Driving and Maintenance Tips to Save Gasoline

By Taylor Nelson

Two-thirds of the U.S.'s total oil consumption is alloted to transportation. Mainly, it is in the form of gasoline. On an average, an individial consumes around 500 gallons gas in a year, and that is in America alone. With the fluctuating cost of fuel and the increasing environmental concerns, saving energy resources by becoming a responsible driver has become a staple. Consider these tips that can heighten your car's fuel efficiency, which in effect, can also save energy...

Proper Driving

Lighten up. Remove unnecessary things from your car. Extra weight consumes fuel.

A huge no for idling. Driving at 0 miles per hour does not necessarily mean that you aren't consuming any fuel. The mere fact that your car engine is running, already signifies that you are using gasoline. Pre-heating your engine is another form of idling. Hence, once you've hit start, drive.

Turn off your engine if you are stuck on traffic. This makes hybrid cars so fuel efficient. Hybrid cars automatically shut off its engine when at full stop, eliminating the fuel consumption caused by idling.

Avoid drive thru. Park and turn off your engine instead and head inside the restaurant to grab a bite.

Activate your vehicle's cruise control if it has that feature. It will maintain your car's constant speed, resulting to another "energy saving" practice.

Speeding hard and braking abruptly can dramatically decrease your fuel efficiency by 5% in the city and as much as 33% in the highway. So, you must avoid aggressive driving.

Avoid high speeds. You car's fuel efficiency lessens when you are on 60 miles per hour.

If the car you are driving has a manual transmission, shift to the highest drivable gear. It is more beneficial to drive on high gear at low speed as it requires less pressure on the gas pedal, unlike with low gear at high revolution.

Calculate your breaking distance. Avoid accelerating if you know that you are about to slow down or when you are near a full stop. Excessive breaking is an aftermath of accelerating excessively. Also, turn your air-conditioner off whenever possible. This system increases your gasoline consumption by 15%. For packing huge stuffs, use the car's trunk or the back of your car. Using your roof's rack produces drag and reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 5%. Moreover, observe the recommended tire pressure of your car's manufacturer.

Switch to hybrid cars if you can afford it's cost. Compared to regular gasoline-engine automobiles, they have higher fuel-economy. Most of all, hybrid cars helps the environment with its little or zero carbon dioxide emission rating. This is also true with electric car or vehicles that run on alternative fuel resources.

A car that is light, aerodynamic and has a small engine maximizes fuel efficiency. Hence, when you are planning to to buy a car, remember these 3 vital elements that are found in small cars, and not those gas-hungry SUVs.

Car Maintenance

Regularly clean your air filters. Clogged ones stops the air to infiltrate the cylinder which results to decreased quality of car performance and heightened fuel consumption.

Make sure that your wheels are properly aligned.

Subject your car to regular tune up, change oil and car maintenance checks to avoid fuel economy problems caused by dragging brakes, transmission problems, low transmission fluids or worn spark plug.

You take it a little further by carpooling or riding a public transit. Of course, this kind of strategy can save fuel consumption.

Utilize the right type of oil for you vehicle.

Saving energy begins at home and extends on the road. Make these things a habit to save cash, help the environment and extend the service of your car. - 21392

About the Author:

Improve your car's efficiency by applying these free driving tips from Earth for Energy. To learn more about Taylor Nelson's and his website visit FastVideoReviews.com.