10 Ways to Save Money on Gas!

October 1st, 2012 by

Want to save 20% or more on the cost of gas? Follow these ten simple rules and you’ll be on your way to savings.

1. Check your air filter regularly! Nearly one in four cars needs an air filter replacement. A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.

2. Tire Alignment! Pour tire alignment not only causes tires to wear out quickly, but it also forces your engine to work harder, thus using more fuel. So make sure you’re regularly getting your tires rotated and aligned.

3. Get your car tuned up! Make sure you’re getting your car regularly tuned. A properly maintained engine can improve mileage by up to 4%.

4. Check your tire pressure and keep your tires filled! More than one quarter of vehicles are driving on deflated tires. The average under inflation of 7.5 pounds causes a loss of 2.8% in fuel efficiency. If you make sure your tires are properly filled with air, you can save 6 cents per gallon.

5. Check your gas cap! Believe it or not, it has been estimated that 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps. What’s the big deal? Escaping fumes not only hurt fuel economy but release smog causing compounds into the air. So by simply replacing your gas cap you can avoid air pollution and save on gas.

6. Slow Down! For every 5 MPH you reduce your highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7%. So by simply reducing your speed from 70 MPH to 65 MPH, you can save 14 cents per gallon.

7. Drive smoothly! By avoiding herky-jerky driving, following too close and constant starts and stops will improve fuel economy. Believe it or not, lousy driving on the highway can add as much as one-third to your gas bill. By driving more carefully and smoothly you can save 66 cents per gallon.

8. Lay off your brakes! Driving with your foot on the brake pedal will not only wear out the brake pads (which will cost you at the maintenance shop), but can also increase gas consumption by as much as 35%. By not riding your brake, you can save up to 70 cents per gallon.

9. Lighten your load! By driving around with extra cargo, you will drain your pockets. For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1 to 2% in fuel efficiency. Don’t drive around with too much junk in the trunk (or on the roof). You can save 3 cents per gallon (assuming 100 pounds of extra weight is removed). So for the weekend warrior, take your ski racks off in the summer time when you don’t need them, you will save!

10. Don’t Idle! Besides causing pollution, idling does waste gas! If your car is stopped for more than 30 seconds, simply turn off your engine and don’t bother to “warm-up” your car before driving, it is not necessary. For every three minutes you avoid idling, you can save 1 cent per gallon.

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