I Want The Best Fuel Economy

Fuel efficiency can be improved through simple steps.

With gas at an all time high, it is important to consider ways to increase fuel efficiency.

Rather than complain about the high price of gas, take the steps necessary to reduce your cost of driving.

How much is gas costing you?

Once you have decided to improve your gas economy determine how many miles per gallon (mpg) each car you own is currently getting. The lower the mpg the more important it is to improve gas efficiency.

Mpg can easily be calculated simply by dividing the miles driven between fill-ups by the gallons of gas purchased. Topping off each fill-up and averaging over several fill-ups gives a more accurate calculation.

There are two basic ways to improve gas mileage;
1) Make sure the vehicle is performing properly, and
2) Change your driving habits.

Before going further it would be wise to determine how well your car is performing.

The mechanical condition of your vehicle is very important to performance and therefore to fuel economy. A properly working car will always produce the best fuel economy.

Seriously consider the benefits that may be gained by correcting problems you have been putting off.

Dirty fuel injectors, dragging brakes, inefficient or excessive use of the air conditioner, overheating, dirty air and fuel filters, etc. can cause minor or major loss of fuel efficiency.

Poor driving habits can contribute significantly to fuel economy.

Some very simple examples of ways to save gas are:

1) Remove all excess weight from the vehicle. There is no need to carry items that you may use occasionally.
2) Reduce the number of trips by combining purposes.
3) Schedule trips to avoid traffic delays.
4) Schedule trips when it's cool to avoid turning on the air conditioner.
5) Turn off the engine when there will be a delay of more than 30 seconds.
6) Avoid jack rabbit starts and speeding.
7) Be more observant of driving patterns.

Most gas today is basically the same except for additives. Some of the additives in one brand may be better or worse for a particular car.

Consider changing brands of gas. Always check mpg when you switch to a different brand.

Because gas prices can vary from one station to another, it is wise to shop for low prices.

Before driving out of your way to save a few cents per gallon, do a quick calculation on the cost of driving several miles to save a few cents per gallon. It may actually be cheaper to pay the extra cost than to burn the fuel to drive the extra miles.

If you know of a station with less expensive gas that is only a few blocks out of your way, go for it. If it is several miles away, it may cost more to drive to it than what you save.

There are many ways to improve fuel economy. Simply being more aware of how our driving habits affect our mpg will reduce some of the waste we are generating. This will result in gas savings.

After implementing the above recommendations, I went one step further.

I now add a fuel reformulator to my gas resulting in a significant improvement in my fuel economy.

New products that not only improve fuel efficiency, but also reduce engine wear and burn more cleanly, are available.

Fuel additives have always been available. But,
what once was a step few took, is now a sound practice both economically and environmentally.

To read additional articles, news and information related to finding more methods, tips and ideas for achieving your car's best fuel efficiency, visit better mpg.