Gasoline Saving Driving Tips
April 4th, 2008 by Ana
With the price of a gallon of gasoline climbing higher than most of us Americans find comfortable, any and all driving tips to save on fuel consumption helps. I deliver pizzas on the weekends, so I not only know how important saving money at the gas pump can be, I also know what to do to accomplish this!
Most of these tips are simply common sense, and can be found all over the internet. This is the list of things *I* do to get over 30 miles per gallon in my 2000 Ford Escort ZX2 5-speed while delivering pizzas:
- If you have a manual transmission, use that to your advantage! I drive up and down hills all the time, and am in the habit of pushing in the clutch and coasting downhill. I also push in the clutch when I see the traffic light has turned red. Why use gas when you can let gravity work? Even if you drive an automatic transmission, you can ease up on the accelerator (gas pedal) on the downhill. (Note: It is my understanding of the law here in Tennessee that this is legal as long as you keep the transmission in gear, not in nuetral!)
- Driving on the street is not a drag race! There are very few times you should need to gas your car off the line after the light turns green. Smooth and moderate accelerations instead of the quick stomp the pedal routine will add up.
- Speaking of speed, there is really no need to exceed posted speed limits. In addition to the risk of getting a speeding ticket, driving the speed limit or just under it will save on fuel consumption. Why speed anyway when you will end up stopping at a red light quicker in town?
- Routine maintenance WILL save you on gas! Can I say this enough times? Get your oil changed regularly (especially if you drive a Ford LOL they are picky about that), have your tire inflation checked regularly, and have your air and fuel filters changed on a regular basis. Tune-ups can do wonders for your vehicle’s gas mileage when done on schedule.
- On a similar note, don’t let repairs go! If you know something is wrong with your motor, drivetrain, or suspension get those fixed. I personally don’t consider air conditioning to be a necessity, but different people have different tolerances there. If you are not mechanically inclined, have your mechanic check your belts and hoses and other moving parts.
- Don’t carry around heavy stuff in your car unless necessary. The more weight your engine needs to haul around, the more work it needs to do and the more gas it will need to use. I try to limit the Pizza Taxi to only toting around three textbooks per semester.
- Plan your route not for the shortest distance per se, but the one with the least amount of stoplights and idling for an opening in traffic. One thing I learned quickly when I started delivering pizza is that sometimes the “longcut” is much quicker and easier than a “shortcut” that may save you on the odometer.
Those are just the ordinary basic things that everyone could do to save a little bit of money at the gas pump. If you feel bold you might want to google the term “hypermiler” but I can’t recommend all the techniques you’ll find in those links. Some more tips that might help you (and again are common sense):
- Combine errands and trips to reduce the number of times you need to drive.
- Carpool with a coworker. Even if you only do this once a week, that is 20% less driving, and you’ll have someone to chat with for the commute.
- On the flip side, offer to give your coworkers rides for a little bit of gas money. If everyone riding with you chips in, that cuts the amount out of your pocket.
- Walk or bicycle if your destination is close enough. This one might even help with a fitness goal!
- Use public transportation if available.
These are all things I have used or do use. I see no reason to pay more for gas for my little car than is absolutely necessary. Now it’s y’all’s turn: What are your tips for getting the best gas mileage out of your vehicle (and saving money at the gas pump)?
Photo uncredited, received via email from my dad.
Posted in pizza delivery |
April 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Here’s a tip:
Read your owner’s manual to see what type of gasoline is best for your vehicle, i.e. 87 octane, etc. Your vehicle runs most efficiently with a certain octane level, so use the gasoline that the manufacturer recommends. You may be surprised to find that your brand new car runs best on 87 octane (the cheap stuff) fuel. Just because the sign says ‘premium’ doesn’t mean it’s the best for your particular vehicle. Check it out and save some money
April 4th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Thanks for sharing those, Ana.
I’ve sometimes wondered how you handle pizza delivery without gas eating up everything you make!
April 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
This is really good advice. I think that the global economy is in for a rough ride over the next few years and any money saving tips are greatly appreciated. The Cost of oil right now is killing peoples pockets. I would also add under routine maintenance that tyre pressures should be checked regularly as under pressure tyres can increase the amount of gas consumed.
April 4th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
mikey: good tip, although I *think* my owner manual says mid-grade octane but it actually runs better on the cheap stuff LOL
MM: During summer months and right after an oil change, the Pizza Taxi has been known to get 33-35 mpg on delivery. I don’t know how one of my coworkers can afford to drive a truck that only gets about 20 mpg though…
Make Friends: thanks for stressing that one (I referred to it as “tire inflation” as opposed to “tyre pressure”).
April 4th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Excellent advice
In Romania you are not allowed to go downhill with the car as you described (pushing in the clutch), but still many do this. And getting close to the red light is also a time we try to let “inertia” work for us (since it’s not gravity in this case). My BF tried to show me this trick. The speed is also a good way to waste gas if you’re feeling like a raly driver, a smaller speed does save gas and most of the time it also saves lives.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I love your graphic for this. It made me laugh!
April 4th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
These are great tips. I always try to map out my comings and goings. I’ve even noticed my 20-year-old daughter is starting to map out her day to save gas.
April 4th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Much of what you say is spot on…but the “regular oil change” is problematic for me. I go 25K between oil changes with an oil that in and of itself saves 10% in fuel economy. And with my new commute I too purchased a little Ford Escort ZTS (love it)!! Already a couple of g’s over the 3,000 they claim is max…LOL…
T
April 4th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
This is awesome
I honestly do all of these things. You did a good job summarizing all of the points in that blunt way of yours. 
April 4th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Great List!
UPS has come up with an efficient, low tech means to conserve fuel: right turns only. The theory is that you not only will have fewer accidents, you will find yourself idling less and if you have lots of stops, apparently use less mileage.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=3005890
Makes sense, especially in states where you can turn right on red!
BTW, Love the graphic ; )
April 5th, 2008 at 4:03 am
From what I understand driving at 55 rather than 65 will reduce your fuel consumption by 10%. Supposedly for every 10 miles an hour you slow down you save 10% but I think that would have to change somewhat based on traffic. However, I have noticed a difference when I do 55 as opposed to 65.
April 6th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Ana provided a great list of way to save gas.
Another way to save gas is to move closer to where you work. This way you can walk to work and you will have a shorter drive and another way is to avoid idling because idling will consume gas.
Check this list of way to save gas:
http://www.getfatmoney.com/how-to-save-money-on-gas-and-tips-to-improve-mileage-for-your-car
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Thanks for the tips. I drive around alot with my daughters stroller in the trunk - even when she is not with me. I never thought that could be adding extra weight and hurting my gas mileage.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Tips to Save Gas
Here are simple tips to save gas. These tips will allow you to spend lesser amounts on gas. Ultimately, these tips can also save the environment as well.
Save gas by braking the correct way:
You can easily save at least 10% to 25% gas by braking the correct way. Especially when there is a traffic jam, try to press on the brakes as little as possible. This works because the vehicle consumes the most gas while accelerating than already moving. So by using this simple tip, you can save a considerable amount of gas.
Taken from:
http://www.tipstosavegas.com/
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