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Additional gas saving tips
Believe it or not, there are a number of ways we can change our driving habitstoday that will decrease fuel usage in our cars. By using these steps responsibly, you can begin saving money instantly! Caution: please be prudent when deciding whether or not to use this advice- some are seen as more "risky" than others, but all will save you gas and money!
1 Turn your engine off while waiting for your green light.
Only do this when you just missed your green light and you know you'll have a while to wait for the next green light. If you do it every time you stop at a red light you might run into these problems: 1 get people angry at you because you don't start your car fast enough and 2 end up using more gas! It takes a little extra gas to start up your engine, so this method works best when you're waiting a while at the light! 2 Coast down hills. This is especially useful if you have a stick shift. Simply hold the clutch in while going down hill and your car will automatically lower the RPM (revolutions per minute) and thus, lower the gas usage. You can do this in an automatic car by switching into "neutral" but, depending on your car, it sometimes puts your RPMs higher, rather than lower. Also, be sure to not switch your car into reverse accidentally! (I've done this going 25 mph and it wasn't a good situation, trust me!) Instead, if you have an automatic car, you can leave it in drive and just not hit the gas pedal at all. 3 Don't drive over 60 mph.
Studies show that your miles per gallon begin to drastically decrease when driving over 60 mph. This is due to the increased wind resistance against your car, which will be described in more detail in #5. The next steps are for those who are smart enough to use them. I would not recommend these steps to newbie drivers or those without an iron will!
4 Turn your engine off while driving down hills. This can only effectively be done using a manual vehicle as automatics typically have to start in "park." Then, when you need to turn your vehicle back on, simply keep it in an appropriate gear, turn the key into the "on" position and let off the clutch! This will start your engine up the less-traditional way and it uses less gas this way. Caution, though, be sure to choose an appropriate gear- if you're coasting at 20 mph, fifth gear wouldn't be wise. Similarly, if you're going 60 mph, don't start up in second gear! This method of starting your engine is called "popping the clutch" and many professional drivers do this. Warning this next step is illegal and should not be used. It is useful, however, to understand how wind affects mileage and to keep that in mind when driving.
5 Use the technique of "drafting" with the help of a tractor trailer.
This is done by tailgating a tractor trailer and simply turning your engine off. The reason this works is because the large tractor trailer in front of your car is "cutting" the wind in front of you both and the wind rushes against the sides of the vehicle all the way to the back of the vehicle. When the wind gets to the back of the vehicle, it creates a "suction" of wind, if you will, at the end of the tractor trailer. If you position your car just right, you can be in this endless "suction" section behind the tractor trailer and your car will be "sucked" along the road! Again, if a cop sees you doing this, you will be promptly pulled over, but it's good to keep in mind that wind is your enemy when trying to get better gas mileage out of your car. These are a couple of tips to keep in mind when trying to save gas money. Believe it or not, there is a contest in which experienced drivers "race" a certain distance and the winner is crowned based on their miles per gallon achieved during the drive! I included a link to one such race, although there are tons out there. |
http://www.greatrace.com/newsite/index.php/great-race-events/mpg-challenge/
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This intel was contributed by Pete Brown
Pete Brown
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May, 2012
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