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.
Related: 10 Winter Driving Tips
Related: 10 Signs You're Not Taking Care of Your Car
LIKE COMPLEX RIDES ON FACEBOOK
10. Eliminate 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. Stuck in a gridlock? Cut the power. If you're letting your car warm up, make sure you only wait a few minutes and don't forget. Simple, but effective.
9. If You're Hot, Roll the Windows Down
Air conditioning is just another system that you're forcing the car to run. By forcing your car to use more energy, it needs more fuel. See where we're going with this?
8. 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, causing unnecessary fuel to keep the car running properly.
7. 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.
6. 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.
5. 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 int he car, where you'll be wasting gas.
4. Use Good-Quality Gas
Here's a newsflash, guys: Those commercials that Shell has that gets all sciencey about the additives and cleansers aren't lying. They might not make the gas as high-tech as those vibrant demonstrastions suggest, but we've tested BP and Shell against gas like Speedway, 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.
3. Keep Your Tire Pressure Straight
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.
2. 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 requires that more gas is required. Think about it: Sprint Cup cars get less than five mph for a reason.
1. Maintain the Speed Limit on the Highway
Drivers, meet cruise control. Cruise control, meet 60 mph (we like to think 55 doesn't actually exist). Driving at higher speeds than this 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.
