We all like to race stoplight to stoplight, it’s a guy
thing. But, did you know that nothing can affect your gas mileage more than
your driving style? Studies have shown that you can save up to 33% on gas by
altering your driving style.
Before we get into how you should drive for the best gas
mileage, let’s talk about what you should do before you leave the driveway. The
first thing you should do, if it’s hot outside, is turn off you’re A/C and roll
down the windows. This will reduce the load on your engine, and clear out the
super heated air that has built up in your vehicle. Once you are above 45 mph,
roll up the windows and turn on the A/C.
We can now start our discussion on driving style and
discover how you can save up to 33% on gas. The first thing to think about when
driving is conservation of momentum. Consider the following two scenarios…
1. You are driving along at 45 mph and see a red light
ahead. You wait until the last second and slam on the brakes, then accelerate
away when the light turns green.
2. You are driving along at 45 mph and see a red light ahead. You let off the gas pedal, and coast into the light, while anticipating when it will turn green. If you time it right, you never stop and continue on your way, ahead of where you would have been in scenario #1
This type of thinking in scenario #2 will put money back
into your pocket. Your brake pedal is your enemy when trying to get better gas
mileage. If you can anticipate traffic ahead of you, and avoid having to push
on the gas pedal hard, you will save gas. Any time you use the brakes, you are
losing momentum and wasting energy.
I had a friend in high school, whose dad put a vacuum gauge
in all of his vehicles. A vacuum gauge in simple terms, measures the load on an
engine. It served to remind my friend’s dad how he was driving, and forced him
to go easy on the gas pedal to save gas. Consider having your mechanic install
one of these gauges, the cost is minimal, and you may learn a little about how
you are driving. If you have a newer car with an advance engine computer, it may
tell you your instant and average mileage. Use the instant gas mileage readout
instead of a vacuum gauge, it’s just as good.
You want to accelerate as mildly and evenly as possible to
get to your desired speed. If you have a tachometer in your car, you can watch
engine RPM and try to keep it under 3,000. You should be able to get to your
destination in a safe and speedy manner, using these techniques and save some
gas in the process.
There has been a lot of debate about what is the best speed
to drive on the highway. Politics and safety issues have clouded the issue even
further. The fact is that every car has it’s own speed where peak efficiency
occurs. I had a Corvette that got the best gas mileage at 70 mph. It’s not
practical to drive this fast everywhere, so I compromised and kept it legal as
often as possible. Depending on your engine, transmission and gear ratio in the
axle of your car, you ideal speed will be higher or lower than my car. The most
important fact to remember is to keep your speed steady and avoid abrupt stops
and starts.
I have heard various automotive journalist report better gas
mileage by not using the cruise control. There reasoning was that they were
focused on driving for efficiency and could make better decisions that the cars
cruise control computer. This theory is valid, if you are on a highway with a
lot of elevation changes. If you are not using cruise control, you can allow
your vehicle to coast down long hills and build up some extra speed, which will
help you climb the next hill. Of course you need to use some common sense here
and not allow your car to go too fast to avoid speeding tickets or dangerous
driving conditions.
The last tip I can offer on driving, is make your vehicle as
light as possible. The lighter your vehicle, the less you engine has to work to
move you around. Remove any unnecessary items from the trunk and car to help
keep your car as light as possible.
Article Credit: www.autoeducation.com
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