4 Tips for Improving Gas Mileage
Buying a car means signing up for all the possible expenses and issues that come with it. Common car problems aside, there are important things to consider when driving that will immediately impact your wallet — and gas mileage is one of them. Did you know that you can drive for more miles and stretch out the same tank of gas by making a few changes to your driving habits? Let’s look at everything you need to know to improve gas mileage.
What Is Good Gas Mileage?
Gas mileage is measured in MPG, otherwise known as miles per gallon. This means how many miles your vehicle can drive for each gallon of gas-filled. A good MPG varies from car to car. For example, an MPG of 15 may be acceptable for one model of car although it’s not great, but it also means that there isn’t much you can do to increase this number based on the model of the car. Overall, the best gas mileage cars around now are hybrid vehicles. You can achieve 25 to 45 MPG on a more efficient vehicle.
How To Improve Car Gas Mileage?
What improves gas mileage besides the model of the vehicle? The answer is being aware of small ways you are negatively impacting your mileage and breaking those habits. Do these to improve gas mileage on your car:
Drive slow, accelerate less — did you know that after about a speed of 50 miles per hour, your gas mileage begins to decrease? This isn’t something any speedy driver likes to hear, but getting into the habit of cruising with a fixed speed and accelerating less will do your car more good than harm.
Stop hard brakes — Fast drivers may also be the ones to pull a hard brake when reaching a red light. This is doing more harm to your gas mileage than one would think. Try to limit this only to emergency situations.
Leave the baggage behind — sometimes it’s inevitable to travel with a large company but you can, however, take another look at items you keep in the car all the time. Remove any significantly heavy objects from your trunk when you don’t need them. This will put less pressure on your car while driving and help you increase your MPG.
Be conscious of your A/C — car air conditioning takes a lot of energy to run which can make your fuel levels drop quicker than regularly. If opening a window will suffice and the A/C isn’t crucial, then keep it turned off the duration of your drive.
Can An Oil Change Improve Gas Mileage?
As surprising as it may sound, yes! As new oil circulates through the engine, it lubricates the metal components, improving performance and allowing it to operate more effectively with less effort, consuming less gas. Make sure you aren’t putting off getting an oil change later than the recommended time frame.
Does A New Battery Improve Gas Mileage?
Another question that is frequently asked is how does the health of a car battery impact your gas mileage or if it does at all. In fact, a car battery that is in tip-top shape will work in your favor more than a failing car battery. This is because a battery that is failing or isn’t fully charged will use more fuel to run adequately and you’ll see a drop in fuel levels. Make sure you are always aware of your battery’s health within the framework of your car’s routine general maintenance — especially in the winter.
No need to wonder what improves gas mileage any longer. We hope you found these tips helpful.
Kambio’s mobile auto repair service has you covered with anything from oil changes to tire change and general maintenance. Get in touch with us today to schedule a service.
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