Clean Diesel

Improving gas mileage in any type of vehicle is dependent on two factors.

How you drive your car and how you maintain it are the two factors. Of the two, maintenance is the easiest to address, but overall has less impact than your driving habits.

To keep your car running at its most fuel efficient, there are three key areas: engine tuning and maintenance, tire inflation and use of the recommended grade of motor oil.

Typically you will save 4 percent of your fuel usage if you tune your engine rather than letting it fail its emission test. You can save as high as 40 percent on fuel usage if something dramatic had to be fixed like a faulty oxygen sensor which would mess the ratio of fuel and air. Typically, however, if gas is $2.75, a tune up can save you the equivalent of 11 cents per gallon in increased fuel efficiency.

Tires with the correct air pressure last longer and are safer for you. The owner’s manual will tell you what pressure the tires are to be pumped to it is also on the inside of your car’s door jam. The maximum level of pressure which is printed on the tires should not be followed. Cars run more economical when their tires are inflated properly, it will make your car 3 percent more fuel efficient, per gallon that’s a saving of 8 cents.

3 to 6 cents per gallon is not a bad saving when considered it is achievable by just using the proper recommended oil.

All those mechanical savings add up to about 25 cents per gallon, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

It can cost you $1.50 per gallon or more by keeping bad driving habits. Unlike mechanical problems someone cannot come along and take away your bad driving habits for you.

Speeding and stopping quickly, rapid acceleration all contribute to the worst kind of driving habits. That kind of driving can lower your gas mileage by as much as a third on the highway (think only 10 mpg instead of 30) and five percent around town. around town that is 5 percent. Per gallon it is costing you 91 cents extra.

The second biggest waste of fuel is speeding. For every 5 mph you are traveling more than 60mph speeding you actually drop 11 percent of you gas mileage. You stand to lose a huge 50 cents per gallon if you drive 10 mph faster than 60 mph.

It can cost you an extra 6 cents per gallon by idling too long and carrying extra weight, 6 cents is for 100 pounds alone. By using overdrive gears and cruise control you will improve your mileage because your engine slows but it’s speed is maintained.

Follow these steps and save money at the fuel pump, get into the good driving habits to help reduced the gas you are using and be sure that your car is mechanically sound.

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