Best Practices to Increase Your MPG
Fuel Efficiency: Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference
Fuel efficiency is becoming a major driving force in the auto industry. For both the monetary savings and the reduction in environmental impact, everyone is trying to use less fuel. Short of simply driving less, everyone wants to find ways to save. Our technicians put together a list of the most common tips to increase your miles per gallon.
Drive Conservatively: Not many people take leisurely Sunday drives for the fun of it anymore; we mainly drive out of necessity. While you’re on the road, you can keep an eye on your speed and acceleration to increase your MPG. Don’t hit the pedal to the floor the minute the light turns green: take your time speeding up and you’ll lose less power in the immediate acceleration. Keep enough distance between you and the car in front of you so that you’re not having to respond to their every move. If you’re too close to the car in front of you, and you hit the brakes when he does, you’re slowing down and wasting energy that you’ll have to burn more fuel to regain.
Lighten the load: Try not to keep unnecessary items in your vehicle. Yes, you need to carry a jack with you in case of emergencies, but the 50 lbs bag of dog food you keep forgetting to bring into the house is costing you fuel with every ride. If you keep just the essentials in your vehicle, mainly what you need for that trip and for any emergencies, you will reduce the weight overall, and this will increase your fuel efficiency.
Oil Changes: As part of a preventative maintenance plan, your vehicle should be receiving regular oil changes. Your oil is what keeps your engine cool during the incredible hot process of combustion. Over time, your oil picks up impurities from the engine’s bits to pieces that bounce up off the road. What starts as the honey-yellow and runny liquid turns into darker and slower sludge over time. The less effective your oil is, the more fuel you will burn to make up for the loss of power.
Tire Pressure: When we’re talking about how far your vehicle goes for each gallon of fuel, we, of course, have to talk about the tire pressure. Where the rubber meets the road, modern tires are designed so that the tread meets the road at a specific place on the tread. If your tires are underinflated, they will begin to bow up, and the tire will meet the road at either side of the tread. If your tires are overinflated, the area where the tread meets the road will be too narrow, and the excess pressure will make your tires more likely to explode at vulnerable patches in the rubber.
