Fuel Efficient Driving Tips

With the high cost of gas, if you’re like most people it probably takes up a lot of your monthly budget. While taking the bus can save you money, driving yourself certainly saves you time. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your car’s fuel economy.

But first, you need to measure your car’s average miles per gallon consumption.

Fill up your tank (to the point in which the pump cuts off) with gas and turn your trip counter to zero. Take note of how much gas you put in. When the tank is almost empty, divide the volume of gas to the distance you’ve driven, and you’ll get your average gas consumption per mile or kilometer. Repeat the process at least three times to get a more accurate average.

It is important to note that there is still room for improvement in the average mileage per volume of your car. Here are tips on how you can improve it.

Your speed affects fuel economy.

If you drive below and above 65 miles per hour, your gas mileage can decrease by 15%. And while you can’t do much about traffic, you can control yourself from driving at faster speeds, right? When you go over 65mph on the highway, you’ll be using more engine power. Thus, you’re consuming more gas.

But what if you’re not on the highway? You can save gas by not using the brakes too much. If you can see that the traffic lights ahead are red, don’t race to them and come to a complete stop. Rather, slow down your speed by releasing your foot on the gas. If you can get on the light as it turns green and the cars begin to move, you’re doing fine.

Check your tires.

Regularly check the pressures of your tires. Make it part of your weekend routines. Keep in mind that if the pressure of your tires is low, your car will be less fuel efficient because of the increasing resistance of your tire on the road. Thus, ensure that the pressures are within the recommended values of the manufacturer.

Replace the air filter timely.

Air filters protect your engine from getting all the dust and dirt in the air. If it’s working properly, chances are it will clog up. When that happens, the engine will have a difficult time ingesting air. For your car to continue running smoothly, the engine will richen up the mixture by using more petrol. Thus, to have better mileage, have the air filter replaced at least once a year.

Replace spark plugs.

If you’ve used your car for over 30,000 miles, have your spark plugs replaced. Spark plugs that aren’t covered with carbon deposits will help in fuel economy.

Change your oil regularly and replace the oil filter.

While you may not notice huge improvements by doing so, it will ensure that the engine will stay healthy with clean oil.

Weight affects your fuel consumption.

Remove the junk out of your car. Every extra baggage your vehicle carries will affect your mileage.

Make sure you don’t rev up too much.

If you’re driving a manual, chances are you’ll get better gas mileage than those with automatic transmission. The key here is to make sure that you’re not revving up too high when you’re in the lower gear or too low when you’re in, the higher gear.

Aside from saving on gas, there are a lot of ways in which you can save money. And that is through having your car insured. Doing so will help protect your finances when a covered event happens to you.

Wellcovered Insurance is an independent agency that provides quality insurance products for a reasonable price. We offer auto insurance coverage that you can customize according to your needs. You can even earn discounts! Learn how by talking to one of our agents. Call us at (386) 218-4951 or visit us today! You can also get a free quote from us by clicking here.