It’s Vital for people to improve their car’s mileage

In this time of financial crisis, people often feel that their fuel expenses are often so high that they think twice before driving their car. So it becomes vital for people to improve their car’s mileage. This can have two main advantages.

One is that you spend less on fuel and the next is it reduces waste of non renewable energy.

So here are few tips for you to increase the mileage of your car.

1. You have to plan your trips such that you reduce your travel distance and thereby reducing your fuel consumption. For instance, if you are traveling to a New York and you have some other work in the nearby place then visit that place also and complete that work. By doing so you may not have to travel to that place again for the purpose of completing the work alone.
2. Make your car lighter. You can do so by removing the unwanted weights from your car. For instance you can remove any seat if you are not using it. Removing weight can have a good effect on your mileage as it reduces loss of kinetic energy. Your fuel consumption may increase by around 1 to 2% for every extra 100 pounds of weight.
3. Keeping your fuel tank full or close to full is very important. You should atleast maintain the fuel levels at around 1/3rd of the fuel tank capacity. This is because if you maintain low fuel levels then your engine may get inadequate and irregular supply of fuel. This undermines the efficiency of your engine.
4. You should reduce your speed of driving. The more you press your accelerator the more work you give to your engine. if you speed then your car’s fuel efficiency may come down by 1/3rd of its usual.
5. You can employ cruise control. This may help in reducing fuel consumption as constant speed is maintained.
6. Do not pressure on your accelerator while starting to move when the sign turns green. Instead you can accelerate steadily. As cars are more efficient at low revolutions per minute (RPMs), this may help increasing fuel efficiency.
7. Avoid street roads wherever possible. If feasible take highways. By doing so, you will keep city traffic and signal stops at bay.
8. You should avoid applying brakes when not necessary. Braking results in the wastage of energy generated by earlier fuel combustion. Thus keep your eyes wide open while driving and avoid unnecessary braking.
9. Always maintain proper inflation levels in your tires. When properly inflated tires are more efficient and may help to bring down fuel consumption by around 3%. You should check the air pressure in your tires every week or at least monthly.
10. You can tune up your engine in order to maximize engine power and improve fuel efficiency. However, sometimes tuning may go wrong resulting in a reduction in the efficiency of your engine.
11. You have to check your engine air filter for dirt. This is because a dirty filter brings down fuel efficiency. When you drive a dusty road your filter is more prone to get dirty. You should follow the manufacturer’s recommended filter replacement schedule. This will help in enhancing fuel economy.
12. Do not keep your vehicle unused for long time. This may cause loss of valuable fuel.
13. Do not keep your air conditioner on during your city rides. If you use it while driving through cities you may put more pressure on your engine and this in turn may lead to increased fuel consumption. However, while driving in highways the fuel efficiency does not come down drastically when windows are rolled up.
14. You should identify the sweet speed of your car. Some cars give greater mileage at particular speeds. Normally this speed is around 50 miles per hour. Sweet speed is the minimum speed at which the car can move in its top gear.
15. You can use synthetic oil and save around 5% gas. Also you should change the synthetic oil as per the recommendations of your manufacturer. Using synthetic oil additives can also help in increasing the mileage.
16. If you possess a car that has an automatic transmission with overdrive, then enable the overdrive option. It helps for lower fuel consumption at high speeds.
17. Park your vehicle in the empty area of the parking area. Do not roam about or wait for a close spot to be freed.
18. You have to record the amount of fuel you put in and the distance you t6ravel. This will help in identifying the mileage of your car and you can also find out whether your mileage increasing actions are really working. The amount of fuel pumped you’re your fuel tank may vary from one gas pump to another. So fill fuel at any one particular gas point.
19. You should maintain some good distance from the car in front of you. This is because if you travel close to the car in front of you may have to apply brakes and slow down often in order to avoid bombardment with the bumper of the other car. Instead if you maintain a safe distance you will have room to operate in. thus you can avoid unnecessary braking and accidents.
20. You can select narrow tires for your car if it suits your needs. Narrow tires reduce aerodynamic drag.
21. You can select a gear ratio, which suits your driving conditions, transmission, and engine. Certain car makers offer optional gearing and you can choose the one that suits you.