ways to conserve gasoline while driving?

Question

other than carpooling! i'm not interested in answers like parking a block away or walking.

i want to know, does driving fast waste gas? if i drove from point 1 to point 2 at a fast speed, would it use more gasoline than if i drove from 1 to 2 at a slower speed?

are there any other techniques that i can use to use less gas while i'm in the car?

i have a jeep liberty and the gas just gets eaten up.
thanks so much!! :)

Answer 1

There are quite a few ways to save gasoline

1) Make sure your engine is well lubricated and everything is clean. Some engine additives will do this, but above all make sure the oil levels are good

2) When starting at a red light, don't gun the motor. Accelerate slowly

3) When braking for a light or stop sign, don't do it at the last minute, coast to a stop

4) Don't run the AC if you can help it. Crack a window

5) Make sure your tires are inflated properly

6) Remove any excess weight you can. No need to be hauling around that case of water if you don't need it

7) Use cruise control on the highways to maintain a constant RPM

8) Make sure you are using the octane of fuel that the car manufacturer recommends. If they say use 87 (like mine does) don't use 85.

9) If you are stopping for more then one minute, turn off the car. So if the line at the drive through is crawling, turning off the car will actually save you gas.

Answer 2

First and foremost, easy on the gas, easy on the brake.
The biggest fuel use is accelerating from a stop, to any speed. Try to catch the lights, avoid stop and go.
When moving along maintain a steady pace. Ideally holding the throttle steady is more important than steady speed.
Let hills work for you.
Cruise control on hilly roads is a bad idea. The car will increase the throttle to go up, let off coming down. Again the steady throttle is better. Use your best judgment of course.
Keep the vehicle light, don't haul a ton of stuff around with you.
Check the tire pressure. Low tire pressure can make major increases in fuel usage. (some cars worse than others)
Driving slower helps. It takes X fuel to move X weight X speed, there's no way around that.
Don't run the A/C unless you absolutely need it. And remember in many vehicles the A/C runs on defrost/defog.

Answer 3

I heard that driving fast does waist gas. My bf proves this to be true. I also heard that your car may need a tune up if it is eating more gas than usual. Then I heard that your car may have a lot of miles and ready to be traded in if this is the case because this causes gas to go fast.
What i do to save is not use the air conditioner with the light part on so it is cooler, because this uses gas and I try to drive at the speed limit. Then I try to not do these stop and go things. I try to tackle as many things in one drive so I dont waist gas.

Answer 4

Is it an automatic? If your car is a manual, shifting at lower RPM's will consume less gas, but also will not burn up materials in your engine that need to be burned off, so you get a buildup of gunk. Other than that, use cruise control on the freeways, don't "hot rod" your car around, don't let your car run when it doesn't need to (waiting to pick someone up, etc.), and don't run your car in the morning to warm it up (these newer cars do not need to "warm up" in mornings). Also, think about buying a gas card; it has saved a lot of people a ton of money!

Driving faster does consume more gas, so try sticking to the speed limit on freeways and highways, as horrible as that sounds! lol

Answer 5

Here's something the driver's ed instructor taught that has stuck with me over the years:
Pretend your gas pedal is made of eggshells; step lightly, and you will not waste gas. Gunning the engine uses more gas.
Also; try coasting into stop signs and red lights, rather than hard braking.
Happy conserving!

Answer 6

Best advice: Treat the pedals gently. Anticipate stops. Ignore the kid in the next lane revving his engine. Anything over 55 mph is trading gas for time. Heat and radio are irrelevant. Turning the engine off isn't going to matter unless you expect to be stopped for a long period, like for a freight train. Gliding in neutral can help a little.

Answer 7

Driving fast does use more gasoline than driving slow.

Under-inflated tires uses more gas.

Keeping heavy stuff in your car uses up gas.

"Jack rabbit" starts at traffic stops use more gas than steadily applying the gas.

Answer 8

I have read that driving with your windows shut uses less gas than driving with them down and the ac off...one article I read said that more gas was used in accelerating ...so you may save a few miles per gallon if you drive a cosistant speed...
jeep is coming out with a diesel option you may want to check into that...with a diesel you get better milage longer engine life and different fuel options..bio diesel ect..for some reason I just keep typing ...http://www.fueleconomy.gov/
a link with infohttp://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworst.shtml
hope the links help...cant seem to stop typing.....peace

Answer 9

1.) Don't accelerate like a drag racer
2.) Coast when you can
3.) Keep tires at pressure
The belief that turning off the car at a red light or riding up close to another car on a normal street to maintain speed is a total myth.
Your vehicle is not very energy efficient, though, so your options are relatively limited.

Answer 10

running the ac takes up more gas, and if you drive at a steady stable speed, you should be able to conserve some gas. other than that i'm not sure...