Home » gas-mileage » Improve My Gas Mileage? Read On

Improve My Gas Mileage? Read On

If you use any sort of gas-powered vehicle these days, one thing is probably becoming clear to you: I’ve got to improve my gas mileage!  Well, don’t fret.  There are many ways of tackling this issue.  And yes, it is worth the time, effort, hassle and worry.  Your reward for a little research is hopefully never feeling choked at the gas pump again.

Veggie Oil Power!

Some cars are blessed with dual tanks, like many in the Ford pickup series.  These carry both diesel and gas options for tanks.  But to really improve gas mileage, you need a conversion kit.  With one of these fitted into your car, you can never get gas again!  It’s OK though, if you don’t happen to be around a neighborhood McDonalds, many will run regular fuel if necessary.  One of these conversions will probably set you back a couple thousand dollars, but the price is going down all the time.  Many find it a great investment.

Careful Driving

How fast do you really need to go on the freeway?  OK, the sign may be posted at 65 or 70 mph, but if you hit the gas, you can almost watch your gauge sink.  I say to improve my gas mileage, check out  “nothin’ over 55”.  That’s right, 55 miles per hour on the freeway.  People can get angry, people can honk, but if you do this, you will save fuel.  Of course, you may get rear ended!  So maybe you better stick to coasting on surface streets.

Watch The Big Loads

If you’ve ever hauled a load, you know and I know it doesn’t improve my gas mileage at all, quite the opposite.  Whenever possible, remove items from your car that don’t need to be there.  Why are you hauling around that ceramic vase, or that dry cleaning from last week?  Those are both fuel vampires that are sucking up your gas mileage.

Moderate Your Gas

While slowing down is good for safety and for improving my gas mileage, I also stand by using coasting techniques on surface streets, whenever possible.  This means that when I use the gas pedal, I don’t waste it by braking right away—unless I absolutely have to.  A great way to shave off gas waste is to anticipate stopping for a red light in advance.  You don’t need to hit the breaks, just take your foot off the gas and ease into the slowdown.  With  any luck, you won’t have to stop at all, just coasting to 5 mph or so before the light turns green again.  Perfect.