Yet another snowy Monday morning, and it is the last day of March. When will winter end???That got me to thinking about not wanting to get into my car all day today. Which got me to thinking about gas prices. Which got me to thinking about how to save gas and make your car more fuel efficient.
I drive a Ford Freestyle, which I love. I had it converted to E-85 last summer which I love even more. The converter kit cost around $500 with instillation, and it saves me $.60/gallon on gas. It should pay for itself by this summer. I know that is not an option for everybody, but you should look into it.
If you are shopping for a new car, look into Hybrids. You can get 45 MPG with some of the models. It will take awhile for it to pay for itself, but you will be saving gas money & saving CO2 emissions in the air.
With what ever car you drive do these things to make your car the most fuel efficient you can:
Check your tire pressure. Under inflated tires get 2% worse gas mileage.
Check your air filter every time you change your oil. Just like your filter in the dryer, dirty filters will make it harder for them to work properly.
Use cruise control when on the highways. It will keep you at a steady speed helping efficiency.
Avoid the air-conditioner. The air-conditioner can reduce your fuel efficiency by 20%.
Drive the speed limit. Cars driving 70MPH burn through more gas than cars going 55MPH.
Avoid driving fast in low gears.
Remove car racks when not in use. It causes more drag on your car.
Don't store anything unnecessary in your trunk. The extra weight will reduce the efficiency.
Take off from stop lights slowly. Jack rabbiting a start will burn more gas.
Avoid rough roads. Dirt & gravel roads reduce fuel efficiency by 30%.
Service your car regularly. Have the service team check everything out.
Calculate your gas mileage every time you fill up. A sudden decrease in MPG could show a potential problem.
And the easiest way to save on gas....carpool, bike or take public transportation. I have carpools set up for my kids after school activities, and that helps alot.
While waiting to pick the kids up, please turn off the engine. It saves alot of CO2 being put into the air unnecessarily. If it is cold outside, I crank the heat the whole drive there, so when I turn off the car there is enough heat built up to last.
If your car has an instant MPG meter in the dash, turn it on and use it to check your driving styles. It will spike up or down depending on your driving. You will be able to see where you need a little help. I have noticed that I get much better gas mileage than my husband. He drives faster and more erratically. I drive slower and take off from lights differently. It is kind of a game for me now since getting the E-85 converter, to see how high of MPG I can get on each tank of gas.
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