Tips and Tricks to increase Fuel Mileage
Prices at the pump are on the rise. Here are a few things to help save some gas and stretch your mpg.
- Vehicle Maintenance.
- To get the most mileage from your vehicle it is necessary to have it properly maintained. Keeping the oil changed, air filter cleaned or replaced and tuned ignition system on a regular basis.
- Proper alignment is also critical for saving fuel.
- Cruise Control.
- I have learned from miles of experience that when I don’t use the cruise I can increase my mileage by 5 to 10 mpg. Try to keep a consistent gas pedal position and just gradually increase speed if needed for going up hills or passing.
- Tires.
- Tires also have a lot to do with mileage. Purchasing tires that have a non aggressive highway tread will save you money at the pump.
- I will tend to over inflate my tires by 5 to 10 psi also. This will make the vehicle ride rougher and I will usually find a pressure that is in-between over inflated and not too much pressure to sacrifice the suspension and ride quality.
- Air Conditioning.
- Air Conditioning is a power consumer in which will decrease fuel mileage. I only use the A/C when I absolutely need it and most of the time I don’t.
- Did you know that the A/C compressor runs when you use the front defrost. I only use the front defrost selection when I need the window defrosted.
- Drag.
- Decreasing drag is huge. Using a tonneau cover or removing the tailgate on your pickup. I’ve even gone as far as removing the antenna whip and adjusting my wiper arms so there not catching the wind.
- Aerodynamics is key in reducing drag. Another thing to keep in mind is the underside of your vehicle and keep it profiled. A skid plate and or having all the factory installed coverings in place will help save fuel.
- Custom Tune.
- As a car tuner I know the advantages of being able to manipulate and change the parameters inside the ecm to make gains in horsepower and fuel mileage. There are a bunch of options to achieve this with tuners and programmers.
- Driving Habits.
- Don’t follow someone too close especially if they are one of those drivers that are constantly speeding up and slowing down. Try to set your own pace and anticipate what might happen ahead.
In conclusion I believe all what I mentioned above will help all drivers save at the pump and even EV drivers conserve some battery strength while driving. If you have a comment or other tip please post a comment.