I have found that on my tires that are rated at 35psi that when I inflate them while hot to 44psi (suggested max for Mich Defenders) that I get about 10% more mpg. Honda civic VX and my Acura Rl.
posted by softciyVX on November 10, 2014
this tip works for 100% of voting Fuelly members.
1 - Focus, and concentrate all the time 2 - Take your time 3 - Scan, keeping your eyes moving 4 - Anticipate “what if?” 5 - Always drive at such a speed that you can stop within the distance seen to be clear 6 - Maintain a minimum 2-second following distance from the vehicle in front.
posted by WickedWeasel on November 7, 2014
this tip works for 100% of voting Fuelly members.
Don't forget that when you're coasting, your car isn't using fuel. The car's momentum is actually turning the motor with the friction your tires have on the road. Make sure to reclaim some of the energy you spent to get your vehicle moving by coasting. Pay attention to stoplights ahead, learn the light patterns, and you can easily bump your AVG MPG by at least 5. The more braking, the more you're decreasing your fuel economy by turning that energy into heated brakes. Don't waste the energy you spent getting up that hill by excessively braking while going down. Drive safe, but keep that fuel economy in mind!
posted by falas on November 5, 2014
this tip works for 83% of voting Fuelly members.
Use right vehicle for the work. For example, for city commuting in good weather, if you not need to carry much cargo with you, you can use a motorcycle, or even cub-bike ( underbone, step-throught) for commutiong. You have a big win throught that - no rush hours ( who consume your time and fuel), and much less fuel consumption - on my one chinese underbone i get into 2 litres per 100 km! my 600cc motorcycle get around 5 - 6 litres per 100 km in city, and my car - around 8 - 9 litres to 100 km. and there is a rush around...
posted by drago76 on October 29, 2014
this tip works for 60% of voting Fuelly members.
On a modern car, auto fuel cut off will be activated when you remove your foot from the accelerator while traveling downhill. If you want free intermittent A/C turn it on while traveling downhill or slowing down with your foot off the accelerator. You may feel a very slight increase in engine breaking when you turn the A/C on but it is minimal. There is a kit available online that activates the A/C when auto fuel cut off is activated (I don't know where you can buy it as it was a while ago).
posted by Swiftkick on October 26, 2014
this tip works for 44% of voting Fuelly members.
This especially applies to diesel vehicles. The sooner your engine gets up to temperature the more efficient it will be. For example my (diesel) car gets almost half the MPGs it would get when up to temperature. I have blocked off the lower grill (with black duct tape) which allows my car to warm up faster and keep a sturdy temperature. This also improves aerodynamics of your vehicle (if done correctly). I am doing this in about 6-15 Celsius weather and see a decent increase in MPG and I can also use my heaters earlier. IMPORTANT Be sure not to block off your intercooler (if fitted) as this helps MPG and keeps intake air temps low and intake air density higher. It is extremely unlikely your vehicle will overheat but for the first few journeys keep an eye on your coolant temp.
posted by Swiftkick on October 26, 2014
this tip works for 42% of voting Fuelly members.
Whenever pulling into your spot, turn the vehicle off immediately if possible, then roll up electric windows etc, if your vehicle allows for this.
posted by BDX2 on October 22, 2014
this tip works for 58% of voting Fuelly members.
Daily short distance travel burn more fuel to warm up the engine thus reduces car kpl. Proper planning of your trip is crucial to high kpl.
posted by cheeyc on October 22, 2014
this tip works for 94% of voting Fuelly members.
the recommended tire pressure is listed on the inside of your drivers side door, Front and Back check it often the seasons are changing and so is your tires air pressure. NOTE check it before you leave, Not after its been driven or if its been sitting in the SUN for a while.
posted by wasabi2u on October 19, 2014
this tip works for 95% of voting Fuelly members.
If you see a station being refueled or you know it has been refueled in the last couple of hours, go somewhere else. The turbulence from refilling the storage tank can kick up any muck and water laying on the bottom of the tank.
posted by rdskill on October 16, 2014
this tip works for 64% of voting Fuelly members.
