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Remember to Turn of the A/C

August 2, 2009 by Simon

It’s still summer and some days can be really hot. Remember that as soon as you turn on the A/C you could be loosing as much as 10MPG, the A/C is a real power hog.

Do this:

1. Turn off the A/C
2. If that’s not possible adjust the temperature setting to just a little bit cooler than outside instead of super cool. This will make the A/C use less power.
3. Open all doors for a couple  of minutes before you go, this will let a lot of extra heat out of the car and reduce the need for A/C
4. Open the windows if you are going at low speed. At high speed it’s more economical to use the A/C as the open windows will ruin the aerodynamics of the car and work as an air-break.
5. Park the car in the shade to keep it cool (you’ll keep the paintwork from fading too)
6. If you go on a longer trip consider driving at night if you can stay awake. You not only get away from the heat you also get away from daytime and rush hour traffic.

Do this and save some gas during hot summer days!

Dedicated to improving your fuel economy,

Simon Byholm
MilesGallon.com

Save Gas on Your Christmas Trip

December 15, 2007 by Simon

Christmas is soon here and many of us will be traveling to spend the holidays with family or friends.

If you are going to take the car you can as well think about how to get the best mileage out of your Chrismas trip… there’s enough bills to pay anyway even if you didn’t have to pay for the gas.

To help you I have put together my top 7 Christmas Mileage Tips for saving gas on you Christmas travels.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #1: No speeding, no stress

Going above 60mph (100km/h) will use considerably more fuel while not getting you anywhere as much faster ahed as you might wish.

Plan your trip to begin early enough so you don’t need to panic in case there is problems on the way. You might have to get around a traffic accident or you may get lost in case they have done reconstruction on some major intersection since you last traveled. (See Christmas Mileage Tip Nr 2)

It’s also a good idea to be carefull on the roads around Christmas as an accident will certainly ruin your celebrations.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #2: Plan Your Route

One of the secrets to saving fuel on long trips is of cource to take the shortest route while still avoiding the smallest roads where you can’t keep your schedule.

First of all plan the shortest route you could take using the major highways. It’s usually easy to find your way from A to B on the highway. Then consider you skills with map or GPS and see if you can find a shorter route by using smaller rural roads for shortcuts.

Do not only measure the length of the route. Also favor road with speed limits of 50 to 60mph with no known road contruction work going on and with less traffic. Also avoid entering a major city on a smaller road, you will easily get lost.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #3: Make a Good Schedule

Don’t just go. Plan when well in advance what day to gom what time to go and when you will be at different waypoints on your route. This way you can avoid rush hour traffic on certain parts of your trip, possibly saving your hours of stress and gallons of fuel.

Avoid getting near any major city during rush hour, if you notice you will you can allways taka break and a meal at that point to adjust your schedule. 

If you’re alone or if your family can stand it you can drive during the night hours to avoid other traffic that could force your to drive less economically.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #4: Update your Maps And GPS

Make sure you have a recent map in case they have changed roads or intersections and get the latest map updates for your GPS unit. Especially if you follow the directions from your GPS it could take you inte trouble and a longer trip in case the roads has changed.

If your GPS jave real time traffic information it can also inform you of road work and accidents so your can take the quickest route around bottlenecks.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #5: Check Tire Pressure and Fluids

Having too low tire pressure will decrease your gas mileage with up to 5mpg depending on your vehicle. Make sure to check and fill your tires before going on a longer Christmas trip and you could save some gas for Santa.

Also check the other fluids, like the oil level, coolant level and cleaning fluid for the windows. You won’t save much gas by doing this but you might save your engine and make sure you have a peacefull Christmas.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #6: No Roof Racks, Ski Boxes or Trailers

Anything you attach to the outside of your car will increase aerodynamic drag and also fuel consumption. If you don’t need them for your trip, make sure to remove any roof rack or ski boxes before you go, it can make a difference of several mpg.

Towing a trailer will also make your car use a lot more fuel per mile so avoid it at all cost, and if you have to choose a ski box is better than a big trailer.

Chrismas Mileage Tip #7: Fill up Where It’s Cheap

If you’re going to drive some considerable distance you can plan in advance where to fill up by using an online service like gasbuddy. They have gas prices for every state in the USA and Canada and if you travel through several states the price difference can be huge between different locations.

Just don’t deviate from your planned route to save a few cents, find a gas station along your route and fill up well before the tank is empty to make sure you’re not forced to take anything they have.

Tools for Planning Your Trip

To get an estimate of how much fuel is going to be needed you can use this trip gas mileage calculator, to find the best gas prices in the US and Canada go to gasbuddy and finally you can use this tool to find the best tire pressure for your vehicle.

If you have additional tips on how to save gas during Christmas please add it in a comment to this blog post so everyone can benefit from your knowledge. 

Hava a Merry Christmas and save a lot of gas on your trip,

Simon Byholm
MilesGallon.com

Save Gas By Preparing Your Takeoff

November 23, 2007 by Simon

I just read this article at Daily Fuel Economy Tip about little things you can do before starting your car to avoid idling. Here’s the list with some additions of my own:

Put on your seat belt

Flip through your CDs and insert your mp3 memory stick 

Adjust side and rear view mirrors

Make sure children are buckled in

Roll down your windows (yes, some people, myself included, still have cars without automatic windows)

Remove ice from the car windows in winter

Wait for your spouse to get into the car

Over at the Daily Fuel Economy Tip they talk about saving 10-30 seconds of idling. I wouldn’t go through a lot of pains for just 30 seconds myself as I have a diesel that uses very little fuel at idle and the previous owner of the car recommended to idle for 30 seconds to let the turbo get lubrication before taking off.

