Fuel Saving Tips
Rock The Car
When fueling up, rock the car some. this should remove air bubbles and give more space.
posted by TheSilverPilot on May 17, 2010
this tip works for 3% of voting Fuelly members.
Give 'er sometimes
Don't forget, if you have a turbo, it is different from a regular engine. Easy ways to kill it= 1. run hard and hot then shut off. -ie. pulling off a highway, let it idle for about 1-2 minutes to cool the turbo. this will prevent the oil from baking at the 1000 degrees or higher temps. 2. always drive slow and shift low. - believe it or not a turbo doesn't like to be babied all of the time. Once a month, or a little more, take it to the highway and go full throttle. *only do this after car has gotten up to running temp* This clears the build up of soot and unburned gasses. (pay attention diesels) Granny driving 100% of the time can kill a turbo. 3. drive hard when cold. - a turbo will last much longer if you drive gentle when it's cold, until the oil is warm and flows better. 4. let the car fully warm up when cold out. - cold idle will take years off of any engines life. Idle only long enough to defog windows. (safety first) Of course there are many other ways to kill your engine quickly, but these are some of the things I find people just don't know. Happy driving.
posted by bwcomputers on May 13, 2010
this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.
Keep you car Tuned Up!
Always perform regular maintenance on your vehicle. Use synthetic engine oil (if its compatible) and change it per your vehicle manufacturer recommendations. Synthetic for most cars and trucks actually lowers the engine's turning resistance, plus it handles higher internal temperatures without breaking down as easily. In short it helps your mileage! Also keep your transmission fluid topped and fresh! Have it and the filter changed at least every 50 thousand miles. Keep the engine and engine bay clean, your filters changed regularly, and be sure to have it tuned up/checked out every year or so!
posted by DTMAce on May 10, 2010
this tip works for 95% of voting Fuelly members.
Throttle usage
Gas mileage is exactly that, how much fuel you use relative to the miles you travel. its not directly related to how much you open the throttle (accelerator pedal), it is most related to how much power you make. The way to get good gas mileage, is to accelerate smoothly. Get up to speed within 20 seconds. and maintain constant throttle. If you tailgate you will naturally accelerate and decelerate dependent on the cars speed in front of you. stay back from other cars. most cars get their best gas mileage around 50 mph. Bearing in mind that engines are most efficient near the first peak of their torque curve, You will be in the overdrive or highest gear, and at the beginning of your engines torque curve around this speed. This is typically when automatic cars shift into overdrive (45mph) and when you should shift into your highest gear in a stick shift. more rpms = more friction. higher speeds = higher wind resistance and more friction. slower speeds is not an optimal gear for good gas mileage. the most important of all is to keep a consistent throttle when cruising. dont waste gas accelerating up hills. and dont waste kinetic energy by releasing your foot all the way off the throttle going down hills, unless you will end up going a dangerous / illegal speed. leave the throttle cracked open a hair. when accelerating, get up to speed in a relatively normal pace, the longer you stay in your low gears the more fuel you waste to friction. however, the quicker you accelerate the more fuel you use. find the sweet spot for your car.
posted by viperbite on May 5, 2010
this tip works for 71% of voting Fuelly members.
Don't start it and go
While starting your engine and immediately driving will save you gas on that tank, it puts more strain on the motor to drive while cold. Take 30 seconds to allow it to warm up (especially on cold days!), the amount of gas you use while idling is very minimal and the increased life and longevity of performance will pay off in the long run.
posted by TheNateums on April 30, 2010
this tip works for 49% of voting Fuelly members.
Get a Subaru
Subaru's AWD system is surprisingly fuel efficient. Especially in new models. Also the increased traction created by the AWD means you can safely maneuver corners at higher rates of speed. Therefore decreasing your need to brake, which in turn, decreases your need to accelerate, the main time you waste gas.
posted by TheNateums on April 30, 2010
this tip works for 8% of voting Fuelly members.
Coast when you can.
If you're going down hill or if you want to slow down slowly, coast. It improves your mileage and doesn't wear down your brake pads.
posted by Gluntsy on April 29, 2010
this tip works for 80% of voting Fuelly members.
Nitrogen
Get Nitrogen in your tires... It may cost a bit at first... refills are free. But you will notice a difference in l/100km... a good difference! Also you don't have to worry about tire pressure as much as Nitrogen is not affected by temperature and is a larger molecule and won't leak as much. Also, makes your tires last longer!!! All round a great choice! There is a reason they use it in race cars... :)
posted by ChAnDeRu on April 20, 2010
this tip works for 19% of voting Fuelly members.
