6 Effective Ways To Improve Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency

Published on: 06 June 2022 Last Updated on: 18 February 2025
Car’s Fuel Efficiency

Owning a car comes with many perks. You no longer have to endure the hassle of using public transportation when you can sit in the comfort of your own car.

Along with this, you no longer have to wait for the bus schedule or squeeze yourself with everyone during the rush hour. However, even with the amazing benefits that your car can provide, there are some drawbacks.

Unless your car’s electric, your vehicle needs gas to run for miles. Unfortunately, fuel prices are constantly increasing. While looking for the best gas stations that provide cheaper rates would be a great option, maximizing its efficiency could also be helpful.

Some Ways To Improve Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency:

1. Go Easy On The Pedals

accelerator pedal

As soon as you step inside your car, one thing you should keep in mind is to drive smoothly as possible. Not only that it can prevent you from pushing forward and backward every time your step on the brake and accelerator pedals, but it can also help you to save on your fuel consumption. Harsh driving and intense stepping on the pedals can hurt your vehicle and gas consumption, causing even more visits to the gas station.

While it might sound exciting to frequently move your body and be intense with your every movement as if you’re a race car driver, it can negatively affect your gas consumption. In most cases, you’ll decrease your fuel efficiency by 15 to 30%. To prevent yourself from wasting money, you should go easy on the pedals and drive smoothly as possible.

2. Don’t Race On The Road

Car Racing on Road

An open road without any cars nearby might tempt you to test your speed limit. While it might sound exciting and fun, you should expect higher gas consumption. When you speed, you spend more fuel covering the same distance you would if you went a bit slower. If you’d like to save on gas, you should try to go slow, yet appropriate for the road, as much as possible.

Research shows that your car is burning 25% more fuel if you’re running 80mph compared to 70mph. Moreover, depending on the car, driving over 50mph can reduce your fuel economy by 7 to 14%. If there’s no need to rush, try to slow down your speed and conserve your fuel as much as possible.

3. Check For Proper Tire Pressure

Check Tire Pressure

While it might seem like a separate topic, your vehicle’s tire pressure can affect your car’s fuel efficiency, forcing your car to work twice as much and burn your gas. You should begin by identifying your car’s ideal tire pressure and ensure that you keep it that way for your entire ride. Check your tire pressure at least every two weeks at the gas station or do it at home using a gauge and see if you need to add more air.

If you choose to allow your vehicle to run with inadequate tire pressure, usually less than ten psi, it might affect your fuel economy by 10% for the entire trip. However, even with a single tire with an incorrect psi, it can still reduce your fuel’s efficiency by 3.3%. Moreover, this is only part of the car maintenance habits that you should observe regularly.

4. Remove Unnecessary Weight

car luggage

The heavier your car is, the more power it needs to run at your desired speed. Even if your vehicle can carry everything you put inside, it’ll only put more work on the machine, requiring additional fuel consumption.

You should reduce what you throw inside as much as possible. If you don’t need to bring your kid’s stroller with you all the time or carry your bag full of clothes inside your car, you should consider leaving them behind unless you really need them for the day.

Apart from unloading your trunks, you should also consider removing any unnecessary attachments inside your car. This will include your roof boxes and bike rack.

If you don’t need them, you should just store them in the garage and attach them when required. While it might be added work, it could help you to improve your car’s fuel efficiency.

5. Plan Your Trips

trip plan

Planning your trips ahead goes a long way in maximizing your travel at the lowest cost. You’ll see which roads you should take, pinpoint heavy traffic points, and decide to take on shorter routes.

To help improve your car’s fuel efficiency, you should check the traffic condition by checking the news or using a satellite navigation app that allows you to see the traffic condition in real-time. Moreover, avoiding rush hour would also help as it’s a traffic magnet, forcing you to be idle for a long time.

Along with planning your trips, you should also consider making a single long trip, rather than reducing your trips into multiple ones, thinking that it’ll be more fuel-efficient. If you plan on making two short trips instead of one, you’re wasting more gas as your car would consume more fuel each time you turn it on.

