Increasing car mileage has become one of the key priorities for many drivers due to the high price of fuel today. It could not only save you a lot of money but also help to reduce the carbon footprint of your automobile. With just a few simple changes of your driving habits and maintenance practices, you will see significant improvement in car mileage and feel all the benefits of having a fuel-efficient car. In this article, I would like to talk about the best ways to increase car mileage.
What Is Car Mileage?
First of all, it is important to understand what car mileage means and why is it needed. It is a measure of distance your car can cover using a single gallon of gasoline measured in miles per gallon (mpg). In addition, fuel efficiency is another concept that stands for the rate of your vehicle’s fuel consumption. Therefore, if the car mileage is high enough, the fuel efficiency is likely to be good as well and thus, your car will be much cheaper to use and eco-friendlier.
How to Increase Your Car Mileage
There are several ways to increase car mileage. First of all, regular maintenance is extremely important. You should make sure your vehicle has been supplied with oil and other necessary fluid, the engine is well maintained and the air filter is changed after 15,000 – 30,000 miles. All these measures are necessary for increasing car mileage.
Your driving habits have a significant effect on the car mileage too. For example, aggressive driving, such as speeding or making abrupt maneuvers can decrease fuel efficiency by 33% on the highway and by 5% in the city. Thus, you should adopt the following eco-friendly driving techniques in order to increase car mileage:
* Accelerate steadily and smoothly
* Use cruise control on the highway
* Try to keep the constant speed as much as possible
* Use eco-mode (if available)
* Do not over-brake and avoid sudden turns
* Try to remove additional load from your car, e.g., luggage or extra passengers
Optimizing your engine might be a great solution in case you want to increase car mileage. Here are some useful tips on how to optimize your engine:
* Use the right fuel. Using the wrong type of fuel can decrease your car mileage by 30%
* Replace spark plugs. Old spark plugs will reduce the efficiency of the engine.
* Use a fuel additive. It will help you improve car mileage because it cleans the engine.
* Do not over-rev the engine. Doing so may significantly reduce the car mileage.
Another thing you should always think about when trying to increase car mileage is the correct pressure of the tires. If the tire pressure is low, your mileage is expected to be reduced by 3% on the highway and by 10% in the city. Check your tire pressure at least once a month to maintain the recommended pressure in all four tires. What is more, if possible, install a tire pressure monitoring system to alert you when the pressure of the tire is low.
More Ways of Improving Fuel Efficiency
Eco-friendly driving techniques are the perfect tool you could use for increasing car mileage. Here are a few techniques to consider:
* Drive smoothly. Do not make sudden movements to improve car mileage
* Use coasting. When approaching traffic lights or other objects requiring a sudden stop, use coasting technique to save energy and reduce braking.
* Use eco-mode. If your car has the eco-mode setting, you will surely benefit from it.
* Remove extra weight from your car as much as possible.
Apart from all the tips mentioned above, there are several other ways to increase car mileage:
* Use efficient driving routes in advance to plan them. Avoid traffic and construction sites to reduce fuel consumption.
* Use a fuel-efficient car. Buy a new fuel-efficient model to save money and fuel.
* Try to combine trips whenever possible. This will reduce fuel consumption greatly.
* Install a gas-saving app. There are plenty of apps to help you find the cheapest gas prices in your area.
