At what speed should i drive in each gear for better mileage
How to get better fuel economy
· By: Jack Nerad for Driving Today
· Date: 2004-05-21
Comments (6) Join conversation
Now that gasoline prices are reaching record levels in many regions of the country, people are beginning to panic. No, it's not a "War of the Worlds" scenario with citizens running into the streets screaming, but people are upset. Happily, there are things you can do to reduce your fuel cost outlay. The Alliance to Save Energy offers consumers these tips to cut gasoline use and protect their pocketbooks:
- Show your love of your vehicle. Keep your car properly tuned up, and change the air filter regularly, both to save gas and protect your engine.
- Show your cool by curtailing aggressive driving. Speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking all waste gas and curb mileage by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). So nix jackrabbit starts and opt instead for slow acceleration from a dead stop.
- Slow down! Speeding wastes gas and your money. Each mile per hour you drive over 60 mph is like paying an extra 10 cents per gallon, DOE says.
- Inflate tires to the proper pressure, because this will not only increase fuel economy, but also to make tires safer and extend their life.
Of course, the Alliance to Save Energy couldn't think of everything, so here are other gasoline-saving tips directly from the inquiring minds of Driving Today:
- If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible. (If you own just one vehicle consider "borrowing" someone else's car whenever you need to drive to work or make a run to Mickey D's.)
- Avoid "going nowhere fast." In fact, avoid going anywhere. Sure, agoraphobia gets a bad rap in the popular press, but hanging inside your house all the time isn't half bad, if you have plenty of salty snacks, adult beverages, and DirecTV with TiVo.
- Combine your errands into one trip. By some simple planning, the use of computer mapping and a detailed knowledge of trigonometry, you can plan routes that will allow you to go to work, pick up the kids at school, drop off your dry cleaning, grab a takeout dinner, and vacation in Yosemite all without ever leaving the car. Now that's efficient!
Or you could actually walk now and then, lazybones.
Comments
denpal, on Monday, 14. May 2007 at 06:50 AM
hemilover440, on Wednesday, 27. June 2007 at 10:40 PM
whats better for fuel economy topper or tonneau cover?
IL640, on Wednesday, 27. June 2007 at 10:54 PM
The optimum speed in each gear for fuel economy is gong to vary with the vehicle. The owners manual should have this info. If not then the manufacturer. Used to have a VW that had a little light to tell me when to shift for economy. It was usually about 2800 rpm
Renae, on Monday, 17. September 2007 at 12:37 PM
What about fueling after 6pm? Fuel expands during the heat of the day, thus when you fuel in mid-day, you are actually paying for less fuel than what you are getting. There are often signs in large cities that advertise this.
coolermaster, on Saturday, 24. May 2008 at 08:51 AM
With extremely high gas prices straining consumers pockets in recent months, it is only natural for people to wonder where all the money they pay at the pump goes..I use fuel saver after i visit this web site..
http://fuel-savermagnetic.blogspot.com/
DriverTeck, on Saturday, 07. June 2008 at 05:38 PM
My comment is in regard to Renae's comment, which is incorrect unless the tanks at your gas station is above ground, the temperature of the fuel underground is around 56 degres and will remain so no matter how hot or cold it is outside,unless you happen to live in alaska or on mars...lol, even if this were true the amont of expantion is so small that for a 20 gallon tank you would olny save about 10 cents per tank.To prove my point take a glass jar whith a lid and make a pin size hole in the center now take water for safety reasons, and by the way water has a higher spacific gravity than gasoline and thier for has a greater expantion and contration rate, fill the jar about 1/2 full put it in the frig for about 1 hour then take it out an set it outside on a level serface in the sun then mark the jar after the water has stoped moving around with a marker then wait about 1 hour and then check the level again then you can draw your own conclusion. But thier is one advantage in filling up in the morrning or late evening and that is it will be much cooler for you as you fill your tank.thanks for reading and drive safe.
