Fuel Savings Secrets

Everyone has a tale of woe to tell these days about the impact the ever-increasing cost of gas has had to the wallet. Yesterday in NE Ohio, gas was $3.29 a gallon, today it is back down to $3.19. There is no rhyme nor reason to the fluctuation.

I've done a little internet research and found there are many ways to improve a vehicle's gas mileage. Many methods do not require a special tool or any special knowledge. You just need to know.

So share this information with your students, and they can be a hero at home before we all enjoy the upcoming long weekend.

I recently saw this undocumented, unverified, unscientific analysis of one car owner's gas mileage improvement plan. His claim was, "I'll tell you secret ways to double your gas mileage that the gas companies don't want you to know". Of course I had to watch the video, with that sort of an introduction. After watching it, I know first-hand that some of his ideas work, and others I verified with other reliable sources.

Three of his recommendations:
1 - Make sure the vehicle tires are inflated to the correct air pressure. This is almost always the number one thief of good gas mileage. Can improve gas mileage by 1 - 5 mpg. (Note to self - check air pressure in scooter.) Consumer Federation of America says up to 25% of cars on American roads do not have properly inflated tires
2 - Check your air filter and replace if necessary. Can improve gas mileage by 1-2 mpg. CFA says this can save as much as $.28/gallon (that really depends on the cost of the gallon).
3 - Turn off your car's engine if you are idling for more than 30 seconds. I generally turn off my car whenever I'm stopped at RR tracks for more than a minute. This action invariably moves the train out of my way in 1.2 minutes. End result, I don't think I save much gas.

Here are some other savings ideas from the Consumer Federation of America :
Alignments: Wheels that are properly aligned can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.
Tune-up the Engine: A properly tuned engine can improve gas mileage by up to 4% ($.11/gallon).
Gas Cap: 17% of cars on US roads are missing gas caps. This can cost the consumer up to $.02/gallon.
Clean out the trunk: Save 1-2% for every 100 pounds you can clear out.
Drive Slower - It's tough to sell this to a customer, but if a driver reduces their speed from 70 mph to 65 mph, they will save 7%, or as much as $1.17/gallon.