If you have a gas car on the other hand, or if you idle for minutes waiting for a friend or spouse to join you, there is money to be had by not starting before all passengers are on board and ready to go.

I think I should make an idle savings calculator to complement the gas mileage calculator. What do you think? Post a comment with your ideas!

Dedicatied to improving your fuel economy,

Simon Byholm
MilesGallon.com

7 Ways to Stay Safe on Roads Slippery From Snow and Ice

November 17, 2007 by Simon

Winter is here and where I live in Finland we have
just had our first snow with many drivers on slippery
roads on plain summer tires.

Yesterday I was doing a 60 mile trip on smaller
rural roads where the snow had not been melted
away by heavy traffic and salt, summer tires
still on, and I thought to myself:

It’s not really dangerous or difficult to drive on
slippery roads as long as you know what to do and
when, you just have to adopt a different style of
driving and you’ll be as safe as on dry summer roads.

Rule #1: Slow down

Whatever you do you can never reach the same speed
on a slippery road as on a dry one. Always plan
for lower speeds and longer travel times.

Rule #2: Be really soft on the pedals

Normally your car is rolling on four wheels, this
makes it possible to steer it in different directions
with your steering wheel.

On slippery roads if you press the gas pedal hard
to accelerate, or if you try to break aggressively
your wheels will lock.

This turns your car into an object sliding in stead
of rolling on the ice, you will have no control
over it and it will go straight forward, or if
the road is slanted it will slide off the road

Rule #3: Keep your distance and slow down in time

One of the most common accidents at winter is to
drive into the car in front of you when it’s breaking
and you notice too late.

The solution is to always maintain a good distance
to the car in front, 50-300feet depending on your
speed. If the car in front of you slows down, you
should slow down in time so you can keep the distance.

Always slow down when you come to a crossing, even
if you don’t see any other cars near. If there’s a
surprise you will still be able to stop or turn
if you go slow enough.

Rule #4: Break safely

If you lose control when breaking you will have to
quickly and temporarily release the breaks, get
control, steer the car in the right direction
and then continue breaking.

Sometimes the only way to avoid a accident is to not
break at all and instead steer clear of the obstacle.

If your car is equipped with automatic breaking
system (ABS) it’s often better to just break and
let the car maintain control. But if it’s really
slippery even your ABS might lose control and in
that case do as above, stop breaking for a second
or two and then when you’re in control try breaking
again. Read more about your ABS system in your
cars manual.

Rule #5: Accelerate safely

Basically your car can either steer or accelerate. On
dry roads there is enough grip to both steer and
accelerate at the same time, but not on snow and ice.

Never accelerate when the road is turning, you need
your grip to handle the turn. If you have to accelerate
do it slowly and if you lose grip pull back a little
on the accelerator until you regain control of your car.

When accelerating too aggressively a rear wheel drive
car will lose grip at the read with the risk of spinning
around while a fron wheel drive car will lose grip in
front and unable to turn it will go traight where it’s
heading.

In case you’re car is equipped with a traction control
system (TCS) it will help you maintain control during
acceleration. You will find more information in your
cars manual.

Rule #6: Use good winter tires

If you have snow and ice for over a month during
winter, consider getting good snow tires. They
will shorten your breaking distance and help you
keep control of the car on slippery surfaces.

You may also want to check your local laws and
regulations in case snow tires are mandatory, or
if snow tires with spikes are not allowed at all.

You can get good snow tires at a great price
from The Tire Rack, they have a good selection
of tires, wheels, brakes, suspension and other
peformance products

Rule #7: Practice and learn

If you have a safe place to practice ice driving,
do it! Nothing can prepare your for an emergency
like trying to break and avoid an obstacle on
slippery surface.

In another blog post from this fall I teach how
to save gas during winter, read that post for simple
ways to save gas when it’s cold.

To learn your true gas mileage try the free gas
calculator we have at milesgallon.com

How To Prepare Your Car For Winter

November 6, 2007 by Simon

The guys over at AutoAnything was kind enough to send me some tips on how to prepare your car for winter:

Tip 1:
Whether picking up your kids from football practice or heading home from a November hunt, muddy cleats and stained camos can destroy your upholstery. An ideal way to defend your interior is with Scotchgard or another stain-repellent treatment. For a stronger layer of defense, pick up some all-weather floor liners and seat covers.

Tip 2:
Keeping the effects of Old Man Winter at bay can be a tough job. Applying a layer of wax on top of newly cleaned paint will help keep dead leaves, road muck and more from scarring your finish.

This is a tip from us at MilesGallon.com: Remember to put on your snow tires before it gets slippery in case you live in an area with freezing winter weather.

And finally a tip from one of our newsletter subscibers: Check the status of the traffic light far in advance and slow down in case you see you’ll have to stop anyway.

This will help you in two ways:

1. In case you finally have to stop you got off the accelerator earlier thus you used less fuel.

2. Often if you slow down the status of the light will change before you reach it, thus saving your from a full stop. This saves even more fuel as you will not have to accelerate from a standstill.

Dedicated to improving your fuel economy,

Simon Byholm
MilesGallon.com