How to Get Better Gas Mileage

 With gas prices steadily rising, and the price of hybrids still out of reach of the average person, people are looking for ways to get better gas mileage. The first thing to do is drive a small economical car for your every day-back and forth driving. Even if you do not have a small economical car, you can still better your gas mileage.

1. On certain newer cars with roller cams, use synthetic oil. This will not work with non-roller cams. You should change your oil every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first.
    
2. Keep your car properly tuned. You should get a tune up every 30,000 miles.
    
3. Take off slowly from a stop.
    
4. If you can take the highway, and it’s not packed with traffic, travel via highway, and keep your speed at 55 miles per hour.
    
5. When doing errands, plan your route, so that you are stopping at all the places you need to stop at in order. Going back and forth, or going out and coming home puts additional miles on your car, which also means more wear and tear parts wear out faster.
    
6. Be sure your tires are aired up to the tire manufacturer’s recommendations. If your tires require 34 p.s.i., they should be at 32 p.s.i., since air density changes with temperature. This will also save unnecessary wear and tear on your tires.
    
7. Make sure your tires are properly aligned. Poor alignment causes more friction between the tire and the road.
    
8. Change your air filter every 30,000 miles. Change your fuel filter every 60,000 miles.
    
9. Make sure you are purchasing the correct octane fuel. Most cars do not need more than 87 octane. The higher the octane, the “dirtier” the fuel is, and the less efficient it burns.
    
10. Remove any ski racks, bike racks, luggage racks, and any other item strapped to your vehicle, or item used to strap thing to your vehicle. It will improve the aerodynamics of the car and cause less wind resistance.
     
11. Do not leave things stored in your trunk. The excess weight means your engine must work harder. For every extra 100 pounds of weight, your car becomes approximately 1/10 of a second slower (ask any drag racer about this one!)
     
12. Use your overdrive gear! Or if you are driving a stick, use 5th gear whenever possible.

You can visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml to see the amount of fuel saved when following these tips.

In short, smart driving and proper maintenance of your vehicle means more money in your pocket!