It’s a fantastic reference guide on saving gas – courtousy of 5 Star Shine:
437 Little Known Gas Saving Secrets - Right-Click, Save As
Excerpt:
Maintaining Your Vehicle:
It is important that you maintain your vehicle and have a
good understanding of how your vehicle operates. The more
you can understand about how your car operates and how to
properly maintain it, the more successful you will become at
saving money on your gas. You don’t have to be a mechanic or
even do any work to your vehicle, but you do have to learn
enough about your automobile to keep it properly maintained
and fuel efficient.
Oil Changes:
Keep your oil changed as often as your owner’s manual
recommends. If you’re not sure how often to have it changed, look
at your car manufacturer’s website online. I recommend typing
your vehicle’s year, make and model into www.Google.com . The
vehicle’s engine runs much smoother and cleaner with new oil
installed when recommended. We suggest getting to know a
mechanic and building a business relationship with them so you
ask them for more information about your vehicle maintenance
when necessary. Try visiting the following website to locate a
mechanic near you: www.TrustMyMechanic.com. You can also
try to get a referral from a friend who has a trustworthy mechanic.
Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion when your car needs parts
or repair work to be done.
The Correct Motor Oil Grade:
Make sure you are using the correct type of motor oil. The
grades of oil are measured in viscosity, which tells how much the
oil can resist flow. Check to see if the 10W-30 you’ve been using
is the correct oil you should be using. Look in your owner’s
manual, ask your dealer, or search www.Answers.Yahoo.com to
find out the correct kind of oil you need for your vehicle. You can
also try: www.Autos.Yahoo.com or visit your automobile
manufacturer’s main website by searching the vehicles make in
www.Google.com. You’re in line to gain up to 2% in increased
gas mileage by using the correct oil. It might not sound like a lot,
but 2% x 50 fill-ups is a free tank of gas!
Synthetic Oils:
We like and recommend the synthetic oils as they can work just
as good for twice as long as regular motor oils. Please ask a
professional mechanic if your car supports synthetic oils or look in
your owner’s manual. If you have misplaced your owner’s
manual, just research your car manufacturer’s website or request a
new owners manual wherever you may have purchased your car or
look for a downloadable manual on www.Google.com You can
ask for synthetic oil when you get your oil changed at an express
oil change station or anywhere else you may choose to get the oil
changed…your dealership, or local service station.
Upgrade your tires:
Low resistance tires, such as Michelin Energy MX 4 Plus claim
to increase gas. Keep it green! Visit Web Site for tire discounts.
Tune-ups:
Always keep your vehicle tuned up. Cars that are in excellent
running condition will use on average 4% less gasoline than cars
that need a tune-up, saving you money immediately and in the long
run. If your vehicle is severely out of shape, a tune-up can
increase your gas mileage by 10-20%. This means fresh spark
plugs, a regular check up and tune-up as much as every few
months. A good running vehicle is going to be the absolute best on
gas, your wallet and keeping it green for the future generations. To
find the most trustworthy mechanic in your area, again try visiting:
www.TrustMyMechanic.com and to learn more about the
importance of tune-ups visit these sites:
www.AAAutoServiceCenter.com and www.CarJunky.com .
Power Steering Fluid:
Keep your power steering fluids full. By keeping your power
steering fluid full, your vehicles will steer much better causing less
resistance on your tires, in turn causing you to use less fuel.
Make sure your cooling system thermostat is not stuck:
A cooling system thermostat stuck in the open position, causing
the engine to run too cool, can reduce engine efficiency by another
7%.
Tires Alignment:
Always pay attention to the vehicles alignment. A wheel
alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so they are
perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other in order to
give you the smoothest and most fuel efficient ride. The best way
that you can notice if your car is ready for an alignment is if you
are driving on a level road and the vehicle pulls to one side of the
road when your hands are not on the wheel. If you are
experiencing a pulling sensation, it is time to get the alignment
checked because you are also putting unnecessary wear on your
tires. To get a short internet course and more detailed information
on wheel alignment try visiting the “Family Car” website at:
http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm. This site also offers
“The Family Car Learning Center” section with detailed photos,
diagrams, answers, and great vehicle maintenance information
about almost every vehicle made. www.FamilyCar.com .
Tire Pressure:
This is a very important suggestion! When choosing the
optimum air pressure for your tires the figure imprinted on the tire
wall is the most accurate. The figures printed on the sticker in the
door frame, in the fuel filler flap, and in the manual are for comfort
rather than fuel efficiency. Generally speaking, a slightly higher
pressure will improve fuel mileage and handling, but too high will
degrade traction and wear the tires rapidly. Buy a cheap tire gauge
for about a buck or two at your local auto parts store or gas station
and always keep it in your glove compartment. Keep your tires at
the exact pressure that is recommended in the small lettering found
on your car’s tire walls. Basically you just stick the tire gauge on
the valve for a second and wait for the white stick to pop out with
the meter on it. The meter will have numbers that measures in
PSI’s. This stands for “pounds per square inch. Fill the tires to the
maximum PSI for best mileage. Tires can lose air quickly, so
check them every week. At a minimum check them once a month
or every 1500 miles. Under-inflated tires also wear out faster,
which also contributes to higher gas consumption. The best time
to check your tire pressure is when it is cooler outside or sometime
in the morning after your vehicle has been sitting for a few hours.
Tire Balancing:
Keep your tires balanced! Ask your service station attendant,
mechanic or car dealer to help you keep up on this. This can make
a world of difference and it usually doesn’t cost anything to have a
mechanic or a tire shop worker to check this out for you. Make
sure you give your auto mechanic a buck or two for a tip if they
happen to do this for you. The small tip you give will come back to
a hundred times over in the long run when you need your mechanic
to check on something in the future and he will be more likely to
be honest with you about your vehicle’s true needs. I would ask
your mechanic to check your tire balance every few months to get
the best possible gas mileage. For a complete free guide from the
United Sates Department of Transportation and National Highway
Traffic Administration, and to learn everything about your car’s
tires and their safety, just cut and paste the following link into your
computer:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/tiresafety/ridesonit/brochure.html .