While driving is an essential activity in our daily lives, it’s also an expensive one. A significant expense for most drivers is purchasing fuel. However, by maximizing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, you can spend less time and money at the gas station! Here are four tips for maximizing fuel efficiency.
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Clean Out Your Car
One of the easiest things you can do to maximize your vehicle’s fuel efficiency is to clean out any unnecessary items. When your car or SUV is weighed down, it has to consume more fuel. Make sure that the kids don’t leave their backpacks and athletic equipment in the car after school. After a shopping trip, you should remove all of your bags.
If you have a roof rack or bike rack that you’re not using, take it off the SUV. When you do have to use a cargo box, use a rear-mounted box instead of a roof-mounted box. A cargo box on the rear causes less resistance. Remove the box as soon as you’re finished using it. Simply put – don’t use your vehicle for storage!
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Inspect Your Tires
Inspecting your tires not only ensures that they’re safe to drive on but can also help you conserve fuel. Under-inflated tires can reduce your car’s fuel efficiency by up to 3%. Your owner’s manual will tell you how much air your tires should have. Because changes in temperature, frequent driving, and many other factors can affect tire pressure, you should check it once a month.
You should also consult your owner’s manual to see how often your car’s wheels should be aligned. If the wheels are out of alignment, your tires will suffer from excessive wear and tear. Worn-out tires put extra strain on your car’s engine, forcing it to consume more fuel. If you start to notice that your car pulls to one side or is harder to steer, you should take your car in for an alignment even if it hasn’t reached the interval listed in the owner’s manual.
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Check the Gas Cap
If you’re driving down the road and your “Check Engine” light comes on, don’t panic – but don’t ignore it either. It could mean you have a loose or broken gas cap. While this is a simple fix, it can impact your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by letting fumes escape from the gas tank. Escaping fumes aren’t just bad for your car; they’re harmful to the environment. After fueling up the car, always make sure to tighten the gas cap when you put it back on. If you notice your cap is broken or missing, replace it as soon as possible.
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Don’t Idle
In the last few years, manufacturers have added a start-stop function to vehicle engines. The reason for this new feature is the unnecessary consumption of fuel when the car is idling. Even if your car doesn’t have start-stop technology, you can still turn off your car’s engine when you’re stopped at an extended red light. You don’t have to warm up your car before you drive it either. This is another unnecessary habit that wastes fuel.
Hopefully, you find these tips helpful. By maximizing your car’s fuel efficiency, you’ll boost your budget and enjoy your car even more!
Image via pixabay.com | Licensed under Pixabay License
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