Diesel fuel is highly hygroscopic. That means it sucks moisture and water out of the air, on a daily adiabatic cycle. The more air stored in the fuel tank, the more moisture is drawn into the fuel tank, condensing on the inside walls of the fuel tank, as the tank breathes in and out with the daily heat cycle. Keeping your diesel fuel tank fuel limits the amount of moist air drawn into your fuel tank, and into your fuel during humid seasons. This is less a problem in the arid SouthWest seasons with relative humidity below 20%
posted by Magalicious on October 16, 2014
this tip works for 44% of voting Fuelly members.
I have 2 w-body GM cars 1 with 3400 and 1 3800 n/a. So here is what I do: In short: 1. Accelerate slowly 2. Know your shift points and stay near the shift. 3. Don't speed (why it doesn't save time really) In long: 1. Accelerate slowly usually 1500 RPM or so (I know it upsets some people BUT in the day to day city driving [and highway] I always catch up to those who pass me) 2. Know your transmission. If I am at 40-45 mph in my 2004 Grand Prix GT1 (3800 engine), It will shift around there and keep the RPMs around 1000-1200 to maintain that speed which is great for most driving in city. Try to keep your speed need where your transmission shifted but beware going up hills will cause it to down shift and RPM go up so play with it. 3. No need to speed! Unless you want to save 30 seconds or so (usually less) Why speed? I have always seen people accelerate past me only to catch up to them at a light or pass them as the turn into their neighborhood. Take it easy! The time you save is negligible. Your car will love you more with less maintainence and better MPG
posted by dickawg on October 12, 2014
this tip works for 82% of voting Fuelly members.
Conserve fuel by anticipating - ease off the throttle early on approaching red lights or queued traffic. If the light changes or traffic moves before you get there, you avoided a full stop (which is the most expensive fuel consumer). Added bonus, you reduce wear on brakes and might arrive more relaxed to boot!
posted by F1Rumors on October 9, 2014
this tip works for 99% of voting Fuelly members.
If you read the side wall of a tire you will see it tells you the max pressure @ the max load. This is because you will need this pressure to carry that load. If you are at lower load you will need a lower setting. Pressure has to match the load and when it does your tires will wear perfectly flat. For this reason you should never follow the recommended pressure from the car makers. You should be working out your own for your car or truck as you normally load it. With that in mind, most times you can run it higher and gain more savings in fuel then lose from wearing the tires out faster, all without hurting safety. But, also keep in mind to high can be a safety issue if you go to far. It is however always safer a to 5 pounds high over be 5 pounds low. When they are low the side walls will flex more building way more heat and destroying the tires. It will also reduce your control of the car when the tires just fold over when you are trying to turn.
posted by Crf450r420 on September 28, 2014
this tip works for 39% of voting Fuelly members.
Don't just do the neutral cost or downshift until you know your vehicle. If you get a cheap bluetooth to OBDII adapter on say Amazon. You can use an app like Torque to see how your car works. Both my girlfriends and I have small cars one 1998 the other 2006 that both don't have trailing throttle (the injectors are not shut off when intake is under high vacuum) even though they are both well into the years you would guess they have such. This setup will also give you a way to add instant and average MPG, so you can develop efficient habit that fit that car. Then there are a ton of other things like code reading which also come with it.
posted by Crf450r420 on September 28, 2014
this tip works for 73% of voting Fuelly members.
