Increase Your Gas Mileage

Get More Mileage from your Gas

Increase Gas Mileage with Regular Maintenance for your car.

• Oil – every 3000 miles with conventional oil, every 15,000 miles with synthetic.
• Air filter – every 12,000 miles with disposable, every 25,000 miles with reusable air filters. More airflow increases fuel combustion.
• Tire air pressure – check monthly – stay within a lb or 2 of the recommended max pressure listed on the side of the tire. Over inflation will cause uneven wear and decrease the life of the tires, under inflation will decrease your gas mileage – even if it is only under inflated by 5 lbs.
• Spark plugs – change at the car manufacturer’s recommended interval or if using high performance spark plugs, change at the spark plug manufacturer’s recommended interval.
• Spark Plug Wires – change at least once every 5 years or 50,000 miles. Stick with the OEM replacement wires unless you have a high performance car. The stock spark plug wires are sufficient for an everyday driver.
• Transmission Fluid – every 25,000 miles. This is often overlooked, but in both manual and automatic transmissions, the fluid does break down over time. Changing the fluid will increase the life of your transmission and decrease friction and heat. Less friction, increased gas performance.

Radical Increased Gas Mileage Tactics

• Empty out your car. Take out unnecessary items to decrease weight.
• Drive with the windows rolled up and the ac off. Driving with the windows down increases the wind resistance on a car. If driving in heavy stop and go traffic, turn the ac off and roll down the windows. In highway driving, it is better for fuel economy to roll up the windows and turn on the ac.
• Shut off the car if you will be stopping for more than 20 seconds at a red light. Ultra-high milers use this tactic at their own risk, stating that re-starting the car uses less gas than idling at the red lights. But what about the life of the starter motor?
• Don’t use the drive-thru windows at fast food restraints. Park the car and go inside.
• Drafting – If you have watched NASCAR then you know what it is. Drafting is driving behind another car so close that your car takes advantage of the low-pressure area created behind the lead car. The bigger the lead vehicle the better. Stay 3 seconds behind the lead vehicle; get too close and your gas mileage may decrease.