Buy a meter -
I purchased a Scan Guage, and now I monitor my driving habits in real time. I used to get 26mpg going 80 and now get 37mpg going 60 and driving efficiently.
posted by mtxjohn on April 20, 2010
this tip works for 89% of voting Fuelly members.
Passing Cars
With an automatic transmission, manually shift out of overdrive or shift down just before passing. This avoids the need to press the accelerator all the way down to 'engage' the passing gear.
posted by KeithS on April 17, 2010
this tip works for 43% of voting Fuelly members.
watch your Air pressure
Especially now in early spring with the temperatures rising and falling it's imperative to check your tire pressure on a regular basis. An under inflated tire will cost you more fuel and also affect handling.
posted by SamTrooper on April 11, 2010
this tip works for 98% of voting Fuelly members.
Run slightly higher tire pressure...
I have a 2001 Honda Accord. The recommended TP is 30 PSI (cold = car not driven, and no sun on tires). My tires are rated at 44 PSI. I find that I get up to 1 MPG better FE at 35-38 PSI cold. Currently I'm testing out ~40 PSI cold. I have no irregular tire wear, but **slightly** more road noise, vibration and poorer ride quality, and such. Traction seems to be the same or better. Over all, it seems to be a good compromise...
posted by ICantDriveFiftyFive on April 6, 2010
this tip works for 63% of voting Fuelly members.
Ready, set, GO!
When getting out of a stoplight, don't act like you're on the racetrack. Pull away slowly, shift at lower revs as most of the energy generated by the fuel is spent beating inertial strength, from a stopped position to a moving one.
posted by DirtyHarry on April 6, 2010
this tip works for 89% of voting Fuelly members.
Keep her waxed
A slippery Car cuts through the air better than a dirty one. So keep your car washed and waxed, make sure nothing is hanging underneath.
posted by SamTrooper on March 27, 2010
this tip works for 34% of voting Fuelly members.
Low speed driving
At 30 mph don't use top gear, use a lower gear as it makes the engine labour less. On some modern cars & bikes they have a fuel monitor which is not that accurate but it does give you an idea of how much fuel is being used in any given gear.
posted by Neo19 on March 24, 2010
this tip works for 43% of voting Fuelly members.
Buy a motorcycle
A small motorcycle or scooter will easily exceed the fuel mileage of a hybrid and do it at a much lower cost to purchase.
posted by JReazor on March 19, 2010
this tip works for 64% of voting Fuelly members.
Consistent Refueling..don't top off your tank
Of course, to get good readings it is good to be consistent on how you fill up your tank. However, Do not top off your tank. When the pump stops, your tank is full. Any extra you put in is likely to be put back into the station's coffers or will end up out of your tank when your gas in the tank expands.
posted by mtux96 on March 15, 2010
this tip works for 57% of voting Fuelly members.
Install a vacuum gauge
Vacuum gauge is a manifold pressure measuring unit and can be use to monitor fuel consumption. More pressure is more economical. When accelerating, driver can monitor his/her acceleration is in Fair (5 to 10kpa) or Good (10 to 17kpa) needle range to get best of the fuel economy. If driver doing such rapid acceleration, the vacuum gauge reading may at 0 to 5 kpa which is very bad for fuel economy. So, it's important to keep needle at higher number whenever possible. Moreover, vacuum gauge also can give basic condition of your engine health. At idle RPM, the needle should be at 27 to 54 kpa. If the needle stays low at idle speedm, it may indicare that there's a liaking vacuum hose, worn valves or even incorrent ignition timing(knocking).
posted by SeNnDoh on March 7, 2010
this tip works for 41% of voting Fuelly members.
Switch out of defrost mode
Many of today’s vehicles turn on the A/C automatically when you turn on defroster mode, many without illuminating the A/C indicator. You may inadvertently be driving around with your A/C compressor engaged which is killing your mileage. Check it out on your vehicle!
posted by integrator43 on March 1, 2010
this tip works for 88% of voting Fuelly members.
keep to 50MPH
On 'A' roads try keeping your speed to a maximum of 50MPH . I've just done an 'experiment' keeping my Chrysler Voyager 3.3 Auto to 50mph on my 15 mile comute and the on-board MPG computor has gone up over 2MPG over 3 days. I expect this will work best for big cars though.
posted by gareth111278 on February 28, 2010
this tip works for 30% of voting Fuelly members.
Consistent Filling!
