Fuel Saving Tips
The Freeway Game
Every time you light up your brake lights during freeway driving, reveals to all behind you that you're not paying attention to traffic slowing down in front of you.
posted by ChewChewTrain on July 21, 2017
this tip works for 62% of voting Fuelly members.
Is Top Tier Gas worth it? YES!
To reduce the chances of engine problems caused by subpar fuel, always buy fuel from a Top Tier gasoline dealer. Top Tier designation does not make it any more expensive then other brands. For a list of Top Tier fuel locations, follow this link. http://www.toptiergas.com/
posted by dtown40 on July 15, 2017
this tip works for 49% of voting Fuelly members.
Cruise Control in the Present
Cruise is great, but when it will be less efficient with hills. The reason being, it doesn't know what's in the future, only the present. It will lag with uphill, and downshift/throttle up to catch you up to speed. Downhill it will downshift and hold you back to maintain that speed. Remember you know the road ahead better than cruise. Uphill, you can accelerate more knowing that you're going to lose the speed, or you can cancel cruise and go up the hill trying not to downshift too much. Downhill, you can cancel cruise and let it coast as much as you can (with auto-manual mode you can switch it over and cruise control won't downshift).
posted by falas on July 11, 2017
this tip works for 76% of voting Fuelly members.
Observe Distant Traffic Lights
The game is to never come to a complete stop. So observe distant traffic lights and try to time it so you can roll through on the green light.
posted by ChewChewTrain on July 5, 2017
this tip works for 98% of voting Fuelly members.
Keep Track of MPG on Every Tank
Keeping track of the MPG on a vehicle at every fill up will help identify if the efficiency is deteriorating, or if one brand of fuel is consistently giving better MPG than another. This may also give you an early warning if something is not right with the vehicle such as low tire pressures, need or a tune up or maintenance, or a dragging brake caliper. Fuelly.com is a great tool to track and chart the MPG data over time, but that's why we are here right?
posted by sixthmustang on June 27, 2017
this tip works for 100% of voting Fuelly members.
Brakes not working.
If you drive as though your brakes have failed you will find that your anticipation, awareness of other vehicles and control of your speed all improve, all leading to better mpg.
posted by JockoT on June 24, 2017
this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.
Automatic transmission *might* save fuel
When you're planning to buy your next vehicle, be prepared to let go of that old belief that a manual transmission will always deliver better fuel economy. Some of today's sophisticated automatics *might* be more fuel-efficient than a mindful and skilled stick driver. Do your due diligence before buying. (Note: Even though a specific automatic transmission *might* be more fuel efficient, you might never recuperate the additional cost of the automatic transmission with fuel savings.)
posted by SteveMak on June 21, 2017
this tip works for 51% of voting Fuelly members.
Use your cruise control!
The best way to maintain efficient driving on the freeway is to use your cruise control. The cruise control maintains a set speed and makes very minor changes to throttle position. It eliminates the "rubber banding" that people do on the freeway, the constant +/- 5mph that end up causing traffic jams, and ruin your fuel mileage.
posted by JochenHeiden on June 20, 2017
this tip works for 65% of voting Fuelly members.
Throttle Control (Roll On/Off)
Abrupt changing in throttle position (gas pedal), such as pressing quickly and letting off quickly on the gas pedal cause increased fuel consumption. Try rolling on and rolling off the gas pedal when accelerating and decelerating. This will improve your anticipation and also reduce how much gas your car is using. Over a full tank of gas, you can see between 2-3mpg improvements using this technique.
posted by JochenHeiden on June 20, 2017
this tip works for 85% of voting Fuelly members.
Freeway Driving Tips from a 27y/o Car getting 51.3mpg
- DRIVE 53MPH IN FAR RIGHT LANE. Other drivers will think either theirs or your odometer is inaccurate a tiny bit and won't be SO upset at your slower speed. - DRIVE 5MPH SLOWER UP FREEWAY GRADES. Stepping on the gas to maintain freeway speeds to climb a freeway overpass destroys your MPG. - SUNSCREEN YOUR BACK WINDOW. This prevents other drivers from intimidating you into driving faster by riding your rear bumper. If they know you can't see them they can't bully you.
posted by ChewChewTrain on June 17, 2017
this tip works for 16% of voting Fuelly members.
keep your distance !
