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Ideas on how to save fuel?

G

Gun guru

Well-known Member
We are all *issed about high prices at the pump but rifle off any ideas on how to save fuel while driving or other. Here is what I know.
1. Accelrate easy.
2. Drive slower, 55-60 instead of 70. (this has saved me 10%).
3. Does synthetic oil help? (dont really know)
4. Fuel additives,? Octane booster?
5. I talked to a guy yesterday that said he gets 5% better fuel economy with 93 octane then 87 in his 2007 F-150 truck. (might be true)
6. Used motor oil in diesel fuel? Other postings have been made on this.
7. properly inflated tires.
8. coast up to red lights, stop signs.
9. I have the instant on head lights, I turn those off right after starting the car in the daytime.
10. Does tailgating someone on the freeway help? less wind resistance
If you have anything to add to these ideas please share, I drive 50 miles/day the wifey drives 80 miles/day.
 
Couple of things.

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT mix diesel fuel with used oil. There are metal bits and acid in that oil that will destroy your injection pump as well as the motor. (After all that is the whole reason for changing oil.)

Watch the drafting. Very often trucks are going fast enought that any benefits from drafting are lost over just reducing speed. Only draft slow moving trucks and give them at least 30 yards.

93 octane over 87 will not save fuel on motors that do not need the octane. Also, since it costs 30 cents more a gallon--you are likely not to be saving anything.

Yes on the tire inflation. yes on slow acceleration, yes on tuneups and yes on trip consolodation.

Not much else you can do.
 
Ignore it! The cost per mile is about 3 cents over what it was at 3.00 per gal.. There is more to life than gas mileage...
 
Synthetic oil in engine and transmission saves me money. Also don't have to crawl under there so much.

If your rig has a engine computer that adjusts the spark, premium fuel will save money. Not all premium fuel is the same, I suspect stations are selling regular as premium and pocketing the difference.

Think ahead and get the big picture driving so you can drive as smoothly as possible. Decelerate up hill, let the hill be your brake.

I drive with the cruise control, trim the set point with the buttons, it does it smoother than I can with the pedal.

Brakes are a big no, you are converting energy to heat, energy you burned fuel for.
 
there are forums about burning waste motor oil as fuel. Has to be filtered well. Some use centrifugal type filters along with paper filter. Some use heaters in colder weather like the waste vegetable burners do. Inline mechanical injection pumps are said to work best.
Its better to use oil from gas engines than diesels.
 
Maybe on #3, but probably not enough to tell. With conventional oil I used to always notice a loss of power near the end of an oil change, switching to synthetic oil eliminated that power loss in my vehicles.

Yes on #5, but it depends on the vehicle. My Ram 1500 gets ~6% better milage (1mpg) on 89 vs 87 octane. My Durango with the same engine gets the same either way. Try it and see. The higher grades of fuel are a better deal now than before since the price per gallon has doubled and they are still .10 between grades.

No on #9, the electrical load is probably insignificant.

Here's a couple more:

-Don't use your AC, open the windows.
-Remove extra junk from the vehicle. Many people carry an extra few hundred pounds of 'stuff' for no particular reason, this is equivalent to always carrying another passenger.
-If your vehicle has a mechanical clutch for the cooling fan, make sure it still works. They should turn freely when cold.
-Clean air filter, good plugs and plug wires
-Although I have no proof, I have always felt that a coat of wax helped my milage. If not it sure looks better...
 
Just a few days ago I solved my problem. I have now parked this one except when I need to drag a trailer or haul something heavy.
350.jpg

And I bought this little gas saver. Gave 800 bucks for it and I figure it should pay for itself in a month or so in fuel savings driving to and from work daily. The best part, I can still haul stuff. If your confused by the emblem on the tailgate, yes it's really a Plymouth. 1980 model built by Mitsubishi for Plymouth and Dodge.
no50.jpg

The little 4 cylinder pick up trucks are going up in price in a hurry. Won't be long and you will be able to find the gas guzzlers sitting in peoples driveways with "FREE" written in the windshield.
 
"5. I talked to a guy yesterday that said he gets 5% better fuel economy with 93 octane then 87 in his 2007 F-150 truck. (might be true)" Perhaps it is true. But the 1998 F-150 with 5.4 V-8 will turn on the "Check Engine" light if higher octane fuel is used. Dealer service department confirms. Use regular in that truck.
I have a 4-cylinder import car with 6 speed manual trans, performance model. It gets about 10% better fuel economy on premium. Much more power, too. And the price spread on those grades is less than 10% more.
 
Diesel and WMO works well, you guys make it sound like your getting a half cup of metal shavings on each oil change. So whats the job the engine oil filter doing? I do filter it again before adding it to the tank down to approx. 1 micron. But it's been working well on an old diesel Benz for 400 miles so far. Inline injection pump, I haven't tried it on a rotary yet.
 
