Some Tips to Save Gas This Summer!

With gas prices around $3.55 per gallon, if you're not already doing things to improve your cars gas mileage, now would probably be a good time to start. Here are some tips to help you do that.1.) Coast as much as possible instead of breaking.

Popular Mechanics has shown that when you coast to a stop, instead of hitting your breaks, you can save an average of 4mpg! The less you have to break, the more gas you'll save.

2.) Roll up the windows and crank up that AC when out on the open road.

My wife and I were just debating this the other day. If you turn off your cars AC and leave the windows rolled up, you can save an average of 4mpg. However, if you do that you're going to burn up! If you roll down the windows, the drag on your vehicle will drop your mpg by 1 for each window you roll down. The faster you go, the more drag, the lower your mpg.

Bottom line: when you're out on the open road going over 55mph, it's best to keep your windows rolled up and use the AC. If you're just running around town going under 55, rolling down the windows and turning off the AC will save fuel.

3.) Remove excess weight.

If you're carrying around a trunk load of stuff you don't need it's costing you money. Even if you do need the stuff, it's STILL costing you money. Clean it out!

4.) Punch it!

Conventional wisdom says that to save gas you want to slowly increase your cars speed. However, science now tells us that it takes LESS fuel to go from 0-50 in 15 seconds than it does to go from 0-50 in 30 seconds. (Don't squeal your tires though, because that could get you a reckless driving ticket).

5.) Don't take the car out of gear.

My grandpa use to do this. Whenever he was going down a hill he would slip the car out of gear and let it coast.  In 2011, this practice is illegal in most states and not recommended. If something happens, you have no way to accelerate the car to avoid a collision. Plus, if the car was to stall you'd have no power steering to turn the wheels. Leaving the car in gear is actually more fuel efficient than taking it out of gear anyway, since modern cars have fuel injectors and computer controlled fuel cut-offs. So, when you take your foot off the gas, the injectors shut off automatically and your rotating tires keep the engine turning and the accessories running. Your car actually uses little to no fuel while coasting down a hill in gear.

6.) Make right turns only!

This is something FedEx does and the guys at Mythbusters have proved it true. If you're running around town, make as many right turns as possible, even if it means going a little bit out of your way.

It's also important to keep your vehicles oil changed and your tires inflated properly.

Do you know of any other tricks for improving your gas mileage?