Cars

Increase Gas Mileage

The Untold Secrets To Increasing Your Gas Mileage.

Increasing gasoline prices have become a cause of major concern. Coupled with the environmental pollution caused by its by-products, 'increase gas mileage' has earned significant prominence.

Therefore it becomes important to find ways to increase gas mileage of your vehicle and limit the consumption of fuel.

Like any other treatment, if you consider your car as the patient, there are conventional and unconventional methods of going about it, which will eventually increase the gas mileage of your car. Here are the golden rules for an 'increased mileage':

* Tire pressure and alignment are something which most of us do not associate with gas-mileage. Yet it is proven that filling tires with their recommended pressures and proper alignment can increase gas-mileage by up to three percent!
* It is recommended that you replace your air-filters if it too dry or old, in order to enhance your gas-mileage.
* Try to minimize the use of your car's air-conditioner and unnecessary idling- which can save up to five percent of your precious gasoline.
* Regular servicing and tuning is important, which includes setting the gap in the spark plugs, spark plug wires and replacing fouled fuel injectors.
* Mileage decreases very rapidly after speeds above 60 miles per hour. Use over drive gears and cruise controllers while driving in highway conditions, which helps in avoiding unnecessary wastage of fuel.
* It is advisable that you do not let unnecessary stuff accumulate in the trunk of your vehicle. Every 100 pounds can reduce your car's mileage by as much as two percent.
* Avoid packing items on the top of your car. Carrying luggage on your roof-top-carriers increase wind resistance, resulting in decreased mileage.

Apart from the above mentioned conventional ways of increasing or rather optimizing your vehicle's gas-mileage, there are 'other' unconventional ways to do the same. This includes the use of acetone with gasoline or the use of octane as an additive.

Mixing acetone with gasoline (1 part per 3000-5000 parts) helps in reducing the surface tension of gasoline and helps in complete vaporization of gasoline, which significantly contributes to increased-mileage and engine longevity.

Sports utility vehicles will obviously have lesser mileage, primarily because of its size and weight. Hence it is advisable that you use your vehicle less frequently and can even take bicycle rides for short distances and otherwise go in for car pools.

Certain vehicles consume more fuel with the windows rolled down, due to wind resistance and the drag. Hence such cars can end up consuming less amount of gasoline, with their ACs switched on and windows rolled up.

Various myths exist, about the ways to save fuel and decrease fuel consumption. Interesting ones include the use of turbulent air flow in the carburetor and the cold intake of air in the engine (a smooth and warm air intake helps in saving-fuel and not the other way round).

Lots of alternate fuels, battery operated cars and hybrid cars are increasingly finding space in this sphere as definitive solutions. But rest assured, gasoline is here to stay and the best way to cope with its ever increasing price is to increase gas mileage of your car.

Article Published: Tuesday 9th January 2007