Landmark Ford’s Blog

As gas prices continue to rise wouldn’t it be nice to be able to improve the MPG of our cars.  Well, sometimes it is the little things that can actually help.  Here are a few little tips that might help you get a little more from your fuel.

• Drive Sensibly- aggressive driving such as speeding, rapid acceleration and braking wastes gas.  It can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town
• Observe the Speed Limit- each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at different speeds, however, gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds over 60 mph.  As a rule of thumb you can assume that for each 5 mph you are traveling over 60 mph you are paying an additional $.20 per gallon of gas!
• Remove Excess Weight- avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones.  An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can reduce your mpg by up to 2%. (Extra weight will affect smaller cars much more than larger ones.)
• Avoid Excessive Idling- idling gets 0 mpg and the larger the engine typically the more wasted gas.
• Use Cruise Control- it keeps you at a constant speed, therefore helping to reduce fuel usage
• Use Overdrive Gears- it slows your engine speed down, saving not only gas but also on engine wear
• Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned- fixing a car that is out of tune or failing an emissions test can improve your mpg by an average of 4%.  While fixing a more serious maintenace problem such as a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40%!! 
• Check and Replace Air Filters Regularly- replacing a clogged air filter can improve your mileage and help protect your engine
• Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated- not only can you improve your mileage by around 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure but properly inflated tires will last longer and are much safer

Source: www.fueleconomy.gov