Foggy, leggy??, whatever,
All your points are valid EXCEPT the use of a higher grade fuel, one way to see what this does is with a computer scan tool. Computer controled engines have a knock sensor, when computer gets a knock signal it retards spark, resulting in poorer gas mileage. Mine; 3.4 Pontiac and 3.8 Olds seem to need about 88 octane, knock on 87(per scanner) none with 89 octane, so I buy the 89 (E10) which is 15cents cheaper so good all around.
 
Computer controled engines are funny, driving habits are remembered and adjusted for. I use 89 grade in my reg fuel (per manual) vehicles and get better mileage and a cheaper price because it's E10.
 
The old myth of turning the AC off and rolling the windows down only works below 30 to 40 mph. At highway speeds the open windows create enough extra drag to offset any fuel savings.

Also, newer air conditioners are improved in design to put less of a load on the engine.

When I"m on the job, I carry too much paper work in my car to drive with the windows down.
 
If you have a gasoline fueled vehicle, get a vacuum gauge. Try to drive with the highest vacuum possible at all times. I did this with my del Sol and gained a few mpg just by not pushing the pedal down so hard.

In my Accord I watch my instant fuel mileage on my ScanGauge, it's amazing how much you can let off the pedal and still maintain speed while improving mpg.

If you can bear to have your tires wear a bit more in the center than on the sides, inflate them to the max psi listed on the sidewall. Be prepared for a bit less traction, though.

If you're in the market for new tires, check out some of the low-rolling resistance tires designed for the hybrid cars. They don't ride quite as well, but could prove to help mpg.
 
#8 Coasting implies neutral requiring more braking. De-acelerating uses the engine for braking and doesn't use fuel. Ignore the 'No engine braking' signs. (I know it's for Jake Brakes but who will know?)
#9 May not use much power per unit but with eight of ten cars running with lights on can add to a lot and create a lot of heat.
As I've already said one incremental action won't make much difference but put several together and you will see a difference. The most important thing, I think, anyone can do is be patient. Even if you don't want to slow down respect the ones who do.
 
Hmmm - I've been using used motor oil in my diesel for over 30 years and never had a problem yet.

I also drove big trucks back in the 70s - and at that time just about all truck stops dumped their waste oil into the diesel tanks.

Also, I don't change my oil because it has bits of metal in it - as you stated. I change because the anti-wear and other additives wear out after awhile. Motor oil (minus the addtives) never wears out. It is also constantly filtered.
 
I have found that a big one for me is keeping better want lists so that I'm doing my errands when driving by instead of special trips. When I eliminate two trips per week thats 25 miles or $7.50
 
Save where you can and don't be deluded. Your water heater uses about the same as your car. Build a solar pre heater. Even the simple ones that can't be used in the winter will save a bundle. Buy a used econo box for when the guzzler is overkill.
Write to you congressman asking the EPA to allow the powerful 60 to 70 mpg diesels into the country. The U.S built Accord at 21/31 mpg is the highest mpg large car in the U.S. It gets 57 mpg in Europe. Scandalous.
 
1.Yes and no....... Accelrate easy.
2. Yes.... Drive slower, 55-60 instead of 70. (this has saved me 10%).
3. Yes, in cold weathe rin particular. Use 5X30 instead of 15W-40.....Does synthetic oil help? (dont really know)
4. Only if the engine is knocking on low octane fuel......Fuel additives,? Octane booster?
5. Yes, no and maybe......I talked to a guy yesterday that said he gets 5% better fuel economy with 93 octane then 87 in his 2007 F-150 truck. (might be true)
6. How much does you common rail i jection system cost to service???? Used motor oil in diesel fuel? Other postings have been made on this.
7. Huge yes..... properly inflated tires.
8. Huge yes.... coast up to red lights, stop signs.
9. Makes no perceptable difference, old wives tale....... I have the instant on head lights, I turn those off right after starting the car in the daytime.
10. Stupid and dangerous..... Does tailgating someone on the freeway help? less wind resistance
 

Probably none of those things are going to make a subtantial difference. Drive a small rig when you don't need big one, and don't drive just for the heck of it. If you commute 50-60 miles a day for work, you might need to change your job or rethink where you live.

Some of this reasoning will apply to home heating too - unless you've got your own stands of firewood.

One thing though in regard to something you listed. Contrary to what is intuitive, it has been proven in testing that driving a car with a cycle of accelerating and coasting often yields better fuel mileaage then driving with a steady foot. Along the same line - my father-in-law (Ford engineer) was involved in fuel mileage tests in hilly areas. They found that a car driven hard up a hill and coasted down the other side, got better mileage then one that tried to use its momentum and slowed while climbing a hill.

It's all kind of moot anyway - none makes a huge difference.

I've got two full size diesel trucks just sitting - except for when I need to haul firewood or pull a trailer. Driving little junkboxes most of the time now and love it - in regard to the fuel savings. Not much fun otherwise, though. My wife drives a 95 Geo 4WD Tracker and it averages 29 MPG. She also has a 91 diesel Volkswagon that averages 45 MPG. But, with the dollar extra per gallon for diesel, she's driving the Tracker most of the time. I've got a Chevy Chevette diesel that also averages 45 MPG and a little Isuzu PUP 4WD diesel pickup that gets 30-35MPG.

