Many of today’s vehicles turn on the A/C automatically when you turn on defroster mode, many without illuminating the A/C indicator. You may inadvertently be driving around with your A/C compressor engaged which is killing your mileage. Check it out on your vehicle!
posted by integrator43 on March 01 2010

this tip works for 78% of voting Fuelly members.

When filling the car always do the same thing. i.e. fill it until the pump cuts off OR fill it to the top of the neck.
I filled my wife's car & it shows poorer MPG as I fill to the top of the neck, she fills to first cut off.

Re LPG - some LPG pumps fill to a greater capacity than others, this can vary your MPG figure too.
Gareth
posted by gareth111278 on February 24 2010

this tip works for 79% of voting Fuelly members.

For those of you who drive stick, upshifting at lower revs will use less gas; consequently, driving in a higher gear will use less than driving in a lower gear, as your revs will be lower.

Around town, I usually upshift at just above 2000 RPM; sure the engine produces less torque at lower revs, but since you're not racing around elementary schools there's no need to gun it at low speeds.

I use the rule of thumb to keep my RPMs always between 1500-2500 RPM, as I feel that's the best compromise between torque and fuel economy. Thus I'll be in fourth gear even just coasting through my neighborhood.

Note though - when you are traveling up hills, high gears will actually reduce fuel economy, as your engine has to struggle to climb the gradient with low torque. So everything I said above should apply to level grades only.
posted by realgeneric on February 13 2010

this tip works for 89% of voting Fuelly members.

Many communities have timers showing how long a pedestrian can cross the street before the light changes. Drivers can use this coundown and start coasting when they realize they wont make a green light.
posted by yewboup1 on February 09 2010

this tip works for 88% of voting Fuelly members.

Contrary to popular opinion, the slowest acceleration is not the most efficient. Engines are more efficient at higher torque but less efficient at higher RPMs. You want to accelerate as much as possible without letting the RPMs go too high (over 2500-3000 for many engines).
posted by Morgan on January 24 2010

this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.

If you are tracking your mileage using the trip meter in your car, you may find you are being short changed, on average by about 5%. If you have a GPS, do a quick check yourself, work out the difference by driving at 60mph on your GPS and compare against the speedometer in your car. Typically when doing 60mph on the GPS you will only be doing about 57mph on your speedo. So, if using the speedo to track your fuel usage, you will actually be travelling 5% more than you are tracking, making your fuel economy appear worse than it actually is.
posted by bearmeister on December 24 2009

this tip works for 53% of voting Fuelly members.

Instead of getting into that long line to get your lunch and idle all the way around the restaurant, park and go inside to place your order. There have even been times I have gotten in and back out before the car at the end of the line made it through!
posted by DTMAce on November 16 2009

this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.

Always take the first available parking space that you find on entering the parking lot. That way you will keep the distance driven, and fuel used, to a minimum.
posted by Roymondo on September 25 2009

this tip works for 85% of voting Fuelly members.

The less weight in your car, the better the gas mileage. Do a little spring cleaning and remove everything from the trunk of your car (and everywhere else) that doesn't need to be there.
posted by cpatch on September 02 2009

this tip works for 97% of voting Fuelly members.

When parking in a parking lot, look for a space where you can pull through so you'll be able to start up and pull away without backing up. It's not only safer, but it's more fuel efficient compared to the 20+ second maneuvering it usually takes when backing out of a space.
posted by perrysan on August 26 2009

this tip works for 57% of voting Fuelly members.

When making a trip with multiple stops, such as running errands, start by making the longest leg of your trip first. This helps to get the engine up to its operating temperature before you turn it off for your first stop. Your engine will run more efficiently, put out lower emissions and start easier once it's up to operating temperature.
posted by alanfasick on July 21 2009

this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.

Forget MPG and use MPPG!! Share your car with your work's friends. Consider the fuel economy by 'Miles * carried People Per Gallon' not only by MPG. A car is more efficient when there is 5 peoples on board! Stop driving alone if possible.
posted by domcars0 on July 09 2009

this tip works for 64% of voting Fuelly members.

If you have a large vehicle for hauling passengers and/or cargo, consider getting a smaller one such as a scooter for going places where you just need to transport yourself and some small items. A scooter can get 100mpg, which will go along way toward paying for it in the long run (more quickly than a new hybrid). Plus it's a more fun way to go places.
posted by tverbeek on June 11 2009

this tip works for 80% of voting Fuelly members.

Coasting to a stop in neutral with a modern manual (and in some instances automatic) transmission might not actually save you as much gas as keeping it in gear. Many modern engine management systems sense deceleration and negative load while the car is in gear and cut off fuel from the injectors, allowing the turning drive shaft to keep the engine going. Shifting into neutral while decelerating means the system has to keep the engine running with gas.
posted by Zahnarzt on June 06 2009

this tip works for 83% of voting Fuelly members.