The gap to the car in front should be at least 2 seconds on a dry road. And if you're the 3rd car in a line and the 2nd car is only 1 second behind the lead car, then you should be 3 seconds behind the 2nd car. Someone else may sneak into the gap you've left - let them and don't get caught in their accident. And double the gap when it's wet.
posted by trevorswaine on June 14, 2017
this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.
Anticipate Traffic!
If your are driving and see tail lights come on in front of you, the traffic is stopping. Don't keep on the throttle trying to play Tetris with your vehicle. You won't gain an inch. Take your foot off, coast- many times you wont have to brake at all, you will at least minimize braking and save fuel.
posted by landsail on June 13, 2017
this tip works for 98% of voting Fuelly members.
Accel hard at peak torque, like a diesel
It might go against what most people “learned”, but it’s a fact. Engines accelerate most efficiently at a certain RPM. That efficiency is what creates the torque peak in the power curve. Old manuals, especially Kawis, show hp/g of fuel graphs, and guess where it peaks? With torque. The best fluid pumping efficiency is also at wide open throttle. Obviously that's better with a manual to avoid “kickdown”. Lastly, the sooner you’re up to speed, the sooner you’re at a low, efficient cruising RPM. It's similar to a "race to idle" in CPUs. That time spent at midrange RPM accelerating is wasted fuel. Source: PhD Engineers & experience
posted by Hexadecimus on June 2, 2017
this tip works for 54% of voting Fuelly members.
Most efficient manual shifting
Saab did testing years ago and found that most fuel efficient shifting was, (once the engine is at operating temp), to upshift normally to 3rd gear, than rev to slightly above normal 4th gear level, and shift directly into 5th gear. It has worked well for me in many years of driving. Make smooth, deliberate 3rd to 5th shifts, pausing slightly in neutral as you shift.
posted by landsail on May 28, 2017
this tip works for 55% of voting Fuelly members.
The 'ol standard-egg driving
A tip from back in the 1970's "fuel crisis" that still is true: try to drive as though there were an egg between your foot and the gas peddle. Easy, don't break that egg and make a mess!
posted by landsail on May 26, 2017
this tip works for 70% of voting Fuelly members.
Read the road ahead
Try to keep a "space cushion" around your vehicle. Leaving room between you and the car ahead will enable less braking for traffic signals. Brake usage kills MPG. Avoid cruise control on less than flat terrain. CC will try and maintain speed when ascending/descrending grades. This uses additional fuel Accelerate moderately - while remaining aware of traffic flow. Accelerating into a red - or even a yellow - light used more fuel.
posted by ezshift5 on May 23, 2017
this tip works for 92% of voting Fuelly members.
Increasing City MPG with Hyundai Ioniq
When driving in town, accelerate briskly - 3-4 power bars to quickly get up to speed, then let off. This shifts the car into EV mode which can be maintained using light pedal pressure of 1-2 bars on flats and slightly descending surfaces. Keep looking far ahead to start coasting (Regen) when the light turns red. You can actually build your mpg using this technique around town.
posted by Operator on May 23, 2017
this tip works for 53% of voting Fuelly members.
Slow down by a few mph on long trips
Try this next time your take a long hwy trip; drive 1-2 mph less than surrounding traffic, and observe that most traffic will pass you by. But because of slower moving vehicles, RV's, semi's, or a nitwit driver who is oblivious to driving with the flow, you'll likely find you'll catch up to all the traffic that passed you by because they had to slow down for the low-speed offender. You'll maintain a steadier speed, gain a few mpg's due to less movement of your right foot (if you're not using CC, which I recommend), have a less stressful drive, and not lose any time to your destination!
posted by jhinsc on May 19, 2017
this tip works for 87% of voting Fuelly members.
Perform maintenance on an older hybrid battery
This tip is very specialized for older hybrids. Performing battery maintenance through charging/deep discharge cycling corrects balance as it restores the cells that have weakened over time. This enables the hybrid system to work more efficiently. It can, in some cases, add over 10% back to fuel economy and it will lengthen battery life as well.
posted by srellim234 on May 17, 2017
this tip works for 50% of voting Fuelly members.
