Gas costs add up to quite a large sum over the lifetime of your vehicle. There are several ways you can greatly increase the fuel efficiency of your vehicle without spending any additional money by following these few simple tips.
1. Slow down. Accelerating at high speeds out of stops uses a ton of gas. Nearly 50% of the energy needed to power your car is used in moving your car from a stopped position. Additionally, driving at moderate speeds, at or around the speed limit, will have a huge impact on the miles you get per gallon. Gas milage decreases quite quickly once you go over 50 mph. For each 5 mph you go over 50, you lose 5 miles per gallon. Also, braking takes its toll on fuel efficientcy as well. Try to deaccelarate in advanve if you know there is a red light or stop sign up ahead instead of speeding towards it and braking hard right at the stop.
2. Don’t Idle. Idling the engine for a half hour uses up to a half gallon of gas! Restarting your car only uses about 10 seconds worth of gasoline. It is also much less stressful on the enviroment.
3. Take the cargo box down. If you aren’t using the cargo box on the roof of your car, take it off. Having a blunt box on your roof is one of the worst offenders at reducing fuel efficiency; it reduces efficiency by 25% at speeds over 65 mph and by 8% in the city.
4. Use the right gear. Gradually increase speed from stops and get into a higher gear as soon as possible. Accelerating at a high rate from 1st or 2nd might be much faster but is bad for your fuel economy!
If you have any questions concerning your vehicle, please feel free to reach out to us at (989) 781-4307!