10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Car's Gas Mileage

Little steps will save you a lot in the end.

February 23, 2014

Image via Complex Original

These days, everybody can use more ways to save money. Whether that's leaving your lights on less at home to save on your electric bill or cooking more, instead of spending money on fast food, savings is savings. As every rapper you know has said, if it don't make dollars, it don't make sense. Keeping proper car of your car, and driving it like a normal person, can help too. Here are 10 Ways To Improve Your Car's Gas Mileage.

Eliminate long idling situations.

This is a small step that won't really make a huge difference at first, but over time, it'll be saving you gas and money. Little steps. Park and go inside of Taco Bell, instead of sitting in line, waiting for the drive-through. Turn your car off, when you're waiting in the driveway for your friend. If you're letting your car warm up, make sure you only wait a few minutes and don't forget that your car is out there using gas. Simple, but effective.

Some brands (like Mercedes-Benz, for example) are even starting to incorporate built-in start-stop "ECO" modes on their cars that do exactly this. They stop the engine when you brake and come to a stop at a light or sign, and start back up when you let your foot off the brake.

Below 55 mph, roll your windows down when it's hot.

This has been a hot topic of debate in the automotive real for decades. What's better for gas, AC or windows down? In all reality, there is no one specific answer, as all cars (and how those cars are being driven) will have different results. However, as a general rule, you're better off with your widows down when you're just tooling around town a low speeds. But if you're on the highway, the wind resistance with your windows down will greatly hurt your gas mileage. So, when you're driving at higher speeds, it's better to use the air conditioning.

Keep a clean air filter.

Your engine is constantly sucking in air, and the air filter keeps all the nasty shit that's clogged up our oxygen from getting into your block. When the filter is dirty and clogged, it's going to be working harder to suck in air. That means more work for your engine.

Don't use your car as a storage locker.

Imagine putting a 100lb bag of rocks on your back and trying to continue on your day, doing the same routine. It'd be harder, right? You'd be using more energy, and therefore, you'd require more fuel. It's the same with your car. More weight (yeah, we're talking about your swirly bowling ball, box of old magazines and tool box) means more fuel required to run it.

Keep your gas capped.

We're not even talking about the idiotic act of forgetting to put the cap back on after you gas up. There are plenty of people who have gas caps improperly put on or gas caps that have been cracked and are allowing gas to evaporate right out of the tank. Your money could literally be disappearing into thin air.

Know where you're going.

This is a simple matter of driving more and idling more than you need to. Find the quickest route, know that route, and execute that route, before getting in the car, where you'll be wasting gas.

Use good-quality gas.

Here's a newsflash, guys: Those commercials that Shell has that get all sciencey about the additives and cleansers aren't lying. They might not make the gas as high-tech as those vibrant demonstrations suggest, but we've tested BP and Shell against gas like Speedway and Citgo, and there was at least one or two MPG difference. Don't cheap out with the Super Duper Mega Gas. Put quality fuel into your car and expect a cleaner engine and better mileage. The added benefit is that your car will continue to run better for longer.

Keep your tire pressure up to specs.

When you're driving with tires that aren't to the correct pressure, there's more friction and resistance. When there's more friction and resistance, it's harder to get the car going and keep it going. That means more gas pumping through those veins.

Don't punch it off the line.

Yes, believe it or not, driving your car like you're in a constant race against the world demands more gas. When you're flooring it, you're telling your car create a huge amount of energy to propel your car from a stand-still. This means your car is now taking big gulps instead of sipping.

Maintain the speed limit on the highway.

Drivers, meet cruise control. Cruise control, meet 55 mph. Driving at higher speeds creates more wind resistance, and by now, you know more resistance means a harder struggle for the engine to keep up. Constantly going faster and slower will also drain your tank much faster than you'd like, so try to stay consistent. Nobody likes those people anyway.