Beat the traffic
Drive during off peak times when possible because any car idling in heavy traffic will get 0 MPG!
posted by Jay767 on May 14, 2017
this tip works for 88% of voting Fuelly members.
Yes, DO coast in neutral
Tips say injectors shut off when you coast in gear. True on newer vehicles, but the engine braking will waste more power than the minuscule amount it takes to rotate an engine at idle. Coasting in neutral or pulling in the clutch on a bike is the way to go, unless you want to shut the engine off too which is dangerous in emergency situations.
posted by Hexadecimus on May 11, 2017
this tip works for 22% of voting Fuelly members.
Best fuel consumption during acceleration
This is where bsfc maps for your car come in handy. They show the point of best fuel efficiency during full load. Typically this is between 2000-2500 rpm. So try to give it a good push on the throttle while shifting into higher gear around 2300 rpm till you reach your desired speed. Then get into highest possible gear which gives you a rpm around 1000, cruise and apply all other driving techniques (like feathering)
posted by Varianti on May 10, 2017
this tip works for 55% of voting Fuelly members.
Check your tire pressure.
Check your tire pressure every two fuel ups or every ten degrees of average temperature change. Did you know that tires are one of the biggest factors of good fuel mileage, braking distance and handling? Did you know that 80% of all vehicles on the road have incorrect tire pressure? Check it. A cheap gauge costs $1 but the peace of mind is priceless.
posted by CH2O on May 1, 2017
this tip works for 98% of voting Fuelly members.
Average speed
You might think your average speed on a trip is your highway cruising speed, but your true average speed will be much lower. It takes slow-downs, traffic lights, and pit-stops into account. To increase your average speed, simply stop less often (when possible). This is much more fuel-efficient than the same average speed with short jaunts at 75 mph and multiple slow-downs. I am often passed by people two or three times when they stop for food, other traffic, gas, etc.
posted by jmn20171 on April 21, 2017
this tip works for 89% of voting Fuelly members.
Feather on downhills
Feather the go-pedal on short descents. You will barely use fuel while adding speed and momentum to the upcoming ascent. You can use an instant mpg gauge to ensure minimum consumption (i.e. 99.9 mpg). This doesn't help much if it's relatively flat out there.
posted by jmn20171 on April 21, 2017
this tip works for 83% of voting Fuelly members.
You do you
Don't play "games" with other drivers! Do your own thing, within reason.
posted by jmn20171 on April 21, 2017
this tip works for 80% of voting Fuelly members.
How to drive a CMAX/FFH to get great gas mileage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uHoZ5QhVXs This explains EV to 15mph and 2 Bar acceleration technique for 2013 and newer FORD CMAX/FFH to get better mpg's. Paul
posted by ptjones on April 19, 2017
this tip works for 2% of voting Fuelly members.
Tip Caution
Some of these tips that users post may save you fuel at the cost of causing more wear and tear to you vehicle that will end up costing more to repair than the fuel it has saved. Example, shutting your car off at stop lights. It will wear out your starter and is hard on the engine in general. Even start stop hybrids have premature engine problems due to shutting off the engine at every stop and they are built for being turned off all the time.
posted by TheEngineer1 on April 11, 2017
this tip works for 75% of voting Fuelly members.
Use Fuelly's "Research Vehicles" before buying a new car
Before buying a new car, consult Fuelly's "Research Vehicles" feature to see what kind of fuel economy current owners are getting in the real world. Do your own due diligence to filter out very obvious outliers, and come to your own conclusions. This info might be more useful to you than an EPA estimated fuel economy number.
posted by SteveMak on April 5, 2017
this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.
Car engine speed at 2200 rpm
Try to keep your engine at 2,200 rpm to get the maximum efficiency. you will get the speed, power and fuel efficiency. Most engine work at max efficiency at 2,200 rpm. Some engine are slightly up and down so try from 2000~2500 rpm and see where are you getting the best fuel mileage.
posted by Alikhaneng on April 3, 2017
this tip works for 18% of voting Fuelly members.
