Fuel Saving Tips
Cruise Control -vs- Lead Foot
I have found that if I use my cruise control I reduce my desire to place the accelerator on the pavement under me and it reduces my stress level. It overall saves fuel because the computer controls the RPM's/speed and not your fluctuating foot. Also use the incremental increase/decrease set speed when changing speed zones and approaching slower traffic, each tap reduces vehicle speed 1mph. If you have to slow down significantly disengage cruise and let drag slow you down then re-engage cruise control at the desired speed.
posted by jhfc on March 14, 2015
this tip works for 91% of voting Fuelly members.
Air Con
The only thing worse than using Air con is turning the air con on and off constantly so it is always on trying to cool the car and never gets into a cycle. All 4 windows down use less fuel than the air con at its lowest setting.
posted by Youda122 on March 14, 2015
this tip works for 10% of voting Fuelly members.
Turbocharged engines
Whenever it's possible (and safe) Keep the engine idling a few seconds before a complete stop. This will allow the turbocharger to slow down to its minimal speed and avoid future expensive repairs. This is specially usefull after a heavy use of engine.
posted by KARR on March 4, 2015
this tip works for 89% of voting Fuelly members.
Coasting and Accelerating are the most efficient states of a vehicle
if you have a small engined car which does not require allot of fuel to idle you can use coast and glide techniques, accelerating doesn't use much more fuel then maintaining a steady speed and your engine is much more efficient at producing more power to accelerate then it is to producing less power to maintain speed, you can use this to your advantage to accelerate and coast between two different speeds (E.g. 40-50mph) which can improve fuel economy on the flat by upto 50%. (It improved my cars economy from 50mpg to 73mpg Imperial)
posted by Mikes1992 on March 3, 2015
this tip works for 17% of voting Fuelly members.
No Cruise Control
When driving it can be counter-productive to use cruise control. Yes, cruise control will keep you at an even speed, but it actually will lower your MPG's in specific cases. Sometimes using manual foot-gas is more productive than cruise. The prime scenario to abort from using cruise control are highway type roads with hills. The science behind the idea is that cruise control will rev up your RPM's to maintain speed on a hill. However, if you can coast with your momentum and lower your speed a couple MPH on the hill, you can achieve a pretty significant increase in MPG's.
posted by reimersn on March 1, 2015
this tip works for 76% of voting Fuelly members.
More fuel for your money
Because fuel pumps add by volume not weight, fill up your tank early in the morning or later in the evening because fuel is more dense at lower temperatures (you get more fuel) and less dense in warmer temperatures (you get less fuel). This can help save $ and increase mpg because your getting more at the pump
posted by returnofsilvervibe on February 27, 2015
this tip works for 33% of voting Fuelly members.
EZ on Gas pedal by slightly pushing your seat back
Hello: I noticed if your seat is very close to the front then your foot will have more pressure on the gas pedal. Slightly push back you seat so the pressure of your foot is less on the gas pedal. Be careful your are not too far back so it effects your driving and braking habits.
posted by bettermpg on February 24, 2015
this tip works for 21% of voting Fuelly members.
Downhill Drop!
While going downhill, don't drive in Neutral gear. Instead drive in the highest gear and don't put your foot on gas. This will prevent the vehicle from speeding and at the same time reduce fuel consumption as compared to the case when you drive on neutral and the fuel is constantly being fed to the motor for idling. This will reduce the braking as well.
posted by the13thtee on February 23, 2015
this tip works for 87% of voting Fuelly members.
Air conditioning at the right time.
When it's moderately hot and you're switching the AC ON/OFF regularly, prefer switching it ON when you're gradually slowing down on oncoming traffic lights or when you're cruising at a constant velocity and turn it OFF while over taking/ accelerating. This will reduce the load on engine while accelerating while turned OFF and will use the momentum of your vehicle while turned ON as you won't need to brake.
posted by the13thtee on February 23, 2015
this tip works for 62% of voting Fuelly members.
Downhill Upshifting
When travelling down a hill you can upshift earlier as there is less engine load and will allow you to coast for a longer distance as you are in a higher gear. Make use of the gravity!
posted by Cala on February 20, 2015
this tip works for 95% of voting Fuelly members.
Momentum
Keep up momentum, plan ahead to avoid hard acceleration and unnecessary braking.
posted by r66stu on February 19, 2015
this tip works for 99% of voting Fuelly members.
Red Lights
When driving and you notice the red light in front of you coast to the light. Instead of getting there and breaking to a complete stop, gradually downshift. The best would be to slowly get to the traffic light without having to stop and luckily the light will turn green before you break.
posted by rodrigojds on February 12, 2015
this tip works for 95% of voting Fuelly members.
FUEL Saving versus MPG inflating
For me, at least the goal is to use the least fuel (and $) for the driving I NEED to do - not just to max out MPGs. One tip - if you have two or more options for your daily round trip drive, calculate how much fuel (gallons) are really consumed over the (miles) driven. You may find the "least fuel" route is not the "highest MPG" route. Good luck.
posted by spartybrutus on February 9, 2015
this tip works for 88% of voting Fuelly members.
Be Strategic
Look ahead at the stop light, if it's red remove your foot from the gas pedal and coast up to the stoplight for as long as possible. Smile and take pride that you saved yourself some fuel!
posted by proudofusa on February 7, 2015
this tip works for 97% of voting Fuelly members.
Cruise control
Use cruise control as often as it's safe. It's much better at keeping a constant speed than your foot.
posted by michaelaye on February 7, 2015
this tip works for 62% of voting Fuelly members.
