Fuel Efficiency | Ways to Improve Gas Mileage

To get started, it would be a great idea to check your vehicle's current fuel efficiency by determining its gas mileage, or mpg, this can help you note the progress you're making with the hints, tips, and products recommended on this site; and calculating you're mpg is also just a great practice in general as it helps you be more conscious about your fuel efficiency. It's like checking your weight when dieting and exercising. Here are the steps to check your vehicle's current mpg:

1 Fill your gas tank to the top and prepare to begin counting your miles.
After filling up and topping off your gas tank at the gas station, simply push the trip meter to zero it out, or note your vehicle's total mileage on the odometer.

2 Use up the gas as you normally would.
Drive your vehicle as you normally would and later, when your vehicle is close to empty, return to the gas station to fill up.

3Note the miles driven and the gas used to travel those miles.
Now there are two things you need to determine your mpg, which are the miles you drove and the gallons you used to drive those miles. So after filling up again, look at your trip meter or odometer to determine how many miles you traveled since that last fill up- say it is 320 miles. Then note how many gallons it took to fill up, say for example it took 14 gallons.

4Run the calculation to determine your mpg.
If you don't have a calculator handy you could probably use your cell phone as most have a built-in calculator: In this example, the total number of miles driven was 320, and the gallons of gas used to drive them was 14, so the calculation is: 320 miles ÷ 14 gallons = 22.9 miles-per-gallon or "22.9 mpg".

This number will fluctuate some depending on the amount city miles vs. highway miles you drove, as well as your driving style and environmental conditions etc., but is a very accurate figure as to your vehicles current fuel efficiency. Another great tool is the report that is offered every year by the EPA, or "Environmental Protection Agency". This annual report gives the EPA estimated city and highway mpg for each vehicle. You can find your vehicle's EPA estimates by referring to the appropriate annual report in PDF format on this page: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/download.shtml

My Chevy Silverado pickup has an EPA estimated 13 mpg for city and 17 mpg for highway. Keep in mind that these figures are for the vehicles as they come stock. I was consistently getting around 14.6 mpg when I first got this pickup, with the upgrades I have put on and the various steps I have taken to improve fuel efficiency, I now consistently get about 18.5 mpg. This page will serve to give you hints and tips to improve your vehicles current mpg figure, as well as refer you to quality products that offer a great return on investment by saving you money at the pump and helping your vehicle run optimally.

I think it is this step of determining an annual cost of gas that can really enlighten people to the importance of fuel efficiency, and subsequently really encourages people to find ways to increase gas mileage. Also, this annual cost figure serves to inform people as to the impact It is interesting to see
what even a 1 or 2 mpg
increase can save you
in a year.that various vehicle upgrades or changes to their driving style can make. They can see the effect an upgrade or change to their driving style has on their annual fuel cost bottom line. It is interesting to see what even a 1 or 2 mpg increase in your vehicle can save you in a year. There are many products that save you much more than what you actually spend on them, making them great investments for you and your vehicle. We'll cover them eventually but it is important to get a good idea as to how much you are spending per year on gas so I encourage you to do this by grabbing a calculator and running this quick calculation:

Total miles driven in a year / Your vehicle's mpg x the price per gallon of gas (annual average price)

1First, approximate the number of miles you put on your vehicle in a year. For me, it's about 10,000 miles.

2Then divide it by your mpg, I'll use my initial 14.6 mpg my pickup had when I first got it. After this step, you will have the approximate number of gallons of gas you use per year.

3Take that last number, which is the total number of gallons of gas you use per year, and multiply it by the price of gas (I know gas prices fluctuate significantly but decide on an annual average). This will give you the approximate cost of gas for you in a year.

