How YOU can
SAVE on
GAS
Besides the obvious like walking, riding a bike or taking the bus, there are ways to save on gas. For Instance: ensuring proper tire pressure, removing excess weight, observing the speed limit, regular oil changes, changing your air filter or even new spark plugs.
Proper Tire Pressure You can save over $100 a year on gas by keeping your engine tuned and your tires inflated to their proper pressure.
Remove Excess Weight Avoid keeping heavy, unnecessary items in your vehicle. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. Drive Safe and Observe the Speed Limit While speeding and weaving in-and-out of cars may seem like it’s getting you to your destination quicker—it often times doesn’t, is unsafe for you and others, and to top it off, you are actually using more fuel! Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town. Speeding reduces gas mileage rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. It is safe to assume, each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Avoid the temptation to speed, In fact, try using cruise control; it will help you obtain speed, thus, will save you gas and money.
Regular Oil Changes Making sure to get your oil changed every 3,000 miles is not only good for your engine but can improve your gas mileage. Make sure to use the oil recommended by the manufacturer which is usually listed in the owners manual.
Don’t Forget to Change Your Air Filter! A clean air filter means a healthier engine and better fuel efficiency. Clogged air filters restrict airflow to the engines combustion chambers. So next time you get an oil change you may want to consider a new air filter.
How Are Your Spark Plugs? If your spark plugs are old or corroded your car may be having trouble starting and you’re wasting unnecessary fuel. All spark plugs need to be changed sooner or later. You may wish to invest in multi tip spark plugs (dual or quad tipped), premium long-life platinum or iridium plugs as they will improve the spark assisting your engine in fully utilizing the fuel injected. Although these plugs can be a bit pricier they will last up to 100,000 miles (while most last about 45,000 miles) and will save you money on gas which makes them worth every penny!