3 Obscure Ways to Reduce your Fuel expenses

There are various ways to improve your car’s overall miles per gallon. Some methods, such as purchasing a smaller vehicle or going hybrid, are relatively obvious. However, there are three ways to improve fuel efficiency which you may not have known about.

Keeping your tire pressure at recommended maximum: Did you know that low tired pressure actually increases the amount of gas you use? That’s right. Your car’s overall miles per gallon will decrease when you don’t have your tires at the appropriate pressure levels. This is due to the fact that under-filled tires create unnecessary friction against the pavement while driving. As a result, your car requires more energy to get going. More energy requires more gas, and using more gas results in a lower overall MPG. If you want to improve your MPG, you should have your tire pressure filled to the absolute recommended maximum. Many people actually decide to fill beyond the maximum recommendations. However, it is important to do this with care as a means of avoiding tire damage and increased risk of popping.

Removing excess weight: It is likely that you are traveling with more excess junk than you realize. If you want to reduce total cost of ownership and increase overall miles per gallon, then it might be time to clean out your car. If you’re toting around tons of trash, sports gear, or last semester’s un-returnable school books, then you are unnecessarily weighing down your car. This causes more friction against the pavement, and results in higher expenditure of gas. If you’re the only one who uses your vehicle, you may even consider temporarily removing a backseat or two.

Utilize cruise control: In addition to increasing your car’s miles per gallon, cruise control can also make your trip more smooth and enjoyable. On the freeway, obtain a comfortable speed wherein the need to stop or slow down will be unlikely. This way, you will avoid fluctuations in your acceleration and overall speed, allowing you to effectively improve fuel economy. However, you may want to limit your use of cruise control on slick or wintery roads, as it can throw off your car’s ability to adjust to changing road conditions.