How to Improve Gas Mileage on Your Car

We’re living in an era of rising fuel prices and growing environmental concerns, which means we, as car owners, need to take certain steps. Taking matters into our own hands means not only will we be saving money for that much-needed set of wheels, but we’ll also be doing our part in saving the planet. Achieving both is possible only if you improve your car’s gas mileage.

Whether you’re an enthusiast or just use your car as a transportation device, getting the most out of your tank is a great start. Seeing a low MPG number is demotivating, which is where today’s guide comes into play.

I’ll discuss several tips for improving your car’s gas mileage, which can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint.

Change Your Driving Style

Civic owners will probably be disappointed to learn that redlining doesn’t improve fuel efficiency. The higher you are in the rev range, the more fuel your car consumes. Rapid acceleration or driving in a lower gear hurts your wallet one acceleration at a time.

Another aspect to consider is braking. While it doesn’t directly affect fuel consumption, it can indirectly decrease the MPG number. Braking hard may slow down your car too much, meaning you’ll need to accelerate again.

Smooth and steady wins the race, and the same goes for improving gas mileage. Be gentle with the accelerator and brake pedals, and aim for a higher gear to keep the revs down. Engine braking is a great technique to improve efficiency even more. This is especially true when going downhill or as you’re coming to a stop. For highway driving, it’s best to rely on the cruise control and let the car maintain a constant speed.

Idling for a long time also means your car will burn an unnecessary amount of fuel. On average, a medium-sized car can use up to 0.5 gallons of fuel per hour. Turning it off at a stop light probably won’t do much, but if you’re parked and the weather isn’t freezing cold or boiling hot, you might as well turn it off.

Maintain Your Car Properly

Keeping your car in good shape is good for its longevity and can also help with fuel consumption. There are several aspects to consider, so let’s take a look at each one.

How does Tire Pressure Affect Gas mileage?

The biggest culprit here is the tires, which many owners overlook. Car manufacturers consider countless aspects when it comes to tire pressure, which you should take seriously.

Driving at the optimal pressure not only ensures optimal car performance but also gets the most out of your tires. Underinflating is a common problem because people don’t check the tires regularly, and the low pressure increases rolling resistance. This results in reduced MPG, the very thing we’re trying to avoid. 

On the other hand, there’s overinflating, and there’s a myth stating that increasing the PSI over the recommended pressure can help improve fuel consumption. The story behind this is that as you’re increasing the pressure, you’re reducing the contact patch, thus reducing the rolling resistance. While there may be some truth behind it, the reality is that you’ll end up having to deal with uneven tire wear. Technically, you may save a bit on fuel, but you’ll also reduce the lifespan of your tires.

How does Basic Maintenance Affect Gas mileage?

A well-maintained car will last a long time and also help with fuel efficiency. Aspects like using the correct engine oil are a good start, as the manufacturer optimized it to work with an oil that has a certain thickness. A common problem with older cars is that mechanics recommend using thicker oil, which doesn’t help with fuel consumption. In reality, it doesn’t help with the engine as well, so it’s pointless.

During your regular maintenance, apart from chaining the oil and oil filter, you should also replace the air filter. It’s an essential step, as the filter picks up dirt and prevents it from getting inside the engine. After a while, the dirt clogs up the filter, and the engine isn’t getting enough air. The result is, you guessed it, poor fuel economy.

You should also consider other aspects, such as a faulty oxygen or MAF sensor. Even though your car will probably give you warnings, failing sensors can result in a bar air-to-fuel ratio, meaning your engine will “suck up” more fuel. Apart from the poor fuel economy, you’ll also experience additional problems.

Running a petrol-powered car means you’ll also need to consider the spark plugs and coil packs. The pair is responsible for turning electricity into a boom, and the spark from the plugs ignites the fuel while the coil packs deliver the electricity. If any of these two aren’t performing optimally, you may experience misfires, resulting in unburnt fuel going out of the exhaust.

How does Weight Affect Gas mileage?

For this one, you might consider putting your car on a diet. No, I’m not talking about gutting the interior, even though it would help, but the goal isn’t to make a fuel-efficient racing car. I’m talking about removing any unnecessary weight, something I’m guilty of as well.

Many of us carry loads of unnecessary weight in the trunk, which may seem negligible, but it can affect the fuel economy. The weight affects the fuel economy because your car needs more fuel to move. For example, driving alone in your car will use less fuel when compared to having three other people with you. Since the goal for today is to improve the MPG numbers as much as possible, we’re trying every little thing. This also includes emptying the trunk of all the junk and tools you may have in there.

How does Aerodynamics Affect Gas mileage?

You may think about making it sleek with some crazy modifications, but that’s not what I have in mind. Many people use roof cases to increase cargo capacity. As someone with 13 cubic inches of space in the trunk, having a roof case saved me millions of times, at least in terms of storage.

The negative side of this accessory is its fuel economy. Regardless of how well-designed the cases are, they increase the drag, meaning that your car will use more fuel. The differences at lower speeds aren’t as pronounced, but once you start to approach highway speeds, you’ll notice a bigger difference. 

Having the case mounted at all times is practical, but it worsens fuel economy. On the one hand, it increases drag, and on the other, it adds weight, which you’ll want to keep as low as possible to increase fuel efficiency. For this, you’ll need to balance practicality or MPG numbers and decide which is more important.

Conclusion

The main thing to keep in mind when it comes to improving gas mileage is to make smart choices. It’s all about making the right choices when driving and maintaining your car. These approaches will help you improve efficiency and save a few dollars in the process.

Featured image by Engin Akyurt