6. Turn Off The Engine

Car Engine

If you need to wait for someone while in the car, you might want to consider turning off your engine to save on gas. Even if you’re not driving your vehicle as you put it in a parking transmission, it’s consuming an adequate amount of gas, which could call for a visit to the gas station immediately. To avoid this happening, you should consider turning off your engine.

When you turn off your engine, you can choose to leave the car or stay inside. However, if you’re staying, you should ensure that you keep your windows open to allow for proper ventilation as your car would be sealed shut, not giving you enough air to breathe in.

Takeaway

Improving your car’s fuel efficiency can really be challenging, especially if you have a usual driving habit. But trying to be a smooth driver would surely make everyone feel comfortable every time you’re behind the wheel.

Moreover, reducing your car’s weight effectively allows for more space while also putting less pressure on your engine. Above all, always check for your tire pressure as they’re the most common reasons why vehicles are burning their fuel consumption.

Read Also:

Arnab is a professional blogger, having an enormous interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, He carries out sharing sentient blogs.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Heavy Haul

Get to Know Interstate and Intrastate Heavy Haul Transport

Heavy haul fleets offer interstate and intrastate transport choices, and both cover different regulations and protocols. Interstate hauling refers to the trucks that cross state lines in delivering cargo. Intrastate, meanwhile, means the fleet operates locally. Its permit and operational limitations don’t allow it to cross state lines. They also differ in terms of regulations they have to comply with. Regulations Covering Interstate Heavy Haul Fleet: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the primary agency that oversees and monitors interstate heavy hauling fleets. Trucking companies need to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the Hazardous Material Regulations. Of course, each state has its regulations, fees, and permits covering cargo trucks that pass its borders. Regulations Covering Intrastate Heavy Haul Fleet: For intrastate operations, the state has the primary responsibility to ensure that the fleet is following all rules and regulations governing transport. Typically, the rules and regulations are the same as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. But some states, due to the products they move, have stricter quarantine regulations. They also have different rules on the number of hours a truck driver needs to be on the road, the health qualifications, and age limits. What is a DOT number? The Department of Transportation, where the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is attached, assigns different numbers to heavy haul trucks. For instance, there’s a particular number if the truck is transporting hazardous material across state lines. The same goes for the weight of the cargo or if the truck is carrying 9-15 people. For intrastate trucking operations, the regulations vary. Some states don’t require a DOT number and some do. The DOT number should not be confused with the DOT certification. If the fleet is DOT certified, it simply means that the truck driver possesses the competence, skills, and knowledge to drive such a big vehicle across the country. Truckers can’t secure a commercial driver’s license without this DOT certification, and they have to renew their permit every two years. State authorities always check the DOT certification when they flag down delivery trucks and heavy haul fleet. Fees: In terms of fees, it stands to reason that when the fleet routinely crosses state lines, it is subject to much higher fees. To illustrate, their insurance coverage is higher because they are exposed to more risks. The longer the truck driver is on the road, the higher the risks he would be exposed to. Each state also has its fees, surcharges, and levies. For intrastate cargo, the fees, license plate, and insurance coverage are lower. Again, each state has its own rules covering fees, so for the most part, the trucking company only has to worry about those. These regulations are necessary considering that the trucks remain the primary mode of transport for cargo across the US. For example, statistics show that trucks carry 80% of the total cargo that’s shipped around the country. The industry is also worth $726 billion every year. Read Also: Why Times Are Tough For Truckers And Why It Concerns You How Servicing For Your Commercial Boiler Works: A Step-By-Step Guide To The Process

