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FUEL ECONOMY
FUEL ECONOMY MONEY SAVING TIPS
Configuring Your Vehicle For Fuel Economy
Maintaining Your Vehicle For Fuel Economy
There is not much anyone can do to control the price of fuel. However, in addition to purchasing a more fuel efficient vehicle, there are ways to reduce your fuel costs. Start by buying fuel at the lowest possible cost. Consider the following:
1. Today, gasoline and other fuels are essentially the same, regardless of brand.
Often, many different brands in the same geographical area come from the same refineries
in a given local area. So, look for local stations that offer the lowest prices
on a consistent basis and shop there. And look for companies that offer discount
gas card offers and other rebate programs that may offer a discount of up to 5-
2. Try filling up on weekdays, especially Tuesday or Wednesday. Prices generally rise around the weekends.
3. Try filling up when the temperatures are cooler, such as later in the evening or early in the morning. At these times gasoline is generally colder and denser, and gas pumps deliver more gas per measured gallon when the gasoline is denser. The difference is small but it does provide some benefit.
4. Buy gas from busy gas stations. Not only does this usually indicate that the price is competitive for the local area, but the gasoline in their storage tanks will have been delivered recently and will be fresher. Fresh gasoline will generally have more power (and also be cleaner) than gas that has been sitting for a long time in an underground tank.
5. Make sure you use the grade of gasoline recommended by your owner’s manual. Higher octane gas is more expensive, and does not provide enough increase in gas mileage to offset the increased cost. You can also experiment with a lower grade of gasoline than recommended by your owner’s manual. If your engine does not make a knocking, pinging or rattling noise the lower grade may work well with your engine.
6. If you top off your tank regularly with just a few dollars of gasoline, don’t.
Gas pumps tend to be somewhat inaccurate when they initially start pumping and may
result in you being shortchanged somewhat with very small fill-
7. Do not overfill your tank when pumping gas, especially if it is warm outside. Gas expands with heat and may overflow when it is pumped into a warm gas tank from a cool underground tank.
8. After filling your tank, make sure you put your gas cap on tightly. This minimizes the amount of fuel that evaporates into the air.
How you actually drive your vehicle can have a major effect on the gas mileage you receive. While changing driving habits may seem to be an unnecessary burden, it can actually be achieved without much sacrifice and can result in substantial savings.
1. The most efficient way to drive your vehicle is to drive it less. Try the following:
a. If possible, car pool. Not only to work, but also for errands around town. See if one or more neighbors would like to go on shopping or other errands together. You will not only save on fuel, but on car maintenance as well. If you are having trouble finding carpool “mates” check CarPoolWorld.com and eRideShare.com to connect with passengers or drivers.
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