Ways to Improve Fuel Efficiency for Your Car

During the winter, many states will have switched to using a specially blended fuel mixture for driving in the cold weather. With gas prices rising, everyone is looking for ways to improve fuel efficiency. You can find simple things to do to lower your gas usage in your home, but it is equally important to find ways to lower your gas usage in your cars. There are some simple things that you can do to help you lower your fuel costs in your car.

Change Your Driving Habits

The easiest way to cut your fuel costs is to change your driving habits. One easy way is to drive at slower speeds. Driving less than 60 miles per hour will help you save a significant amount of money. If you commute and can use the freeway, you will be able to boost your gas mileage rather than having to stop and start repeatedly, which uses more gas. The freeway will allow you a way to work that is free from stop signs, stoplights, and railroad crossings. You should also keep your idle time to a minimum. When you are idling, you are wasting fuel. If you are stopped at a railroad crossing, for example, you can turn off your engine to save on fuel. During the winter months, you do not need to warm up your car in the morning as the engine will warm as you drive the car. 

Keep your Car in Good Shape

You can save a lot of money on fuel costs just by keeping your car in good shape. Make sure that you adhere to a regular general car maintenance schedule. Regular maintenance should include a tire inspection, oil changes, air filter changes and other fluid checks. A tire inspection will make sure that your tires are inflated at the proper air pressure level. If you do not know what pressure you should be using, you can find it on a sticker that is posted on the door-jam of the driver’s side door or in the owner’s manual that you were given when you purchased the car. When you perform your oil changes, you should make sure that you are using the correct grade of engine oil. Your owner’s manual should list the grade of oil you should be using. It’s a good idea to have your air filter changed when you change your oil. Dirty filters will keep air from freely flowing through the engine and cause you to burn more fuel. 

Other Things You Can Do

One thing you can do the help you save money on fuel costs is to remove all unnecessary heavy items from your car to reduce your load. A heavier car will consume more fuel because you need more energy to move a heavier object. Keep items off your roof rack, if possible, as this will make the car less aerodynamic. The wind resistance will cause you to use more fuel to propel the car forward through the air. You can combine your trips rather than having to drive to one destination, back home, and then drive to another destination and back home.  You should try to plan your trip so that you can complete all of your stops in a complete circuit rather than traversing the city several times.