Tips

Five Ways to Improve Your Vehicle’s Fuel Economy

Whether you drive a gasoline or diesel automobile, you want the most out of a full tank these days. With everything on the rise including gas prices, United Auto Care is going to list some tips to help you improve your vehicle’s fuel economy. The first tip is to keep your vehicle maintained so the engine runs as efficiently as possible. You can also save diesel fuel or gasoline by doing the following.

1. Avoid Traffic Jams

If you get stuck in morning and afternoon traffic, talk with your supervisor about changing your work schedule so you can work flexible hours that keep you moving on the road. Not only will this improve your fuel economy, but it will also improve your work production if you are working in the office before anyone else gets there. If this is not an option, see if there is an alternate route to your workplace that doesn’t have as much traffic. Don’t go too far out of your way, however, or you’ll defeat the purpose of saving fuel.

2. Don’t Sit Idling

It’s also important not to sit idling on city streets or in lines or parking lots. Idling more than one minute wastes gasoline. It takes less gasoline to restart your car than it does to sit there at an idle. In addition, sitting at an idle is bad for the environment. Turn off your automobile if you are waiting for someone or stuck in a line, and drive at a pace where you can hit all of the traffic signals on the green.

3. Keep a Slow Pace

Your pace should also be a slow pace that isn’t higher than the speed limits. According to AAA, your fuel economy peaks at 50 mph. After that, your vehicle begins to burn more fuel. This doesn’t mean you should drive 50 mph in a 65-mph zone, but it does mean that you’ll save gasoline if you don’t drive 70 or 75 in that zone.

4. Keep a Steady Pace

Keeping a steady pace goes beyond timing the traffic signals. It also means you should use your cruise control when the weather is good and you are going fast enough to do so. Cruise control keeps your vehicle at a set speed much better than your foot can. The only time you shouldn’t use cruise control is if it’s raining.

5. Plan and Combine

Finally, plan and combine your trips so that you are making fewer. In other words, sit down and determine the errands you need to run and the areas where you can combine them on foot. For example, if you have several stops in one shopping center, you can park your car and walk to the various destinations.

As we said at the beginning of this blog post, keeping your vehicle in tiptop shape will also improve its fuel economy. Call United Auto Care in Flowery Branch, GA, today to schedule a service appointment.

Photo by Doni Persada from Getty Images via Canva Pro
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