Do NOT put your automatic modern car in neutral
There are a few tips here that suggest putting your car in neutral, however this can be counter-effective in some vehicles. When you let off the gas in most modern automatic cars the braking you feel is caused by the engine...when you let off the gas the car cuts all gas flow to the engine, the only thing turning the engine is the cars momentum. Shifting into neutral means not only that you lose engine brake(which to a savvy driver on the highway can essentially eliminate the need for regular brakes) but you also have to use fuel to keep the engine turning.
posted by jordan1794 on February 5, 2015
this tip works for 86% of voting Fuelly members.
save gas
bum rides off of friends as much as possible to save gas
posted by NathanIreland on February 3, 2015
this tip works for 48% of voting Fuelly members.
No one thinks of this tip
The mpg forumla is average miles / gallons used. So it makes sense to use less gallons to increase your MPG. Well one idea of consuming less gas is to car pool. Your distance keeps on increasing, but you still keep your gallons!
posted by camrydash on February 2, 2015
this tip works for 28% of voting Fuelly members.
Momentum Tip!
When you look ahead and see the traffic light is red, you want to judge and have the most speed as possible when the light turns green. So use judgement. Keep your speed around 30mph, 25mph, 20mph, and then 15mph, and if it still doesnt turn green, then probably you have to stop. The idea is, you dont want to start from zero, because the avg mpg when accelerating is 10!
posted by camrydash on February 2, 2015
this tip works for 98% of voting Fuelly members.
Avoid turning
The shortest distance between point A to point B = travel in a straight line. So when driving, avoid changing lanes.
posted by camrydash on February 2, 2015
this tip works for 7% of voting Fuelly members.
Relax!
Don't be in such a hurry to get where you're going; slow traffic, signal lights, inclement weather, etc. won't allow you to save any significant time anyway. You're just wasting fuel by dashing from one stop light to another, not to mention increasing your chances of getting a ticket or into an accident.
posted by yarsrevenge on February 2, 2015
this tip works for 97% of voting Fuelly members.
Pump fuel at New Stations.
New stations have new pumps with filters etc. You will get the amount of fuel that you pay for and less air than an old pump and station. Furthermore the filters so cleaner fuel.
posted by jumpstat on January 29, 2015
this tip works for 31% of voting Fuelly members.
Hill Tip
Years ago we would put our cars in neutral if it was a gental slope to save on fuel, but today with fuel injection and not carbuerators, LEAVE YOUR CAR IN GEAR !!!! The reason is whith computer control many cars computers shut off the fuel flow as it is not needed to keep the engine turning over for all the power needed for steering, alternator, and etc. Plus it will save on brakes because the energy usd to keep the car going slower.
posted by Ranida on January 28, 2015
this tip works for 77% of voting Fuelly members.
Tire Pressure
After you’ve clear everything out of your car that isn’t needed on a daily basis, get chalk or another type of marker and mark the entire width of each tire. Drive the car normally for a couple of miles. If no chalk is left across the tread, that particular tire is properly inflated. If the middle of a tire has no chalk but the edges do, it’s over inflated and under inflated if the outer edges aren’t chalked but the center is. Yes, we can improve mileage by increasing tire pressure but the tires will wear prematurely and they’re expensive. Additionally, the safety of all people on the road is more important than marginally better mileage.
posted by ray96disco on January 23, 2015
this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.
Lower your vehicle weight to save gas
extra weight consumes gas so if you are travelling alone get rid of those extra seats. store them in the garage or basement when not used. you will save money. getting rid of the spare tire is a gamble. if you consider youself a lucky person then go ahead but other wise its extra weight is probably worth it.
posted by lesmic on January 23, 2015
this tip works for 65% of voting Fuelly members.
Do Your Research, Use Your Head!!
Some of these tips are harmful to the vehicle if you intend to keep it long-term. Ask a mechanic what the inside of an engine started and driven cold under full load to 'save fuel' looks like. I will burn $0.50 worth of gas to make sure the engine is at temperature before tearing down the road in 4" of snow with 4x4 enagaged. Also getting killed because your windows are iced over isn't worth $1.00 in gas. It may be cool to be a 'hyper-miler' person on this board, but if you have to replace your car sooner the fuel you saved is irrelevant.
posted by doctorfeelgood on January 23, 2015
this tip works for 87% of voting Fuelly members.
Always Park near the exit
It makes no sense to park all the way in, you have to come out, and this increase distance and reduces mpg. If there is no space, shut off the engine and park on the side and wait for a spot.
posted by camrydash on January 18, 2015
this tip works for 19% of voting Fuelly members.
Drafting
Drive behind a vehicle to decrease air resistance and increase MPG. Put the car in neutral when going down hill. If your going too fast, just slightly tap on the brake while maintaining space between the car in front of you.
posted by camrydash on January 18, 2015
this tip works for 6% of voting Fuelly members.
Parking in Garage
Don't start the car, put the car in neutral and push it by the side while adjusting the steering wheel.
posted by camrydash on January 18, 2015
this tip works for 5% of voting Fuelly members.
Put Auto Transmissions in Neutral
I've found that when sitting at long stoplights putting the car in neutral saves fuel over the course of a tank of fuel used. On many cars you can feel the load on the engine when in Drive but not moving. Sitting in neutral tales a lot of the load off the motor. Obviously this works best when you know the individual light you're sitting at so you can time putting it back on D without holding up those behind you or shock-loading the drive line.
posted by Billymacanallay on January 18, 2015
this tip works for 52% of voting Fuelly members.
