Lower Grade Gas An easy way to save on gas is to use the lowest grade or octane of gasoline recommended for your car. Unless you drive a vehicle that requires the high octane premium gas, opt for regular.
Check Tire Pressure Underinflated tires can decrease your car’s fuel efficiency by putting strain on the engine. Invest in a tire pressure gauge and check the air pressure in your tires once or twice a month.
Avoid the Top-Off Once you’re at the pump, avoid adding that last little top-off of gas to your tank. The automatic nozzle will click off when your tank is sufficiently filled and extra gas added over that can leak out, slosh around and not get used by your engine.
Shaded Parking Parking in the sun heats up your gas, causing it to evaporate. While out and about, try to find a shady place to park in order to preserve gas.
Pay Attention Take the care of your car seriously. As a car owner, it is your responsibility to keep good maintenance standards and records. An understanding of what is going on with your vehicle can improve gas mileage and save you a lot of expensive repairs down the road.
Use Your Garage When you get home at night, park your car in your garage. By protecting your car from the elements it will stay cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold. This will keep you from using the heater and A/C, which will cut down on gas.
Secure the Gas Cap A gas cap that isn’t snugly tightened, gets lost or is damaged will cause gas to evaporate or leak out. This will lead to more stops at the gas station and more money spent on fuel.
Use Correct Motor Oil Your car’s owners’ manual will list the recommended grade of motor oil to use in your engine. Use this kind of oil when changing and adding oil. This practice is proven to increase fuel economy by between one and two percent.
Check Air Filters Frequent checks and intermittent replacement of your car’s air filter can increase fuel economy. Clean air filters help take strain off of your engine by keeping out harmful debris.
Tune-ups Take your car for tune-ups at regular intervals. This will keep your engine running efficiently while increasing gas mileage. An engine that needs to work hard to compensate for problems like old spark plugs uses more gasoline.
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