7 Tips to Boost Fuel Mileage | AMSOIL

Tipping Points

I think we can all agree that gas prices aren’t going down anytime soon. That’s why these tips on boosting gas mileage from AMSOIL are a good thing to have as you shift into gear for summer.

1) Properly Inflate Your Tires and Consider Wheel Choice

Inflate your tires to the correct pressure found on the sidewall or the inside of the door. Low tire pressure increases rolling resistance and the amount of fuel needed to turn the wheels. In fact, Consumer Reports says a tire that’s down 10 psi can reduce fuel economy 1 mpg. Upgrading to a set of sweet-looking wheels may boost your street cred, but it also increases weight. A heavier wheel means the vehicle will burn more fuel to move it down the road.

2) Change Your Air Filter

Most people know that reducing drag due to air passing over your vehicle makes a big difference. Luggage racks, an uncovered pickup box and bike racks create drag and reduce fuel mileage. But reducing drag through the engine makes a difference, too. Your engine is basically a big air pump. It consumes roughly 14X more air than fuel. If the air filter hasn’t been changed in a while, it may be clogged with dirt and debris. This creates restriction that forces the engine to work harder, reducing fuel mileage. Change the air filter according to manufacturer recommendations for best fuel economy.

3) Avoid Expensive High-Octane Fuel

Vehicle manufacturers program their engines to provide optimum power and efficiency using a particular octane of gas, typically regular 87-octane pump gas. Higher octane does not mean higher energy content. It’s best to stick with what the manufacturer recommends. Unless the manufacturer calls for using higher-octane gas (typically with higher-compression performance vehicles), using higher-octane fuel won’t deliver fuel-mileage gains. Save yourself some money and use 87-octane, unless otherwise recommended.

4) Clean the Fuel Injectors

Your engine’s fuel injectors are exposed to increased heat. Over time, carbon deposits can form that plug the injectors and reduce fuel economy. This is particularly true for gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines, in which the injectors are located directly in the combustion chamber. GDI injectors are exposed to 30 to 40 times more soot than port fuel injectors. Give your injectors a good cleaning to maximize fuel economy. AMSOIL has a two-step fuel-additive solution to clean dirty injectors and preserve cleanliness for the long haul.

5) Use an Instant Fuel-Mileage Gauge

Many new cars are equipped with real-time fuel-economy gauges. Monitoring your mileage in real time helps keep your foot off the floor. And, unlike just reducing your speed, you get the instant reward of seeing the impact on your mpg. If your car doesn’t have one, buy an aftermarket model.

6) Develop a Feather Foot

Your car is most efficient when it’s steadily moving. Starting, stopping and idling all cut into your fuel mileage. Decelerating well in advance of a stop sign aids in conserving energy. Contrary to the “Go-for-the-Gold” approach to stop lights, in which you accelerate to make the light while it’s yellow, the feather-foot approach dictates that you lay off the gas when you first see the yellow light with the goal of slowly rolling up to the red light. This will conserve fuel and save you some money.

7) Stop Shopping for Parking

To take your fuel-economy game to the next level, stop “shopping for parking.” Rather than circling the lot until you find a spot near the entrance of a store, reverse your thinking and grab a spot farther back in the lot close to the exit. This has a three-fold benefit:

1) Reduced fuel consumption since you’re not aimlessly looking for a spot.
2) Extra exercise walking to the store.
3) Reduced chance of door dings since, in most cases, you have these spots to yourself.

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