Tips

Helpful Tips on How to Improve Your Car’s Gas Mileage

Here are some easy things you can do to improve the gas mileage of your car:

Driving Habits

  • Clean mud from your car or truck if you’ve been off-roading. The extra weight adds up surprisingly fast and can slow you down.
  • Multitask by grouping your daily trips and errands. This saves you the cost of restarting your engine, which uses a lot of gas.
  • Roll your windows up. Open windows cause drag and hamper your mileage.
  • Avoid running your air conditioning when possible. The compressor pulls power from your engine and can affect gas mileage.
  • Easy come, easy go. Go easy on the gas and break pedals. Sudden starts or stops use more gas than gradual changes in speed.
  • Don’t idle for long periods. Turn off the engine off if you’re going to sit for a while.
  • Try to reduce the amount of time spent warming up your car in winter.
  • Lighten your load by cleaning out your trunk. Hauling around heavy things, like golf clubs, can reduce your mileage.
  • Slow down a bit. You can improve gas mileage by up to 15 percent when you drive at 55 mph instead of 65 mph.
  • Use overdrive, or the eco-drive function, if your car is equipped. Turn on overdrive gearing as soon as your speed is high enough.
  • Cruise control helps you maintain a constant speed and improves gas mileage.

Service Tips For Better Mileage

  • Replace the spark plugs in your engine regularly so the air and fuel mixture burns cleaner and more efficiently.
  • Improve the intake/output system. By allowing gas to get in and exhaust out of your vehicle you will improve the vehicle’s overall performance and gas mileage.
  • Use high-quality or synthetic motor oil to reduce friction and improve your car’s overall performance and fuel efficiency.
  • Check your oil! Low oil makes your engine work harder.
  • Change your filters. Dirty filters can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 percent.
  • Keep tires properly inflated and aligned. It will give you better mileage and extend the life of your tires.