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Improving MPG - Driving Style

by Andy Published on Sunday, January 24th, 2016

Improving Miles Per Gallon (MPG) Via Driving Style

1. Don’t drive too fast or accelerate too hard. Wind resistance increases drastically with increasing speed. Studies show that every time you increase your speed by 10 miles per hour, you lose as much as 15 percent in fuel economy. So slow down and be a fuel-efficient, safe, and relaxed driver.

2. Try moving into high gears and slow speed as much as possible. When the engine turns slowly there are fewer explosions in the cylinder that use fuel. This means more economy for you.

3. Try not to accelerate when moving up a slope, such as a hill. If you increase your speed when going up a hill, you can quickly go from getting 25 to 30 miles per gallon of fuel to only getting two or three miles per gallon. It’s best to either maintain the same speed or go a little slower. You can save fabulously on fuel.

4. Anticipate stops and brake less. Every time you brake, you are wasting the car’s energy by cutting down the forward moving force and transforming it into retarding force acting through the brake pads. Accelerate slowly and stop naturally at the anticipated points by taking advantage of the running friction. Avoid braking at the last moment and then pumping fuel once again to accelerate.

5. Don’t waste fuel by keeping your vehicle idling for long. Cars seldom require prolonged warming – in fact it can do more harm than good. Prolonged warming can prevent a natural acid build-up from dispersing from the piston rings, which in turn results in increased engine wear. Driving gently is the best warm up there is. When it’s 25°C degrees out, warming up for 30 seconds is quite fine. If it’s 10°C degrees out, a minute warm-up is OK.

6. Drive light. Removing excess weight from your vehicle improves your gas mileage. Any unnecessary items you can remove from your vehicle, especially those that are heavy, will help you to save on gas mileage. For example, consider a roof rack. You waste about 5 percent in MPG efficiency when you have one of these on your vehicle.

7. Don’t misuse or overuse the A/C. When it’s pleasant outside, feel the nature instead of shutting yourself in and burning extra fuel by keeping the air-conditioning equipment on.

While some of these might seem like simple solutions, they are too often forgotten as we rush through life. By following these tips, you can save money and make fewer stops at the fuel pump.