When filling the car always do the same thing. i.e. fill it until the pump cuts off OR fill it to the top of the neck. I filled my wife's car & it shows poorer MPG as I fill to the top of the neck, she fills to first cut off. Re LPG - some LPG pumps fill to a greater capacity than others, this can vary your MPG figure too. Gareth
posted by gareth111278 on February 24, 2010
this tip works for 73% of voting Fuelly members.
Don't drive while hungry, angry or tired (if
Often easier said than done, we admit. Aside from the obvious safety issues, these conditions/emotions don't exactly promote patience and gentleness. If you can induce yourself into a Zen-like blissful state, great. Just do your best to avoid these situations -- grab a sandwich, count to ten or catch a twenty-minute power nap.
posted by FAOGozalo on February 23, 2010
this tip works for 71% of voting Fuelly members.
Lift off throttle just before cresting a hill
Use inertia to your advantage. Even if it's not possible to build-up momentum before entering an incline (traffic can play havoc with the best-laid plans), still lift off the pedal as soon as possible near the peak. From this point, it works the same way--built-up energy carries you over the crest while the hardly-working engine practically idles along.
posted by FAOGozalo on February 23, 2010
this tip works for 96% of voting Fuelly members.
Gently accelerate before hills
Whenever you see an incline on the roadway ahead, begin to ever so slightly and gently accelerate. This gradual build-up of momentum lets you keep a lighter foot on the throttle as you enter the hill, and as the crest nears, lift off the gas pedal and the energy of inertia carries your car over the peak and down the other side.
posted by FAOGozalo on February 23, 2010
this tip works for 96% of voting Fuelly members.
Coast down hills and slight grades
Whenever you get the chance, let gravity (that mysterious and wonderful force that affects all earthbound bodies) naturally drag you and your 4000-pound car down every hill you happen upon. The beauty here is that the steeper the hill, the faster you go (and this is with your foot nowhere near the gas pedal). It's like a free ride. And as long as the road is clear of traffic ahead of you, and you're not exceeding the speed limit. Of course - keep a watchful eye, but you will love that long, free coast.
posted by FAOGozalo on February 23, 2010
this tip works for 80% of voting Fuelly members.
E-0
I switched to E-0 and found better mileage. Not surprising when comparing the BTU of gasoline and ethanol. As ethanol takes from the food source and is less efficient and more corrosive I will avoid the corn product.
posted by jacktheflash on February 16, 2010
this tip works for 79% of voting Fuelly members.
Manual Transmissions - Shift at lower RPMs
For those of you who drive stick, upshifting at lower revs will use less gas; consequently, driving in a higher gear will use less than driving in a lower gear, as your revs will be lower. Around town, I usually upshift at just above 2000 RPM; sure the engine produces less torque at lower revs, but since you're not racing around elementary schools there's no need to gun it at low speeds. I use the rule of thumb to keep my RPMs always between 1500-2500 RPM, as I feel that's the best compromise between torque and fuel economy. Thus I'll be in fourth gear even just coasting through my neighborhood. Note though - when you are traveling up hills, high gears will actually reduce fuel economy, as your engine has to struggle to climb the gradient with low torque. So everything I said above should apply to level grades only.
posted by realgeneric on February 13, 2010
this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.
Watch pedestrian coundown clocks.
Many communities have timers showing how long a pedestrian can cross the street before the light changes. Drivers can use this coundown and start coasting when they realize they wont make a green light.
posted by yewboup1 on February 9, 2010
this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.
..parking..
..i think some of these have been mentioned before, but as a reminder: 1) back-in when parking: your engine is warm & more efficient, so once your reach a destination, back in to a parking place (if necessary).. 2) drive thru into a parking spot: if there's no parking curb, pull through the parking spot so that you exit without having to back up..grocery stores are key places for this..just be sure to check both ways (twice!) when you leave.. 3) at home, back in: once you arrive home, you might as well back into your driveway (always)/garage (if feasible)..your car is warm once you arrive home, so backing up isn't as much of a gas-drain..plus, when you exit in the morning with a cold engine, you actually save gas, since the vehicle will move on its own (essentially..due to engine torque ??).. 4) avoid warm-ups: other threads (in Tips or the Fuelly Forum) note that most modern cars don't need 'warm-up' time..so, you can start-&-go..moving also heats your engine (& your interior) faster, so there's less need for heaters & such.. just some idears/reminders>> --c.
posted by cee on February 8, 2010
this tip works for 64% of voting Fuelly members.
Accelerate moderately
Contrary to popular opinion, the slowest acceleration is not the most efficient. Engines are more efficient at higher torque but less efficient at higher RPMs. You want to accelerate as much as possible without letting the RPMs go too high (over 2500-3000 for many engines).
posted by Morgan on January 24, 2010
this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.