Let's run my calculation:

10,000 miles ÷ 14.6 mpg × $3.50 per gallon = $2,397 per year

Now, lets calculate my annual cost of gas if I bump up my fuel efficiency by 2 mpg:

10,000 miles ÷ 16.6 mpg × $3.50 per gallon = $2,108 per year

That's a savings of: 2,397 − 2,108 = $289. In other words, I save approximately $289 by increasing my fuel efficiency by just 2 mpg. I was actually able to increase my mpg by 3.9 (from 14.6 to 18.5). You can run the calculation on that to see the actual savings, its pretty significant. There is some sense of responsibility that's important to note here as well. Though the savings are great, I find that the most satisfying aspect of implementing these changes is knowing that I'm being more efficient with what I have (in this case, in terms of fuel efficiency); the extra financial savings that go along with it are simply a tangible form of that satisfaction.

In this page I'll show you some practical ways that anyone can improve their fuel efficiency and refer you to quality products, many of which I use myself, to help you increase your mpg. When you install/use a product, continue checking your mpg to see the changes in your fuel efficiency. Then, use your new mpg figure and plug it into this annual fuel cost calculator to see your savings per year you just gained by implementing the new product.

Cold air intakes sound great when you rev the engine, and look great when you pop the hood. What a cold air intake essentially does is replace your stock air filter and improve the flow of air into your engine. Since air is a major component to the explosions in your pistons that are required to run your engine, improving the airflow into these make a significant difference in the way your vehicle performs.

Mechanics and car enthusiasts understand the significant benefits that are derived from a cold air intake, but most vehicle owners aren't aware of the benefits these intakes offer. Due to the increased airflow, there is a boost in torque, horsepower, as well as fuel efficiency, or mpg. Increases in torque and horsepower are fun and have their uses, but increases in mpg will save you money. Cold air intakes are an investment, and for most people, the cold air intake will pay for itself within a year through the savings you gain from the increase in fuel efficiency (refer to the mpg and annual fuel cost calculators above to see the gains).

There are many companies that make cold air intake. A few of the more prominent ones include Spectre, AEM, and K&N. I personally use a Spectre Cold Air Intake and saw a 2 mpg increase after installing it. I use K&N's Recharger Kit to clean and maintain my cold air intake. Each cold air intake comes in many models in order to fit in various vehicles. It is important for you to determine which cold air intake fits in your vehicle. What I will do in the next few sections is refer you to the appropriate air intake model for some of the most popular vehicles out there today.

I've heard it said that there are few car tires on the road that are actually inflated to their optimal psi. Not only is this important for safety reasons and the longevity of your vehicle, but it has a major impact on the fuel economy of your vehicle as well. To ensure proper inflation, you can find a sticker on the inside of your front door, or consult your owner's manual to find the optimal tire pressure. Then use a tire pressure gauge and an air compressor, as shown below, to ensure the proper air pressure is put in the tires.

Exhaust upgrades not only add to the appeal of your vehicle by showcasing the sound and power of your engine—the increased air flow offered by an aftermarket muffler/exhaust system can significantly improve gas mileage by decreasing what's called back pressure (air restriction) in your vehicle's airflow. It is often said that significant gains can be seen when a cold air intake is combined with a high-flow muffler. The decreased back-pressure offered by the muffler, coupled with improved air induction offered by the cold air intake, makes for a significant increase in airflow in your vehicle, and subsequently big gains in power and fuel efficiency as air is a major component of the "combustion" that powers your engine.

In the future I hope to provide more hints and tips in this section on how to go about improving your exhaust. You have options ranging from a simple aftermarket muffler installation, a cat-back system (from the catalytic converter on back), to a complete system that even entails the exhaust manifold coming right off the engine. Anyways, the important point is that there are many ways to improve the outflow of air from your engine and subsequently improve the performance and fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Simply looking into an aftermarket muffler for your vehicle is a great start.

I own a tonneau cover and love it. It has a low profile, as compared to a topper, yet still is capable of protecting cargo in the bed of your truck. Tonneau covers are multi-functional; they offer a way to shield your cargo from the elements, as well as offer an increase in fuel efficiency, or mpg. A tonneau cover usually adds about 1 mpg to a vehicle's fuel efficiency. Check out this Sema.org page on tonneau covers to learn more: Do Tonneu Covers Really Improve Gas Mileage?. This usually amounts to over $100 savings in gas per year, granted you are putting on 10,000 miles per year on your vehicle (You can do the math with the calculators above). In other words, your tonneau cover will pay for itself soon; from that break-even point you will be saving money and have a great cover to protect your cargo from the elements.