Combine trips when possible. Go to the store on your way home from work. Get gas when you pick the kids up from school. A vehicle is most efficient when fully warmed up.
posted by bowtieguy on May 11 2009

this tip works for 97% of voting Fuelly members.

I use a simple GPS that I bought for only $99. Whenever I am unfamiliar with the route, I plug in the address to avoid getting lost and waisting miles. It also works great for finding food and fuel stops along the route of your trip.
posted by parkave98 on March 08 2009

this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.

When looking for a new car, do your homework and research today's new diesel cars. Diesels have been reborn with clean, quiet engines that have low carbon footprints and meet today's toughest standards for exhaust emissions. Diesels offer 30 to 40 % better fuel economy than equivalent size gas engines, and have loads of torque making them fun to drive. Clean, fun and efficient, and worth a look.

posted by coolbreeze on February 26 2009

this tip works for 82% of voting Fuelly members.

When you check the pressure in your tires don't forget to check the pressure in your spare. Many people are dilligent about checking the pressure in their tires, but neglect the spare when checking the pressure and adding air in tires that need it. Remember that the spare is a pneumatic tire also and will bleed down over time. The time to find a low spare is when you don't need it, not when you are trying to change a tire on the side of the road somewhere and need it to be full to get you home.


posted by bates on February 08 2009

this tip works for 91% of voting Fuelly members.

On flat or constant grades, the cruise works best for MPG. hover on constantly changing grades the cruise is regularly changing throttle position to maintain a constant speed. In other words it is accelerating and coasting regularly.... you may notice the automatic transmission will up and down shift depending on the vehicle. depending on how advanced the cruise setup is it may increase gradually or more commonly go to an all or none setting to resume speed. like putting your foot to the floor.. It is doing the all or none If you have used the resume button after braking from cruise say to slow down by 10 mph and the car downshifts and takes off like its floored to get back to cruising speed... You do better by gradually accelerating back to your cruising speed then pressing resume... Non electronic cruises that are cable controlled will surge and often exceed the cruise speed then settle back to the preset speed. This is caused by a streched and out of adjustment cruise cable.. most are easily adjusted and will result in a smoother cruise with less surging
posted by soutthpaw on February 01 2009

this tip works for 87% of voting Fuelly members.

Contrary to popular belief more octane doesn't make your engine perform better nor is the gasoline any cleaner than lower octane ratings. Octane is a burn retardant, that means that it slows down the rate of combustion (burning) for gasoline. Octane ratings higher than those required by your engine actually decrease performance, albeit very slightly and probably imperceptively at that, so buying higher octane ratings than needed just wastes money. As engines wear and tire out you may need a higher octane rating to control detonation, my last car wouldn't climb the mountains on 87 after about 100,000 miles and needed 89 - 91 to keep from pinging, but around town it did just fine on 87 octane up until I had it rebuilt at 195,000 miles.

I am not reccomending violating your owner's manual requirements, if your owners manual says to use mid grade or high test then by all means do it, don't jeopordize your warranty to save a few cents per gallon, but if you're adding high test because you think it is better gas and your manual doesn't suggest or require it, then you should revisit this logic.
posted by bates on January 04 2009

this tip works for 84% of voting Fuelly members.

Every vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed, but gas mileage usually decreases quite rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. In fact, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas! And, let's face it, observing the speed limit is also safer, too!
posted by TheStig on January 04 2009

this tip works for 82% of voting Fuelly members.

Aggressive driving maneuvers like speeding, rapid accelerations and hard braking, can really waste your gas. In fact, it can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, too, so you may save more than just gas money.
posted by TheStig on January 04 2009

this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.

Note: Safety First! Careful Practice Is Advisable! Results Will Vary Depending on Your Vehicle's Center of Gravity, Handling, etc.

You can take turns at around 20mph without having to apply the brakes & slow momentum. Even up to 90-degree or cloverleaf turns are manageable in my car. So, if you coast slowly to an intersection & aren't impeding traffic, and you have right-of-way, there's no need to brake before entering the turn. Plus, coming out of the turn, centripetal forces assist you in re-accelerating to proper speed.

As a further note, if you're approaching too fast to no-brake the turn/curve, be sure to brake down to the proper mph-range for your vehicle PRIOR to entering the turn, so you can still take advantage of momentum to accelerate coming out of it.
posted by cee on January 03 2009

this tip works for 70% of voting Fuelly members.

