Stretch your gas mileage to stretch your gas dollars.

Regardless of the make and model, your car’s estimated gas mileage is just that – an estimate. These gas mileage tips can help you reduce the amount of gas you use. If you are already following these tips, you are probably getting the best gas mileage your car can deliver.

Save Money While You Are Driving

1. Drive Sensibly

When you drive with a lead-foot , quick accelerations, heavy brakes, speeding, you waste a lot of gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33% on the highway and by 5% in the city.

At $4.00 per gallon this equates to spending an extra $1.33/gallon on the highway and $.20/gallon in the city.

2. Start driving as soon as the engine is started.

Modern engines don’t need much time to warm up. The engine actually warms up more quickly once the car is operating, and will stay warm after stopping. So, there is no need to waste gas idling.

3. Drive over the speed limit

The speed that you have to drive to get the best gas mileage varies from car to car. Generally, the miles/gallon start to decrease rapidly once you are going 60 miles/hour.

According to Fueleconomy.gov, each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas.

4. Lighten your load

Remove excess weight from the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce a typical car’s fuel economy by up to 2%.  This amounts to paying an extra $.08/gallon/100 lbs.

5. Use the correct gas

Check your owner’s manual for the most effective octane level for your car. For most cars, the recommended gasoline is regular octane. In most cases, using a higher octane gas than the manufacturer recommends offers no benefit — and costs you at the pump.

Car Maintenance that Saves Money

6. Keep your engine tuned.

Tuning your engine according to your owner’s manual can increase gas mileage by an average of 4% percent.

7. Check Your Air Filter

Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by up to 10%. At $4.00 per gallon that is a savings of $.40/gallon.

8. Check the Fuel Cap

Check for proper installation and check rubber seals for cracks.  According to Sun Oil, a missing or defective fuel cap can allow as much as 176 pounds of gasoline vapors (22 gallons of gasoline) to evaporate into the atmosphere each year.

9. Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned.

You can improve your gas mileage by 3.3% by keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure.  Under inflated tires lower gas mileage by 0.4% for each 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires.

Check your owner’s manual or the door jamb for the proper level of inflation (not the tire itself, which shows the maximum tire inflation pressure); check the tire pressure when the tires are cold, because internal pressure increases when the car has been on the road for a while and the tires heat up.  Need help – give us a call.

As an added bonus, properly inflated tires last longer.

10. Change your oil

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you can improve your gas mileage by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the performance symbol of the American Petroleum Institute contains friction-reducing additives that can improve fuel economy.

Use our free 40-point safety inspection to maximize your gas mileage

Plaza Automotive’s 40-point safety inspection will help you identify what needs to done to improve your gas mileage.  This free service is part of every oil change, tune-up and scheduled maintenance.

We want to be the automotive center you think of first when you need service, repair, and regularly scheduled maintenance. Start today by making your San Pedro oil change appointment. Call 310.831.2888 or schedule an appointment online.