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Consumer Action by AnnaMaria Andriotis (Author Archive)
Top 5 Cheap Ways to Make a Car More Fuel-Efficient
This story was originally published on AOL on July 14, 2008.
WITH THE COST of gas surpassing $4 a gallon, the prospect of embarking on an affordable family road trip has gotten a lot more daunting.
To help you avoid spending the majority of your vacation fund on fuel this summer, make sure your car is operating at peak fuel efficiency.
"There is no magic bullet for increasing your fuel economy," says Tony Molla, spokesperson for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). "It's the combination of things that you do that will get you the best value of the gasoline you're buying."
The good news is that most of the things you can do are easy and affordable. Here are five inexpensive ways to make your car more fuel-efficient.
1) Ease off the gas pedal
Even if you use all the gas-saving tips in the book, you'll still waste gas if you don't lighten up your lead foot.Driving aggressively — think speeding, rapid acceleration and braking — can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33%, wasting anywhere from 20 cents to $1.35 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
Keep in mind that cars are most fuel efficient when you're driving at around 55 miles per hour, says Jeff Bartlett, deputy editor online for ConsumerReports.org. According to a recent ConsumerReports.org study, when a Toyota Camry's speed increased to 65 miles per hour (mph) from 55, its fuel economy dropped by 5 miles per gallon (mpg). Another thing to consider: Chances are your pedal to the metal driving will leave you with costly speeding tickets. (Read our story for advice on how to talk your way out of a ticket).
One easy tip: Next time you hit the highway for a long drive, shift into cruise control, which "can be an effortless way to get more fuel economy," says Bartlett.
Read our story for more ways to reap gas savings.
2) Change Your Air Filter
A car's air filter prevents dirt and other matter from entering the engine's cylinders, where they can cause mechanical wear and hurt your car's performance.Replacing a clogged air filter (on your own) costs around $20 and can improve your car's gas mileage by up to 10%, according to the DOE, leaving you with savings of up to 41 cents per gallon.
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Order ReprintsI have found, that if you do every thing right, e.g. drive near the speed limit, drive consevatively, inflate tires properly, clean air filter, change oil, etc, and cannot come near then Govt. milage rating for that vehicle, then something else is wrong. Is the alignment OK? Are the tires wearing unevenly, or does the vehicle drift sharply to either side when you take your hands off the steering wheel? Is the 'check engine' light on? A bad spark plug, or a bad ignition wire, or a leaking vacuum line could be the problem. Did the vehicle fail an admissions test? Take it to a mechanic. Does the engine heat up properly? Do you have adequate heat in cold weather? It may need a thermostat. Milage improves dramatically when the engine is running at proper temperature.
$20.00 may be high for a normal air filter, but not for a good one.
Modern car engines still share many things. In this case, a fuel injected engine must breathe, just as a carburated engine must breathe! Think of the engine as a pump. The engine must pump from atmospheric pressure (if the air filter is clean, it still restricts the airflow, but not as much as a dirty one)to, for example 160PSI. The lower the inlet PSI, the more work (read more gasoline used)the engine has to put forth to achieve 160PSI (though it may not be able to achieve it.)
What if you were jogging and we restricted your breathing? Let's say that atmospheric pressure at sea level is 15.65 PSI (which I think it is)and you have a dirty air filter that allows only 12 PSI into the cylinder before the compression stroke. That's a reduction of 23%..........how well do you think you would jog?
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