Don't push the accelerator when you start a modern vehicle. It is unnecessary, wastes fuel, and is hard on your engine. Back in the day of carbureted cars you had to floor the pedal once or twice before cranking your engine to engage the choke and then often had to add a little throttle to get the engine to catch and stay running. Todays modern fuel injected engines don't need either of these things, in fact they should be started without touching the accelerator pedal. When the engine is first started the oil is all in the pan, starting the engine with the gas down will cause engine parts to wear unnecessarily, shortens the life of your starter, and wastes fuel.
posted by bates on January 02 2009

this tip works for 96% of voting Fuelly members.

For auto-transmissions, you don't need to press the pedal to move if you're in Reverse gear. The engine torque (?) will move you, unless you're sitting on an inhospitable incline (which should be avoided, too).

Basically, don't touch the gas pedal if you are reversing. The engine will move your vehicle naturally & pushing the accel pedal is just a waste. No one accelerates in reverse (except in the movies) for any good purpose.

posted by cee on December 27 2008

this tip works for 66% of voting Fuelly members.

Using engine oil with the correct specifications and suitable for the car and the weather outside is very useful for fuel economy and it maintains the vehicle in the best state. It also gives additional horse power!!
posted by drmood on December 20 2008

this tip works for 91% of voting Fuelly members.

Following other cars closely means you have no choice but to brake when they brake (for example, a car in front of them slows to make a turn). Leave several car lengths ahead of you, and use that space to smooth out your cruising speed.
posted by knave on December 18 2008

this tip works for 98% of voting Fuelly members.

Leave early for your trip or commute, general rule is 1 minute per mile of travel. What this will do, is to remove the urgency to get through that light that is turning red anyway, and remove the pressure of being late.

This will save fuel because you will naturally drive more "mellow", and thus drive more efficiently. There is an added benefit from this, reducing commuter stress and road rage. On a long trip, this will give you time for a nice lunch, or longer rest at a stop you may like.
posted by Dragon64Leo on December 04 2008

this tip works for 89% of voting Fuelly members.

Consider parking at a store in the double parking slots. This works only when both slots are available. Enter as you normally would into the chosen space, but continue on to the other side so the front of the car is facing the parking lane.

This eliminates two times of accelerating (once to back up, and once to start up again forward), by simply being able to pull out forward.

Sure, you might have to park farther out, but I usually do that anyway to avoid unwanted door dings, and I get a little more physical activity in my day. Hope this helps!
posted by cemnei on November 13 2008

this tip works for 81% of voting Fuelly members.

Before I start my cars engines, I make sure I am ready to drive. I adjust the seat if necessary, make sure any items I have with me are secure, fasten my seat belt, adjust the mirror, adjust the tilt steering, put on my sun glasses if necessary and do anything else that needs doing. It may only take 20 or 30 seconds to do these things but it you start the engine first, that means 20 or 30 seconds of letting the engine wastefully idle.
posted by spacetime on November 09 2008

this tip works for 72% of voting Fuelly members.

This works well on manual transmissions. When you know you'll be slowing, i.e. you can see the light well ahead turn yellow, just take your foot off the gas, shift into neutral and gently coast on until you need to stop. There's no sense speeding to a stop light and wasting perfectly good momentum in the process. Odds are the light may even turn green again by the time you get to it.

Similarly, when cresting a hill, so long as the road ahead is safely clear, let gravity do the work instead of your engine. When slowing while going up a hill, again, let gravity do the work.
posted by Jabber on September 19 2008

this tip works for 67% of voting Fuelly members.

Generally speaking, holidays (especially 3 or 4-day weekends) mean a higher than usual demand at the pump. Higher demand = higher prices. So don't wait until the holiday and fill up a day or two before.
posted by joeperez4 on September 14 2008

this tip works for 86% of voting Fuelly members.

If you can remove your roof rack, do so if you're not going to be using it, even for a week. The extra wind resistance reduces your MPG.
posted by bruzie on August 27 2008

this tip works for 87% of voting Fuelly members.

If you are replacing your tires anytime soon you should look for tires that are designated as Low Rolling Resistance (LRR). LRR can help improve your fuel economy by 2-4%. Be advised though, LRR tires may be hard to find. Look for Michelin MXV4+ or Goodyear Viva2.
posted by modysy on August 25 2008

this tip works for 58% of voting Fuelly members.

Sites like gasbuddy.com depend on their users to submit current gas prices to the main site for everyone to see. It's a good idea to compare prices before ever having to leave your house.
posted by Nettle on August 24 2008

this tip works for 72% of voting Fuelly members.

You can safely inflate your tires, in most cases, to a higher pressure. For example, my minivan manual says to inflate to 35psi, but the max pressure on the tire sidewall is 44 psi. I find I can run at 40psi without making the ride too harsh, and I've picked up a couple of MPG. Your mileage (and comfort level) may vary. Never exceed the cold inflation pressure embossed on your tire sidewall.
posted by b3n on August 23 2008

this tip works for 60% of voting Fuelly members.

