A car can help you efficiently get from point A to point B and give you exciting and happy moments with your family on a road trip. But with skyrocketing gas prices today, using your car has become a luxury that’s getting harder to afford.
As much as you’d like to curtail your fuel expenses, you need to go out, work, spend leisurely time with friends and family, and run errands, so using a car is unpreventable. Instead of trying to evade going out and commuting, here are some fuel-saving hacks you can do:
- Service Your Car On Time
A properly maintained car can save you on fuel. If a vehicle is poorly maintained, corrosion and sludge will build up, making the engine work harder and guzzle up fuel. Vehicle maintenance should include changing engine oil regularly, flushing and refilling coolant accordingly, and checking automatic transmission fluid, battery, and power steering fluid every three months.
If you have a vehicle running on diesel engine, a faulty EGT or exhaust gas temperature sensor will not warn you that the engine is under heavy stress. Unlike other engine parts, the EGT has a short lifespan, so checking and replacing it is imperative.
The vehicle maintenance checklist is extensive, so it’d be best to have a trusted maintenance provider dedicated to your vehicle, so you don’t miss out on essential maintenance tasks. There are tasks you need to check daily, every 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Doing this will ensure that your vehicle is running efficiently.
- Don’t Put The Pedal To The Metal
Unless you’re cruising on the interstate, driving at an acceptable speed will save you fuel. Speeding can increase fuel consumption because tire rolling and air resistance require the engine to work harder. A car’s peak fuel efficiency is typically 50-60 miles per hour. Any faster than that increases the aerodynamic drag of your vehicle, while any lower will automatically shift your engine to lower gear which requires more fuel to maintain.
- Use Cruise Control In The Highway
Cruise control is a very valuable feature in most American cars. It works when the driver sets the desired speed so that the vehicle will cruise consistently unless they step on the brake or the accelerator. This is important so that the car maintains an ideal speed and the driver can go easy on the accelerator to minimize needless shifting speed that guzzles fuel.
- Use The AC Wisely
Your vehicle’s air conditioning is a huge fuel user. If the weather is cool enough to do without the AC on, it’d be best not to turn it on to save fuel. When you don’t use your car’s AC, you can save up to 15% of fuel or a liter for every 100 miles of travel.
- Remove Unnecessary Baggage In Your Vehicle
A heavy load on your vehicle can make the engine work doubly hard. If you have any unnecessary baggage in your trunk, it would be best to remove them so that your car can be lighter and move with less effort.
Vehicle maintenance at a Cincinnati Toyota dealership should include changing engine oil regularly, flushing and refilling coolant accordingly, and checking automatic transmission fluid, battery, and power steering fluid every three months.
- Make Your Route Logistically Efficient
When going out to run errands, plan your trip well so that you don’t make trips that can use up much fuel. Use a navigation app to help you calculate distances efficiently and inform you on routes with heavy traffic to avoid them.
- Don’t Drive When It Rains
Even light rain can affect your fuel consumption. That’s because increased tire rolling and wind drag cause the engine to work harder.
- Check Tire Pressure And Wear
You must check tire pressure every time you use your car. An underinflated tire can cause increased tire friction and reduce fuel economy by at least 25 miles per gallon. Your vehicle’s tire typically loses about 1 to 2 PSI per month. If this isn’t checked, you could be running on a softer tire that increases rolling resistance.
Changing your tire is crucial. You need to check the manufacture date of the tire that you can see stamped on the sidewall. The tire should be replaced at least before that date. You can also check the tire tread depth. When it’s at 2.32mm, you need to replace the tire.
- Don’t Keep The Car Idle
Leaving your engine running even for two minutes is equivalent to driving a mile. If you can avoid it, please turn off your engine because it’s harming the environment too. That’s why many places now prohibit drivers from leaving their cars parked with the engine running.
- Use A Gas Saving App
Sure, gas prices are high everywhere. But do you know those specific locations offer significantly lower gas prices than the rest? You can find these locations through a gas-saving app. Download the app, which is updated consistently on gas prices, and refuel at a location where you can save money.
Conclusion
Increasing gas prices is something you can’t control, so instead of stressing yourself out, why not practice these fuel-saving hacks to stretch your budget? Once you consistently do this, it’ll become second nature, and you won’t even realize you’ve saved a lot.