With the gasoline prices rising almost daily, I thought a few tips on saving gas might be useful. I have also included a link to a site that locates the lowest gas prices in the USA & Canada.
From an article found in the AARP Bulletin
Q. Thanks for the information about wasting gas while idling the car. What else really saves fuel, and what are just hyped myths?
A. The best way to cut fuel costs, of course, is to drive a car that gets good mileage. That said, the easiest way to cut gas costs for any car is to maintain a highway speed of 55 mph. For each 10 mph over that, aerodynamic drag reduces fuel efficiency by around 5 miles per gallon (mpg), according to tests by Consumer Reports on a Toyota Camry.
Other fuel-saving tips:
- Pay attention to maintenance. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor, for example, can improve your mileage as much as 40 percent. An improperly tuned car reduces mileage by about 4 percent, according to government tests.
- Accelerating and braking too fast reduce fuel efficiency by about 3 mpg, according to the Consumer Reports tests.
- Having tires that are under-inflated by about 10 pounds per square inch decreases fuel efficiency by about 1.5 mpg, according to Consumer Reports.
- Using the wrong weight of motor oil can reduce efficiency by about 2 percent, so check your owner's manual. In addition to the correct weight, use types labeled "energy conserving" that contain friction-reducing additives.
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