute (API) contains friction-reducing additives that can also improve fuel economy.
Change the air filter. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, tests suggest that replacing a clogged air filter on an older car with a carbureted engine may improve fuel economy 2-6% under normal replacement conditions and up to 14% if the filter is so clogged that it significantly affects drivability. A recent study indicates, however, that replacing a clogged air filter on cars with fuel-injected, computer-controlled gasoline engines does not improve fuel economy but can improve acceleration time by approximately 6-11%.
Clean out the junk in your trunk. It’s time to sweat the small stuff. Taking some time to clean out your extra baggage now could save you gas money down the road. According to EPA estimates, every 100 pounds of weight can reduce fuel economy by 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
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Tags: fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gas mileage, gas prices, gas pump, oil prices, vehicle maintenance
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