I just bought a 98 Dodge AWD Grand Caravan in hopes using it for many things I'd usually use a full-size truck for. It's been getting 20 - 24 MPG on the open road - and it uses gasoline. My best diesel truck gets 20 MPG - at $5 per gallon.
One thing I don't have a plan for is when we got camping with our slide-on camper onto a full size truck. But, we might start using the van and tents when we travel - we'll see.

I can see now why there are so many big trucks with tiny diesels in them over in Europe - and diesel overseas is still cheaper than gas.
 
I asked about low-rolling resistance tires at a major tire chain a couple years ago and they didn't even know what I was talking about.
 
I am driving 100+ miles per day. I drive a Chevy HHR, I am getting +30 mpg. My driving is almost all highway, so that helps. But my ultimate strategy is to retire by Sept 1, cutting my commuting expenses.... I seriously think that people will be living closer to work in the future.
 
I started zeroing my odometer when I start out for the day. Sort of an eye opener for just running around town. Small town just on the other side of the railroad tracks from me. By the end of some days I have 30 miles on the odometer.
 
The acceleration thing has been disproven in some situations. Doesn't seem to make sense - but it is what it is.
 
Reset the trip odometer with every gas fillup. Easy to compute mileage that way, and if you deviate from usual mileage, you"ll soon notice it.
 
Reset the trip odometer with every gas fillup. Easy to compute mileage that way, and if you deviate from usual mileage, you"ll soon notice it.
 
Tire size has a great bearing on mileage. Ever wonder why a lot of late model cars have 19-20-21-22" tires. On most, the circumference and diameter of the tire is close to that of a 15" tire. Some may be bigger, but they are lighter. The idea is to cut down the tire size from the rim to the pavement. This is to save weight--tire is heaver then most rims. This is called "unsprung weight" As far as gasoline octane boost, they do what they advertise to do. The only problem, that most people overlook, is that an average small container only boost the octane a percentage of a point. Read the bottle! In other words, you could put a gallon of octane boost to 20 galons of 87 and make it 93. Of course this is a guess aquired from my research. I might note that a lot of people carry a lot of unneccary weight in their vehicles this waste fuel in the long run. I use no oil additives in any vehicle I own because the manufacturer says not to.
 
1, Use the phone more instead of thinking you need to be there in person. 2,Use the internet. 3,Make one trip to town with a list of all family member's needs.4,Make a grocery list and use it so no more trips to town for "forgotten" items. 5, carpool to work (DUH!)6,Make the doctor's receptionist book your dr. appts to jive with other trips you have to make or visa-versa. If you need ANY type supplies/parts ask if they have an employee who might live near you that could drop it off as he or she goes by your place at closing time. etc,etc. The BEST way to save gas is to not drive when you don't need to!!! If you just HAVE to leave the house then get on your bike and go. How many times have you drove to Tractor Supply only to see two of your neighbors there too?? DUH!!! PRIDE costs a lot of fuel! It doesn't hurt to ask! AND it doesn't hurt to OFFER! Something wrong with calling a couple of close neighbors to say you are going to town and ask if they need anything???? We could ALL use a few lessons from our ancestors who did these very things as a way of life. We are spoiled to the core.
 
Does the road surface have any effect on the gas mileage? Some road surfaces create a real hum in the car, some are relatively rough, some are as smooth as glass!
 
If local traffic lights were timed correctly. This would save taxpayers gas. Seen a study on yellow lights (seconds) were programed to shorten by a second each light. Bottom line if you wanted to hit all green, you have to speed & the last yellow light was so short a camera would get your plate # and running red light citations were mailed to you. You pay taxes to these a##es devise methods to generate revenue.
UPS deleveries are mapped out for drivers with no left turns.
HTH
Led
 
On your question re" road surfaces---I know the answer is yes on tire wear. NHTSA ? used to publish a tire wear list, and one of the sections stated (as would appear to be obvious) that the smoother the road surface the less tire wear.
I"d be inclined to think the same about mileage: the smoother the surface, the less rolling resistance, the better mileage.
If you lived in a city, did your Dad ever run the car along the streetcar tracks to give you a "limousine" ride??
 
It is a computer controlled engine, for whatever reason the computer is senseing a knock and retarding the timing causing the engine to labor.
 
Hello gun guru
#3 question on your post. YES 1 to 3 %
I am getting 1% more fuel mileage with the shyntetic oil. I have been told some people get up to 3%, especially with smaller engines, 3.000 cc or less.
Guido.
 
You have raised some good ideas no one else has mentioned. Using the computer, catalogs and /or phone to check things out and order rather than driving around can be a big saver. Also consolodating trips make a list etc. I try to do ALL my parts chasing, shopping , banking etc while I am out and about for work , and plan these errands around my work schedule so I do as little extra driving as I can . (i've been doing this all along, mostly to save time, but it saves fuel too). Many of the other tips mentioned(slower speed, tire inflation, using smaller vehicles/motorcycle) are good too. As you said the best way to save fuel is limit your driving as much as possible. (except for tractor shows and auctions)
 
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