READ MOREDetails
Driving In Bad Weather

7 Things to Do When Driving In Bad Weather Conditions

Accidents can happen, including those on the road. Sometimes, car accidents are difficult, if not impossible, to avoid, and certain conditions can make it more likely that you will get into a collision. If the weather conditions are less than perfect, such as in windy or wet weather, it can make for a disastrous situation. However, there are always things you can do to avoid getting into a car accident. In general, there are seven things you should do when you are driving in bad weather conditions in Brisbane, Australia. 7 Things to Do When Driving In Bad Weather Conditions: 1. Slow Down: First and foremost, you should always slow down when driving in bad weather. This is important even if your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive capabilities. At the very least, you should reduce your speed to around 10 miles below the posted speed limit. If the weather is particularly bad, you may want to reduce your speed to around 15 miles below the speed limit. Driving slower can greatly reduce your risk of getting into an accident. Even if you do have an accident, it will be far less severe. 2. Avoid Tailgating Other Vehicles: You should always avoid tailgating other cars, to begin with, but this is that much more important when you’re driving in poor weather. When it’s raining and the roads are slick, it’s more difficult to slow down or stop when you need to when you are traveling too closely behind the car directly ahead of you. You should leave at least a good 100 yards or 4 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you. If you are driving a larger vehicle, such as a caravan, truck or trailer, you should double those numbers to be safer. 3. Turn On Your Headlights: Whether it is raining or it’s a foggy day, you should turn on your headlights and set them to your low beams. It’s easier to see with your low beams turned on. You should always avoid using your high beam headlights in bad weather conditions as it can make it more difficult to see and the light can simply reflect off the rain or fog. However, if you’re driving in foggy conditions, you can turn on your fog lights if you have them. 4. Avoid Driving Through Flooded Areas: During the summers in Brisbane, there is more flooding. As a result, there are more areas on the road that will be flooded. To be safer on the road, you should avoid driving through any flooded areas. You may have difficulty gauging how deep the water is, which is extremely dangerous. If you drive in those areas and water gets into your engine, your vehicle will abruptly shut off. If you learn of any flooded areas before you get in your car, you should avoid driving in those areas. Find an alternate route if possible so you can completely avoid traveling on a flooded road. 5. Brake More Slowly: When you are driving in bad weather, especially if the roads are wet with rain, it’s important to brake more slowly and carefully. If you brake too sharply or quickly, it can result in a disastrous situation. You can end up losing control of your vehicle and skidding out or even crashing. Gently tap on your brakes until you are able to come to a complete stop. You should also try to ease up on the gas pedal to slow down in slippery areas of the road and then tap your brakes to stop. 6. Avoid Hydroplaning: Hydroplaning occurs when your tyres are not actually touching the surface of the road during heavy rainstorms. Instead, you are traveling over the surface of the water, which is a very dangerous driving situation. Usually, this happens when you are traveling at too fast speed in this type of weather or when your tyres are worn out and have too little tread depth. Hydroplaning can cause you to lose control of the steering wheel and prevent you from slowing down or stopping. If you find yourself hydroplaning, stay calm and lift your foot up from the gas pedal to slow down. As your speed decreases, your tyres will readjust so that they are again on the road’s surface. Be careful and steer carefully while slowly breaking as your speed slows down. 7. Avoid Side Roads: Although it might be tempting to take side roads while you are driving in bad weather conditions, it can actually be more dangerous. Smaller side roads can be even worse when the rainfall is heavy. The main roads are safer and easier to travel through as city officials are more likely to concentrate on clearing them due to heavier traffic. There is also a greater likelihood that you can get help if your car suddenly stalls on a larger road. It is also better to drive in the middle lane on large roads as it keeps you away from the areas where there is more flooding. Driving in Brisbane during bad weather conditions is certainly easier when you follow these important steps. If you do get into an accident and suffer injuries and car damage, you should immediately contact car crash lawyers in Brisbane to discuss your options for starting a claim to recover compensation for your medical expenses and other damages. Read Also: Will Self-Driving Cars Replace Human Error? How Car Detailing Can Keep Your Vehicle In Top Shape How Do Self-Driving Cars Really Compare To Human Drivers In Terms Of Safety? Enjoy Driving Your Jeep In The Desert Safari By Playing Off Road Dubai Desert Jeep Race For Free

