Sensible Driving

Fuel Economy Benefit:

5-33%

Equivalent Gasoline Savings:

$0.19-$1.23/gallon OR Php2.36-15.29/Liter

 

 

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.

 

Observing the Speed Limit

Fuel Economy Benefit:

7-23%

Equivalent Gasoline Savings:

$0.26-$0.86/gallon OR Php3.23-Php10.69/Liter

 

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.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.26 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Removing Excess Weight

Fuel Economy Benefit:

1-2%/100 lbs

Equivalent Gasoline Savings:

$0.04-$0.07/gallon

 

 

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.

 

Get Your Engine Tuned
An improperly tuned engine hurts gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent, according to U.S. government studies. Most important to mileage is a properly working oxygen sensor, which can increase or decrease your efficiency by as much as 40 percent. If you’re procrastinating about having your oxygen sensor fixed, just imagine the money you’ll save on gas with a boost in fuel economy.

 

Keep Tires Properly Inflated
Underinflated tires damage your mileage by increasing resistance and making it more difficult for the engine to move the car along the road. Simply check them every time you fill the tank with an electronic gauge available at any auto parts store. Check the pressure when the tires are cold. Tires heat up as they drive. They take about a half hour to cool down. Or you can just check the tires first thing in the morning.

Check your owner’s manual or tire manufacturer’s Web site for optimal "pounds per square inch" or PSI ratings. Often, tire pressure ratings are posted on a sicker in the door jam of the driver door. The U.S. Department of Energy says for every 1 PSI you are under the optimal rate, you lose 0.4 percent of your miles per gallon. It estimates the average person can improve mileage by 3.3 percent by inflating their tires regularly.

It’s not uncommon to be 10 psi below spec, which would waste 3-4 percent more fuel and increase tire wear by 45 percent.

Underinflated tires might cause an accident that could kill you.

Underinflated tires increase tire wear, which could burn through a set of $400 tires a year early.

Make it a habit to check and refill your tires once a month.

 

Check Your Air Filter and Replace Every 12,000 Miles
Most drivers think that cars run on just gasoline. Actually, cars run on gas and oxygen, hence the performance increase when a turbocharger blows more air in the intake manifold. If this flow is restricted by a clogged air filter, your performance and your fuel economy suffer. The Energy Department estimates you could save as much as 22 cents (P10.34)  per gallon (3.78 liters) by replacing a bad air filter.

 

Use the Right Motor Oil
Many people think it’s OK to simply dump any motor oil they find into their engine. While the motor will continue to work with a different grade of oil, it won’t work quite as efficiently. You can save a couple cents per gallon by using the exact oil recommended for your car in your owner’s manual.