Simple Gas Saving Tips

Who doesn’t dread paying high fuel costs? But, do most people know that they can easily improve their miles per gallon ratio by 5 or 10% just by changing a few simple habits. Read the tips below maximize valuable fuel efficiency.

1) Start your car efficiently

Today’s vehicles do not require pushing the accelerator to start them. It is unnecessary, wastes fuel, and is hard on the engine. Back in the day, they merely needed to push the pedal once or twice before cranking the engine to engage the choke and even sometimes had to add a little throttle to get the engine to catch and stay running. Today’s modern fuel-injected engines don't require either. In fact, they should be started without touching the accelerator pedal. When the engine is first started the oil is all in the pan, starting the engine with the gas down will cause engine parts to wear unnecessarily, shortens the life of the starter, and wastes fuel.

2) Buy the proper octane for your vehicle

More octane doesn't make an engine perform better. Higher octane gas is also no cleaner than it’s’ lower rated counterparts. Octane is a burn retardant, which means that it slows down the rate of combustion (burning) for gasoline. Octane ratings higher than those required by an engine actually reduce performance. The reduction is admittedly small, but every little savings helps and why waste money?

One word of caution here: Do not violate your owner’s manual requirements

If the manual says to use mid grade or high test, then by all means do it. Don't jeopardize your car warranty to save a few cents per gallon. (All extended auto warranty companies require that you follow the manufacturer’s directions.) However, if you're adding high test thinking it is better gas and the manual doesn't suggest or require it, then re-examine your thinking.

3) Don't fill up if you see the tanker!

When a gasoline tanker isfilling the tanks at the local gas station, go to a different station or come back another day. When a filling station's underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment. That sediment can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors, causing poor performance and possibly necessitating repairs.

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