READ MOREDetails
Best Auto Repair Shop

7 Ways to Find the Best Auto Repair Shop for Your Vehicle

Regardless of how careful a driver you are, it’s likely that your vehicle could either deteriorate over time or experience a road accident that has left the body in bad shape, and you’ll have to take your car to an auto repair shop and restore it to its former glory. With hundreds of shops to choose from, it may be difficult to pick one that specializes in the type and brand of your vehicle. Here are a few steps to find the best shop to take care of your car: 1. Know What Needs To Be Done: Before you search for an auto repair shop for your car, you need to set specific goals and expectations. For instance, if you are the owner of a vintage sedan that has seen better days, you might want to consider a full restoration. This will include removing the outdated body or sandblasting it to get rid of any rust or leftover paint. In case your car’s exterior was totaled following a serious collision during a business road trip, then you will need professional help to deal with the problem. You can’t do it alone even if there are DIY solutions for it. Taking the time to determine the type of work your vehicle needs can help you find a repair shop offering services that suit your situation and will help you avoid spending money on things you don’t need. 2. Calculate Your Total Costs: After determining the type and amount of work you require for your vehicle, you will need to calculate the amount of money you will need to spend to cover everything. From the outset, it may be difficult to come up with an accurate estimate. You can always have an auto shop evaluate your car and give you an estimate, but it’s still best to know the average cost yourself. Take the time to do a bit of research on auto repair rates in your state or community. How much do vehicle owners have to pay for repainting, collision repair, frame alignment, or a body filler? Once you know how much you could be spending on a repair or restoration, you can begin asking auto repair shops about their rates for the same service. Make comparisons and never settle for anything that’s suspiciously cheap. Knowing these figures before you even talk to a potential outlet can help you avoid an attempt to give you an unfair price. 3. Consider The Brand And Model Of Your Car: Not all body shops specialize in repairing certain vehicles. If you own a Honda or a Subaru, you might want to seek out body shops approved by these brands, since they may have the right parts in store. You still need to make sure that an auto shop has any experience dealing with vintage models. Some parts may not be available for purchase anymore, so you’d do well to find an auto shop that still sells and knows how to install them. Also if your TCM is having problems, aside from seeing the Check Engine light you might also notice that your transmission isn’t acting the way it ought to. Perhaps it’s not shifting at the right times, then an immediate replacement will be necessary. You can get the replacement from a popular organization like npcautomotive.com. Also if your TCM is having problems, aside from seeing the Check Engine light you might also notice that your transmission isn’t acting the way it ought to. Perhaps it’s not shifting at the right times, then an immediate replacement will be necessary. You can get the replacement from a popular organization like npcautomotive.com. With this in mind, you can check with your auto dealer and get a list of recognized service centers in your area. You can also run an online search to see if there are any repair shops that service specific types of vehicles.  4. Get Recommendations From People You Know: Start by asking friends who have hired mechanics and body shops before, and specify the type of work you require. You can also reach out to family members who may have been in the same situation as you. If they have dealt with vehicle damage before, you can ask them for a list of shops you can visit. Another group you can reach out to is motoring enthusiasts. If you are a member of a racing community, you can gather contact numbers of auto shops that people in the group visit. With this information, you can avoid auto shops with bad reputations and look for ones that might give you the results you need. After all, you wouldn’t want to make the same mistake when seeking out an auto dealership. 5. Consider Your Location: When finding an auto shop that specializes in body repair and restoration, you will need to find one that’s readily accessible and convenient. If you reside in Toronto, consider reaching out to shops like J&E Tokyo Auto Collision Inc who specialize in collision repair and auto detailing. You may be tempted to take your vehicle to the nearest available shop, but convenience shouldn't be the only factor. You should also consider other details such as pricing, the availability of spare parts, as well as the OEM manufacturers or origins of these parts. 6. Check For Online Reviews: If you are more of a traditional type, scanning the yellow pages or local directory could be the best way to find an auto repair shop. Technology has made it easier for people to connect with businesses. You just need to enter a keyword like "auto body shop near me" and check out each listing. However, the ease you get from doing an online search shouldn't be a reason to let your guard down. Not all auto shops in the search results are capable of delivering your needs. There's a good chance that you end up with an auto shop that overcharges, uses low-quality parts and materials, and does a sloppy job. The least you could do is to believe whatever a certain auto repair shop says about their services on their ads. To be on the safe side, consider looking for reviews and testimonials from their previous clients. A good trick here is to focus on negative reviews (if there are any) since these will give you a heads up on what to expect. Finding an auto body repair shop shouldn’t take you long, and knowing where to start is the first step towards finding the best shop for you. Read Also: How Professional Mechanics Can Score Deals on Auto Parts 5 Critical Branding Tips to Attract New Clients to Your Auto Parts Shop Michigan Auto Insurance

READ MOREDetails