Tips To Improve Your Gas Mileage

How To Calculate MPG

 

Tips To Improve Your Gas Mileage: (Back to Top)

1. Drive more efficiently

Drive Sensibly

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

Observe the Speed Limit

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

2. Keep your car in shape

Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned

Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 4%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.12/gallon

Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly

Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.29/gallon

Keep Tires Properly Inflated

You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.09/gallon

Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03-$0.06/gallon

Data Sources

Estimates for fuel savings from vehicle maintenance, keeping tires properly inflated, and using the recommended grade of motor oil are based on studies and literature reviews performed by Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., Washington, DC.

3. Plan & combining trips

Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Trip planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and efficient.

With a little planning, you can avoid retracing your route and reduce the distance you travel as well. You'll not only save fuel, but also reduce wear and tear on your car.

Commuting

If you can stagger your work hours to avoid peak rush hours, you'll spend less time sitting in traffic and consume less fuel.

If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets the best gas mileage whenever possible.

Consider telecommuting (working from home) if your employer permits it.

Ride Share SignIf possible, take advantage of carpools and ride-share programs. You can cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car if you take turns driving with other commuters. Many urban areas allow vehicles with multiple passengers to use special High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

Consider using public transit if it is available and convenient for you. The American Public Transit Transportation Association has links to information about public transportation in your state.

Traveling

A roof rack or carrier provides additional cargo space and may allow you to meet your needs with a smaller car. However, a loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by 5 percent. Reduce aerodynamic drag and improve your fuel economy by placing items inside the trunk whenever possible.

Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 lbs in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by 1-2 percent.

4. Choose a more efficient vehicle

Thinking about buying a new vehicle? www.fueleconomy.gov has gas mileage estimates and more information for 1985-2006 model year cars. Selecting which vehicle to purchase is the most important fuel economy decision you'll make. The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $550 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $2.20). That's $2,200 extra in fuel costs in just four years!

Use www.fueleconomy.gov's Find and Compare Cars section to find the most fuel efficient vehicle that will meet your needs. Even within a size class, there is a tremendous range of MPGs to choose from. For example, similar 2006 model year compact cars range from 20 to 40 MPG. Choosing the 40 MPG car could save you hundreds of dollars in fuel costs each year.

****This information can be found at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/****

 

 

 

 

 

 

MPG can be calculated in four easy steps (Back to Top)

Step 1. Filling the vehicle's gas tank completely and writing down the vehicle's odometer reading (mileage).

Example: The last time the tank was filled, the odometer reading was 32,645.1 miles.

Step 2. When it's time to refuel, filling the tank completely and writing down the number of gallons it took to fill the tank and the vehicle's new odometer reading. Once two odometer readings are taken, MPG can be calculated.

Example: The next time the tank was filled, the odometer reading was 33,001.3. It took 13.5 gallons to fill the tank.

Step 3. Calculating the distance driven by subtracting the previous odometer reading from the new one.

Example: The distance driven would be 33,001.3 minus 32,645.1, or 356.2 miles.

Step 4. Dividing the number of miles driven by the number of gallons it took to fill the tank. The result is the vehicle's MPG for that driving period.

Example: 356.2 miles divided by 13.5 gallons equals 26.4 miles per gallon.

The MPG for that driving period would be 26.4.
Alternate Method:

If you use your vehicle's trip odometer, MPG can be calculated by:

Step 1. Filling the vehicle's gas tank completely and re-setting the trip odometer.

Note: Sometimes it's easy to get the main odometer and trip odometer readings confused, especially if the vehicle is new.

Step 2. When it's time to re-fuel

* Filling the tank completely
* Writing down the number of gallons it took to fill the tank
* Writing down the mileage on the trip odometer
* Re-setting the trip odometer

Example: It took 9.5 gallons to completely fill the tank, and the trip odometer reads 335 miles.

Step 3. Dividing the number of miles driven by the number of gallons it took to fill the tank. The result is the vehicle's MPG for that driving period.

Example: 335 miles divided by 9.5 gallons equals 35.5 miles per gallon.