Modern lubricants flow well in cold weather, and do their job better than their previous formulas. Modern engines are also made to much tighter tolerances. Fuel injection has eliminated the choke and the need for a warm manifold.

You'll get better mileage if you only warm up the car for 30 seconds or so. The car will warm up faster with gentle driving for 5-10 minutes than it would idling for the same amount of time. Gentle driving will also warm up your brakes, preventing warped rotors, etc. that can be caused by an abrupt stop with cold brakes.
posted by chuckbalog on August 17 2008

this tip works for 93% of voting Fuelly members.

As the television show Mythbusters has proven—when traveling under 50 MPH it is more fuel-efficient to leave your windows down and your AC off. When traveling over 50 MPH it is more fuel-efficient to have your AC on and your Windows up.
posted by TikiTantrum on August 10 2008

this tip works for 88% of voting Fuelly members.

Look ahead, if you see a light is red just coast. You're not getting through the intersection until the light turns green anyway so why rush?

You save the gas you didn't use to speed the car up to charge the red light, AND improve the chance that the light will turn green while you're still rolling. If you're still rolling when traffic moves you've saved the gas you would have used to get to that speed too!

Also, less accelerating and braking will make for a more comfortable ride for your passengers.
posted by hudson on August 09 2008

this tip works for 97% of voting Fuelly members.

Pretend you have a cup of hot coffee on the dashboard. Accelerate and decelerate in a manner that would not make the cup of coffee spill. That is the way you can improve your MPGs.
posted by pvertes on August 09 2008

this tip works for 85% of voting Fuelly members.

If it's a nice day outside, roll the windows down a little. Your A/C compressor eats away at your gas. In Texas, I noticed 7 mpg difference between the summer months and the spring/fall months as I was not using my AC during the fall or spring.
posted by JC on August 09 2008

this tip works for 78% of voting Fuelly members.

Despite common belief speed is not really connected to MPG. The Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of your car's engine is what really matters.

If your car has a Tachometer watch your RPM's, keeping them low will use less fuel. Depending on the gearing of your transmission is what determines how fast you travel at a certain RPM.
posted by TikiTantrum on August 08 2008

this tip works for 71% of voting Fuelly members.

Though some people will tell you never to accelerate quickly, sometimes it's better to have a bit of a lead foot. Seriously. There are two main reasons for this.

First: your engine likely operates at a higher efficiency (i.e. burns more fuel that would otherwise be wasted by your catalytic converter and just go out your exhaust) at around 80% acceleration.

Second: Your car gets better MPG at higher speeds up to about 55-65 mph depending on your car. So as long as there aren't too many red lights ahead of you, it's best to get your car to the maximum legal speed as soon as possible.
posted by jjmatt33 on August 08 2008

this tip works for 46% of voting Fuelly members.

Go inside rather than use the drivethrough. If you idle for more than 10 seconds, you're using more gas than needed for restarting your car.
posted by bonehead on August 08 2008

this tip works for 90% of voting Fuelly members.

Keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Low tires mean more surface area, and therefore more friction, which translates to higher fuel consumption. Check your tire pressure while your car is refueling. If you need more air, pump up while you are there!
posted by terrapin on August 07 2008

this tip works for 97% of voting Fuelly members.

If you're going to be sitting in your car with the engine running for more than 30 seconds or so, it saves fuel (which would be zero mpg at a standstill) to turn the engine off. Hybrids are famous for this, and it's a bit trickier to do in a regular car, but if you're at a long light, or waiting in a long line of cars, it does decrease fuel usage to simply turn off your car's engine.
posted by mathowie on August 01 2008

this tip works for 71% of voting Fuelly members.

On steady flat roads (especially at higher speeds), cruise control can save a lot of fuel by limiting accelerations and generally resulting in a smoother, more efficient trip.
posted by mathowie on July 31 2008

this tip works for 79% of voting Fuelly members.

When driving in stop and go traffic, try to keep a couple car-lengths of distance in front of you to minimize the chances of having to come to a complete stop (which requires you to start again, using more fuel). By maintaining some distance and a steady very slow speed, you can carry your momentum through traffic and save fuel.
posted by mathowie on July 31 2008

this tip works for 96% of voting Fuelly members.

It's obvious of course, but a great way to save fuel on all the short errand trips you do from home is to either walk, ride a bike, or at the very least cluster your errands into fewer trips. Riding/walking will also keep you healthy as well as save money and fuel.
posted by mathowie on July 31 2008

this tip works for 79% of voting Fuelly members.

Changing your oil filter and air filters as recommended is a good way to keep your engine running more efficiently and saving more fuel. Oil changes are common but you might forget to change the air filter often enough. Try it and you may see an increase in power and gas mileage if it's been a while.
posted by mathowie on July 31 2008

this tip works for 96% of voting Fuelly members.