Aftermarket grilles often allow for increased airflow through your vehicle and can make a big impact at high speeds (highway/interstate driving) on your fuel economy. Grilles are very popular upgrades for pickup owners. Be sure that the grille is made for your specific vehicle.

A programmer is a little more spendy than the other "ways to save" mentioned in this article, but they really are a great investment. A programmer will likely pay for itself in gas savings in just 2-3 years. In addition to improved fuel efficiency, a programmer offers an assortment of tools to help you fine tune and keep an eye on your vehicle's performance. Some of the features of today's programmers include programming options for:

• Increasing horsepower, torque, and MPG


• Tuning across the power band, offering more power at any RPM


• Optimizing performance for various towing weights


• Reading and addressing trouble codes (codes used by mechanics etc. to diagnose vehicle problems)


• Optimizing transmission settings to keep you in the appropriate gear at all times


• Implementing limiters on top speed, temperature, and engine rev


• Adjusting engine performance upon changes in tire size

A lot of programmers contain many if not all of the capabilities mentioned above. They will generally plug right into your OBD-II, which is a port located right under your dash. People will often set them up with a dock for convenient display and access right on their dash, like a GPS. Many programmers also come with a software component compatible with the latest operating systems, which allows you to see detailed diagnostics and attributes of your vehicle's recent performance—just connect the programmer to your computer via USB. Many programmers also feature options for updating as the company comes out with new ways to tune your vehicle—you simply access the manufacturer's web site and download and install the latest software to make your programmer even more effective.

Like a lot of good advice, these driving tips can be difficult, initially, to implement as habits, but nonetheless are simple concepts. The following is a list of driving tips that, when performed habitually, will help you significantly improve your gas mileage, or mpg:

• Avoid Driving Aggressively
  Jack-rabbit driving (excessive accelerating and breaking) requires considerably more gas than driving sensibly. Some good procedures to follow include (1) using your cruise control, (2) avoiding breaking until you're under 40 mph (when approaching a necessary stop, coast until you're below 40 mph before applying pressure to the break), and (3) keeping your RPMs under a certain limit (will depend on your vehicle, but I shoot to generally keep my RPMs under 2000 for highway and 1500 for city). To keep your RPMs under this limit, if you have a manual, just shift before you hit this appropriate number, if you have an automatic, just let your foot off the accelerator for a second to gear up when accelerating, you'll feel the shift and see the RPMs drop. Try it.


• Lighten Your Load
  For every 50 lbs of cargo you carry, you can assume your vehicle's fuel efficiency will decrease by about 1%. So if your carrying an extra 250 lbs of weight around in the back, you'll have about a 5% decrease in fuel efficiency, which amounts to a knock off of about 1 mpg for your vehicle.


• Avoid Idling
  Maybe your vehicle gets 40 mpg highway and 36 mpg city, but keep in mind that it will always get 0 mpg in idle. I've heard it said that an engine start-up uses the equivalent of about 2 minutes of fuel when your vehicle is running. What does that mean?→For all general purposes, if you make a stop and you're vehicle will be idling for more than 2 minutes, shut it off.


• Obey the Speed Limit
  Speed limits were not just implemented for safety reasons; when officials determine speed limits, they also factor in environmental impact (emissions, wear and tear on roads, and traffic noise), as well as impact on fuel economy. Gas mileage decreases significantly for every mph exceeded over 60 mph.
  

In the future I plan on adding sections on "Driving Tips" and practices you can implement to help you improve the fuel efficiency of any vehicle you drive. I will be adding to this page from time to time in order to bring you valuable news and information on fuel efficiency. Check back often for more hints and tips to help you optimize your vehicle's fuel efficiency.