Tips for Improving Fuel Economy

With fuel prices nearing record levels, everyone is concerned with the price of gas. Sure, the fact you're emptying your bank account at the gas station could be because of the fuel pump in your fuel pump assembly, but it's not likely.  There are a few things you can do about increasing fuel efficiency to lessen the sting. Here are a few tips so save you some money at the pump.

 1.  Drive Efficiently – Slow down. Going fast on the freeway is tempting, even if it only saves us a few minutes, but it takes a lot more gas to drive 70mph than it does to drive 60mph – up to 2-4 miles per gallon! Also, try not to stomp on the gas or breaks. Ease on both the gas and the breaks to accelerate and decelerate and you will do wonders for your fuel economy. 

2.  Maintain your Vehicle – Always keep your tires properly pressurized. Inflating low tires can increase your fuel economy by 3.3%!  Keep your air filter clean, and if it’s filled with dirt and debris replace it. Check your owner’s manual and make sure to get tune-ups at the properly scheduled times, and always put the recommended octane fuel in your car. You may think you’re doing your car a favor by using premium fuel, but if it isn’t designed to run on high octane fuel you are spending more money for no benefit. 

3. Make Fuel Efficient Trips – If you have several errands to run, try doing all of them at once and in a loop from your house and back to minimize the distance you drive. 

4. Buy Gas When It’s Cool – Gas up in the morning after it’s been cool all night. Fuel is denser when cold – since gas pumps measure by volume you’ll get more gas if you pump when it’s cool outside.

5. Avoid “Gas-Saving” Additives – Many people are out to save gas, so fuel additives that supposedly “save gas” are all over the market. Beware – Consumer Reports has tested many of these products and found them to be completely bogus.

6. Get the Best Price – As long as it’s not out of your way, you can use sites like gasbuddy.com to find the best price of gas. Keep in mind though that even going one mile out of your way to go to a different gas station can nullify a 0.5 cent savings in gas.

7. Lighten Your Load – Don’t keep extraneous things in your trunk or car. Everything you’re hauling around in your car puts extra load on your engine and decreases fuel economy.

8. Drive Less – when it’s practical, walk or ride your bike to nearby destinations. That not only saves gas, but is good for your body and your mind. 

Hopefully with these tips you’ll be going to the gas station less often. It’s not always practical to go out and buy a more fuel efficient car, so this way you can make sure the vehicle you have is getting the best fuel mileage possible.

Clean Fuel Injectors Mean Better Gas Mileage

After time you may notice your car isn’t getting the same gas mileage it once did. A cause of this may be one of your diesel injectors, which can experience wear over time. Diesel or regular fuel injectors will need a bit of work to sustain the power and performance they had from stock. In some cases a simple cleaning of the injectors can restore the vehicle’s performance. In other cases, the diesel injectors may need to be replaced with a new diesel injector kit.  A recent consumer reports study shows that 46% of people think fuel economy is the most important factor when purchasing a car. (Have you seen any Hummers around lately?) The only factor that seems to have more of an impact on new car sales is price.

A main factor that can hurt the performance of a fuel injector is dirt. A fuel injector is basically a valve controlled by the car’s ECU. This valve opens and closes very quickly to allow fuel to be squirted into the intake valves. Ideally, the fuel is delivered as a mist and it is vaporized immediately. If there is any dirt on the nozzle or within the injector itself, the fuel will not be sprayed as consistently and the combustion system will suffer. This process takes place in small fractions of a second and is therefore extremely sensitive.

How do you clean your fuel injectors? Give them a bath! Ultrasonic cleaning is one of the more intensive (but effective) solutions.  This process involves actually removing the injectors and giving them a “bath” in a special cleaning solution. Simpler cleaning tips include doing a few full throttle accelerations on the highway. After having the injectors cleaned, most car drivers notice an immediate improvement in performance.

If there has been too much dirt buildup or there are other problems facing the fuel system, the fuel injectors may ultimately need to be replaced. If it comes to this, you should probably consider changing out all of the fuel injectors at the same time. So save yourself some money at the pump this holiday season and make sure your getting the gas mileage you’re suppose to!

Saving Some Change at the Pump

Gas prices are on the rise again and that means it is time for all of us to start thinking of ways to save a few cents per mile. Of course there is always checking the fuel pump and fuel level sender on the fuel pump assembly but there are lots of other tricks to help get some extra mileage out of our cars. The efficiency of a vehicle is based on the way it is drive and the weight it has to haul around.

First take a look at what is in the car besides you because anything that adds weight is something that losses mileage due to added weight. With a trunk full of stuff or a back seat full of clutter can add a good 100 lbs to the car and that will cost you over time. Under inflated tires can cost money over time, the change in resistance from the tire against the road surface changes the efficiency. Every vehicle on the road has been designed to be as efficient as possible with the fuel it was designed for. While many people believe they will get better mileage by using premium gas, it is simply not true. If your car was designed to use 89 octane and it will run worse with 91 or 93, and vise versa. Use the correct fuel in your vehicle to reach maximum efficiency.

There is a common saying in the gear head world and it works well for fuel savings as well. Don’t upgrade the car, upgrade the nut behind the wheel. Basically it means if you would like to save gas change the way the car is driven. While it may be fun to stop the gas and take off like a rocket at every light, it is sure as hell not the most efficient. Conversely extremely slow acceleration will waste gas as well due to the time that the engine is in an advanced rev range. The best thing to do is find a gradual acceleration point which uses the lease gas and still gets the car safely to travel speed. Never sacrifice safety in the quest for gas savings but a few extra thoughts about it are enough to save hundreds over the course of the year.