by Administrator
11. July 2009 06:17
Servicing your car regularly and driving sensibly is not only safer for you and people around you, it'll also save you some gas money. Speeding, rapid acceleration, and braking can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Here are some tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Association's Office of Mobile Resources on how to conserve fuel:
1. Go easy on the brakes and gas pedal: Avoid sudden starts and stops by accelerating gradually whenever possible.
2. Avoid long idles: If you anticipate a lengthy wait, turn off the engine. Rather than idle at a drive-up window, consider park the car and go in, because idling burns more gas than restarting the engine.
3. Avoid carrying unneeded items in the trunk: Extra weight decreases gas mileage. You can also reduce drag by remove items from your car rack and placing them inside the car or trunk, instead4. Avoid high speeds: Impvoe your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at 55 mph, rather than 65 mph.
5. Use your air conditioning only when necessary: Roll down the windows or open the air vents on cooler days.
6. Use overdrive: If your car has overdrive gearing (on 5-speed manual transmissions and 4-speed automatic transmissions), make use of the overdrive gear as soon as your speed is high enough. If you have a manual transmission, lower your shift speed for better the fuel economy. (Check your owner's manual for additional information.)
7. Keep tires properly inflated and aligned: Periodic wheel alignments and keeping tires inflated to the maximum recommended pressure can boost your mileage.
8. Get regular engine tuneups and car maintenance checks: Tuneups improve performance and gas mileage. Follow your car manufacturer's directions to avoid fuel-economy problems such as worn spark plugs, dragging brakes, low transmission fluid, or the transmission not going into high gear.
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