With rising gas prices, fueling up at the pump can feel overwhelming as you watch the price increase. There are ways that you can help your vehicle get the most out of what you are putting into it. Follow these suggestions to help increase your gas mileage:
Watch your speed
Fuel economy can peak around 50mph on most vehicles. As you increase your speed past 50mph your fuel economy decreases. By reducing your highway speeds by 5-10mph you can increase the fuel economy by 7-14 percent.
Drive conservatively
Try to avoid rapid acceleration and hard breaking. Both of these actions can lower your fuel economy by up to 15-30 percent at highway speeds and 10-40 percent in stop and go traffic.
Avoid Excessive Idling
When your vehicle is idling, it can consume one quarter to one half gallon of fuel per hour.
Drive to warm the engine
When it’s cold outside, start the engine and drive the vehicle normally to warm the engine instead of idling.
Utilize cruise control
When you drive at a consistent speed on the highway you can save on gas. Make sure that you are not using cruise control on wet /icy roadways.
Reduce the cargo in the vehicle
Adding an additional 100 pounds to your car can reduce your mileage by up to 1 percent. Smaller vehicles experience this impact more than larger one.
Check your tire pressure
Car maintenance can go a long way when trying to improve your gas mileage. Something as small as tire pressure can reduce your fuel economy by up to 10%.
Replace Spark Plugs
According to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence indicates that bd spark plugs can decrease fuel economy by up to 30%. If you notice your gas mileage suddenly dropping, bring it into Tune Tech to check if your spark plugs could be misfiring and have them replaced.
Have your alignment checked
If your tires are misaligned, it can decrease fuel efficiency by as much as 10%, while also wearing out your tires.
Use the recommended oil
You can improve your MPG by up to 2% when you use the grade of oil recommended in your owners manual.
There are many ways to help increase your vehicles fuel economy. If in doubt and unsure where to start, bring it into Tune Tech for an inspection. We can help diagnose and fix problems that can be decreasing your vehicles gas mileage.
