With gas prices going up again, a lot of people are asking what they can do to save money on gas. You can’t control the price on the sign at the gas station, but you can control some of the things that determine how much fuel your vehicle uses.
A few simple things can help make every tank go a little farther:
• Accelerate gradually and avoid hard braking whenever possible.
• Maintain a reasonable, steady speed on the highway.
• Keep your tires properly inflated.
• Stay on top of your vehicle’s regular maintenance.
• Take unnecessary weight out of your vehicle.
• Remove roof racks and cargo carriers when you’re not using them.
• Combine errands instead of making several separate trips.
• Avoid unnecessary idling.
• Use the grade of gasoline your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends.
None of these things by themselves are going to cut your fuel bill in half. But put several of them together, and they can make a real difference over time.
At Gurney’s Automotive Repair, we’ve been taking care of cars and trucks for more than 40 years. Every time gas prices go up, we hear the same question from our customers in Nashua and Milford: “What can I do to get better gas mileage?”
The first thing I tell people is that you can’t do much about the price of gasoline. But there are things you can do about how much of it you’re using.
And most of them aren’t complicated.
Start With the Way You Drive
One of the easiest places to start is with your right foot.
If you’re hard on the gas and then hard on the brakes, you’re burning fuel you didn’t need to burn. Look farther down the road, accelerate smoothly, and give yourself enough room so you don’t constantly have to jump back and forth between the gas and brake pedals.
Speed makes a difference, too. As highway speeds increase, your vehicle has to work harder to push through the air. Staying around the posted speed limit instead of running 10 or 15 miles per hour over it can make a noticeable difference in fuel economy.
Cruise control can also help on longer highway trips when traffic, road, and weather conditions allow it. Keeping a steady speed generally uses less fuel than constantly speeding up and slowing down.
And then there’s idling.
If your vehicle is sitting there running for an extended period of time, you’re getting exactly zero miles per gallon. There are obviously times when you need to idle your vehicle, especially here in New Hampshire, but there’s no reason to leave it running unnecessarily.
Check Your Tire Pressure
This is probably one of the simplest things you can do.
Underinflated tires create more rolling resistance, which means your engine has to work harder to move the vehicle. Check your tire pressure about once a month and don’t just look at the tire and assume it’s okay.
Use the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. You’ll normally find it on the label inside the driver’s door jamb. Don’t use the maximum pressure printed on the side of the tire as your guide.
Proper tire pressure isn’t only about gas mileage, either. It can help your tires wear properly and, most importantly, it’s a safety issue.
Stop Carrying Things You Don’t Need
Take a look in the trunk, back seat, or bed of your truck.
A lot of us carry things around for months that we haven’t used in months.
Tools, boxes, sports equipment, bags of something you bought and forgot about—it all adds weight. The more weight you’re carrying, the more energy it takes to move the vehicle.
The same thing applies to roof racks, cargo boxes, and other accessories. They can create additional wind resistance, particularly at highway speeds.
If you aren’t using them and they’re easy to remove, take them off.
Don’t Pay for Premium Gas Unless Your Car Needs It
I think there’s still a misconception that premium gasoline is somehow “better” gasoline and will automatically make your car run better.
That’s not necessarily true.
Look at what your vehicle manufacturer recommends. If your vehicle is designed to run on regular 87-octane gasoline, putting premium in the tank usually isn’t going to give you enough benefit to justify spending the extra money.
On the other hand, if your manufacturer requires premium fuel, use it.
The owner’s manual is the place to look. Give the vehicle what it was designed to run on.
You can also use apps such as GasBuddy to compare gas prices in your area. Just don’t drive 10 miles out of your way to save five cents a gallon. By the time you get there and back, you may have spent more than you saved.
Keep Your Vehicle Properly Maintained
This is where we come in.
A properly running vehicle is generally going to perform more efficiently than one that has a problem.
Modern vehicles are incredibly good at compensating for changing conditions, but they can’t compensate for everything. Problems with ignition components, sensors, fuel delivery, tires, alignment, or other systems can affect how your vehicle performs.
That’s why I pay attention when somebody tells me, “My gas mileage isn’t what it used to be.”
If your vehicle normally gets around 25 miles per gallon and suddenly you’re getting 20, something changed.
It doesn’t automatically mean there’s a major problem, but it’s worth finding out why.
At our Nashua and Milford shops, our ASE-certified technicians have the equipment and training to look at the whole vehicle, not just replace parts and hope something changes.
That’s really what preventive maintenance is about. Take care of the little things before they have an opportunity to become big things.
Your car doesn’t know how much gas costs. It’s going to do what it’s going to do. Our job is to make sure it’s doing it as safely, reliably, and efficiently as it should.
Plan Your Trips a Little Better
This one doesn’t cost anything.
If you know you need groceries, have to stop at the bank, pick something up at the hardware store, and get gas, see if you can do it all in one trip instead of leaving the house four different times.
Combining errands reduces unnecessary mileage and can also reduce the number of short trips you’re making with a cold engine.
Before you leave:
- Think about everything you need to get done.
- Group stops that are close together.
- Check gas prices along the route you’re already traveling.
- Carpool or share rides for regular trips when it makes sense.
You don’t have to plan every mile. Just try not to drive the same road three times when you could have done everything in one trip.
You Can’t Control Gas Prices, But You Can Control Some of What You Spend
Nobody likes watching the numbers on the gas pump keep going up.
Unfortunately, none of us can control what gasoline is going to cost next week. What we can do is pay attention to the things we can control.
Slow down a little. Don’t waste fuel idling unnecessarily. Keep your tires properly inflated. Take the junk out of the trunk. Use the gasoline your vehicle actually requires. Combine trips when you can. And most importantly, keep your vehicle properly maintained.
We’ve been taking care of our customers’ vehicles at Gurney’s Automotive Repair since 1985. Our goal today is the same as it was when we started: help people keep their cars and trucks safe, dependable, and on the road.
If you’ve noticed your gas mileage dropping, or your vehicle is due for service, give our Nashua or Milford shop a call. We’ll be happy to take a look and help you figure out what’s going on.