1. I have found that cars get better mileage on better fuel. For instance keep track of different gas companies and what you get from them. For instance: my 2004 Ford Taurus gets better mileage from Shell or Cenex or BP vs some mom and pop stations. Just cause its cheaper don't mean its good gas! These name brand places also tend to use detergents and additives to help with engine cleanliness with prolonged usage. 2. If you can afford it and your car has less than 100,000 miles on it switch to synthetic oils. Less friction in engine/ transmission = longer life and better fuel economy. 3. If planning a longer trip, drive part of it while sun is down. You will achieve better mileage for several reasons: less traffic set your speed n go. And you will have a cooler engine and you may not have to use the AC as much. 4. Always fill your tank. If you live in the north like I do, in winter you never know what could happen when weather is bad. Better to have fuel and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Less chance of a freeze up from watered fuel (cheapskate stations) and you keep your fuel pump cool and save money on repairs! Expensive ones! Gas tank levels of less than 1/4 is playing with fire especially with older and higher milage vehicles. 4. Read these tips here on this page! I've probably gained a couple miles in overall economy by listening and finding what works! ;) and it has made me a better and more patient driver and more responsible. 5. If you're patient you can save fuel by paying attention to, AND driving speed limits! I do almost 100% of the time and I see about a 2mpg difference. Think about it: if you drive 60 instead of the posted 55 how much time are you really going to gain huh? 5 mins? Plus, you won't need to romp on the gas to pass eevery time you turn around. I get passed all the time and I usually see them at the next light anyways. Don't be impatient. If someone is driving the limit: simply re set your cruise and it won't be an issue. 5. When you see the 1/5 mile slow down speed sign, coast to new speed limit and reset cruise. Even if youre a little early.Speed limits start AT the sign, you'll optimize how much brakes are used and you avoid damage to your driving record and insurance premiums ;)
posted by hylander89 on September 21, 2014
this tip works for 41% of voting Fuelly members.
Letting your engine breathe better both improves power and economy, as well as giving a sportier note and better response at lower revs, allowing you to shift out sooner. Many auto manufacturers now offer these to be installed at your dealer, and if done at the dealer it won't void your warranty.
posted by Texas on September 19, 2014
this tip works for 19% of voting Fuelly members.
By backing in (or pulling through to park nose-out, in lots that have two spots nose-to-tail), you do your reversing when the transmission is warm, eliminating having to drive in Reverse with a cold transmission and engine. You'll eliminate the loud "clunk" (which is hard on the transmission) and also only go through a single acceleration cycle on a cold engine when departing your destination. It's also safer, since you will see the surrounding area immediately before backing in, instead of seeing the area, getting into and starting your car, and then backing out.
posted by F14Scott on September 14, 2014
this tip works for 86% of voting Fuelly members.
Most people own more then one car, A smart person will own cars that fit different applications. Find out which car is more efficient on the highway, and use it strictly for long distance trips and keep your gas guzzlers in town where less distance is traveled.
posted by Macbriggs2 on September 4, 2014
this tip works for 47% of voting Fuelly members.
On the 7th generation civic HX, Keep it below 68 mph to stay in lean burn mode.
posted by 01silvercivichx on September 3, 2014
this tip works for 44% of voting Fuelly members.
When travelling on the Motorway class roads, use your Cruise Control, but set it 5km under the posted speed limit, and when approaching the valley of a long climb, (say 50 - 100m before the lowest part) let the cruise determine the amount of fuel to give the engine. As the engine will 'Sense' the amount of Incline, as it is coming out of the flat and approaching the hill, it will give just enough fuel to maintain the speed at the speed set (say 90 km/hr). After the Car has topped out at the flat, then you can take the cruise up to say 100Km/hr (if it is Daytime and clear weather with no traffic). Check your engine specifications, you will be surprised, that the torque curve is not flat over the RPM Range from Idle to Maximum Torque (1250 for Some Diesels), and then declines again as RPMs increase from 1250 to redline.
posted by CobourgVeeDubYah on August 29, 2014
this tip works for 23% of voting Fuelly members.
I just wanted to point out that MOST vehicle's fuel pumps are mounted in the gas tank, which means that they are cooled by the fuel, running at less then a quarter tank takes that cooling feature away from them and will cause them to wear out or even fail a lot faster due to excessive heat build-up, and if your only going from 1/2 to 1/4 every time, you are most likely going to spend more time looking for the cheaper good deal gas and driving out of your way to get it, causing you to spend more money in gas. Depending on your vehicle, shop and the parts it uses, a fuel pump replacement could cost you 1000$.. 300$ for parts 700$ for labor. The amount of money you are going to save is going to be way offset by the cost of having that fuel pump replaced, as most fuel pumps are very expensive for the OEM. Unless you know that your fuel pump is not mounted in the gas tank, and is therefore mounted under the vehicle and cooled by air, I would not just do half-fuel ups.
posted by SilverBullet1997 on August 28, 2014
this tip works for 68% of voting Fuelly members.
