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Kyle Busch
Automotive ExaminerKyle is an auto enthusiast and consumer advocate with over 30 years of experience. Author of “Drive the Best for the Price…” He welcomes your comments and car questions on his website www.DriveTheBestBook.com . Kyle’s car has over 500,000 miles and he even has the same name as the #18 NASCAR driver.
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Better Gas Mileage Now
4 comments
by Kyle Busch, Automotive Examiner
Hybrid and Diesel powered cars are great, but what if you want to keep driving the vehicle you have and get better gas mileage?
Most drivers are aware of the suggested ways of improving vehicle gas mileage that includes: avoiding sudden starts and stops, keeping tires inflated to the recommended pressure, avoiding the use of air conditioning, guiding down hills, etc.
In addition to these measures, what other steps will help you to save fuel in real-world driving?
The Importance of Tires
When you are ready to buy a new set of tires for your car, consider getting a larger diameter tire. For example, if your car is equipped with a 205 65 15" tire, consider getting a 205 70 15" tire. The first number (205) is the width of the tire. The second number (65) is the distance from the rim to the tread or the tire sidewall. The third number (15) is the size of the rim. The idea is to increase the second number, the sidewall of the tire. Each 5-point increase represents a half-inch larger tire sidewall. A 205 75 15" tire is about 1 inch taller as compared to a 205 65 15” tire. The width of the tire is the same and the rim size is the same. Therefore, a taller sidewall tire usually costs the same as the smaller sidewall tire.
Before making a switch to a larger tire, ask the tire technician if your car can accept the larger tire. You do not want the tires to hit the wheel wells of your car. Some cars will accept an inch larger tire and most cars will accept a half-inch larger tire.
Watch Your Speed
If you install larger tires on your car, realize that you will be traveling about 5 miles per hour faster than your car's speedometer indicates. Therefore, you would need to drive about 5 miles per hour slower to be driving the speed indicated on your car’s speedometer.
Driving in the real world
When I purchased set of larger tires for my car, rather than the usual 42 miles from my home to my office, my speedometer read 36 miles. Thus, I gained about 6 miles in fuel savings on my one way commute to work. This represents about a 12% gain in fuel economy.
More Gas Savers
If you drive a car with a standard transmission, consider using gears 1st, 3rd, and 5th when you travel on the interstate.
Additionally, some auto parts stores sell a fuel saving device called a Tornado that is fitted in the airflow tube between the air filter and the engine’s throttle body. The Tornado swirls the air and increases the amount of air entering the engine. This increases the engine’s power and fuel economy. Using less fuel will save you money, however, additional savings are possible by making your car run a few years longer.
Topics: body , Gas prices , gas mileage , save fuel
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