Gas Guzzlers
Oil prices hit another all-time high again today meaning gas prices are also soon to rise again.
If you’re still driving, here are some top gas mileage tips from our favorite car mechanic and expert, Lauren Fix, The Car Coach:
- Change your engine air filter - this is the lungs of your car, dirty air filters are easy to replace = SAVINGS 10%
- Gas cap : broken missing or loose gas is just a waste. Last year 147 million gallons of gas evaporated. Tighten your gas cap - CLICK, CLICK
Other gas-guzzlers include
- Dirty oil = 1 mile per gallon
- Slipping automatic transmission = 1 mile per gallon
- Cooling system thermostat that causes the engine to run too cold = 2 miles per gallon.
Driving Habits to that Improve Fuel Efficiency:
- Avoid quick or “jackrabbit” starts and stops.
- Aggressive driving wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.
- Observe the speed limit.
- Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 miles per hour.
- Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon.
- Don’t sit in the drive thru, go inside.
Thanks to Lauren Fix for these great tips! Read more of Lauren’s top advice here.
April 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Another way to improve fuel efficiency: don’t buy a huge, gas guzzling SUV/truck/car (unless you really NEED one), and then complain about how much it costs to fill it up!