The stations that use top tier gasoline use detergents that will reduce deposits on fuel injectors and intake valves. Check toptiergas.com and read about it
posted by cmaxlen on August 19, 2014
this tip works for 74% of voting Fuelly members.
Vehicle speed and odometer may have different errors. Most vehicles with ABS option the vehicle speed is normally taken from one wheel or averaged among the 4 wheels. The Odometer is recorded from an output on the transmission. If you do not have ABS on your vehicle the Speed and Odometer is read from the Transmission. The last option is you have ABS, but the manufacture was still reading it from the transmission. The best method for insuring the accuracy of the Speed-O-meter is to test it against a GPS. The best method of insuring the accuracy of the Odometer is measuring it against a known distance, such as the milepost of an interstate highway over a distance of 100 miles or more. GPS Trip distance measurement is inaccurate.
posted by racenviper on August 18, 2014
this tip works for 57% of voting Fuelly members.
Ever felt the wind from oncoming traffic? One vehicle is not so bad, but we usually don't ever just have one car pass us in the opposite direction. Giving as much distance as is safe between you and oncoming traffic is not only safer, but can help keep your fuel mileage from dropping unnecessarily, especially as traffic gets heavier.
posted by sparkn on August 15, 2014
this tip works for 78% of voting Fuelly members.
Canadians travelling in the US: Feel free to make a copy and use this Google spreadsheet to convert your US to CAN fill-ups since you can't flip back and forth in Fuelly. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuiLvaul1obRdFAyZ3hvTTc3NDIxcnZ3VGVOR1A1RWc&usp=sharing You will need to have a Google account and then you can make your own copy first. Go to File > Make a copy.
posted by gory on August 14, 2014
this tip works for 67% of voting Fuelly members.
When traveling around highway speeds note your throttle input. Find the speed that requires the least amount of pressure on the accelerator/throttle. There are lots of variables that effect this and it will change day to day. Slower may not always be more efficient. Your car may need more rpms, higher speed to be efficient. An easy way to monitor this is through the addition of an "eco gauge" that can easily be plugged into your cars computer.
posted by Lokis_Tyro on August 13, 2014
this tip works for 81% of voting Fuelly members.
When sitting at a red light (unless you're right at the front) or waiting for a passenger turn off the engine. Saves fuel and pollution. Lights on orange - restart the engine ready to go. The heater can still put out warm air or the aircon cool air for a little after the engine is switched off.
posted by xj53c on August 10, 2014
this tip works for 26% of voting Fuelly members.
An engine idling above 1000 rpm's is a bad symptom of a failure of it, but it maybe minimal so you keep on running it that way because you don't notice it or simply you think that it can run perfectly that way, that it's just an odd thing. Well, be sure that the engine is idling at the speed that the owner's manual advise, if it's not something may be wrong as fuel injectors, throttle bodies, intake systems, etc... Those reparations are simple and if you don't do them, besides having a mechanical failure you'll be wasting fuel.
posted by judacomadc on August 6, 2014
this tip works for 42% of voting Fuelly members.
There are some situations in which turning on the engine is not needed, in my case I do it when I have to move some feet my car to give way on a parking lot or so, taxi drivers in my city do it as well. It may sound dumb, but by doing this you avoid operating the engine when less efficient because of the cold starts. Also, when you hit a big traffic jam like when some accident happened and traffic is not moving you can turn it off, or if a cop or somebody stops you to have a chat you can switch it off as well. The thing is: try to use the engine only when is really needed.
posted by judacomadc on August 6, 2014
this tip works for 53% of voting Fuelly members.
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