High Gas Prices Impact Gas Mileage

Today’s rising costs in the economy coupled with rising gas prices have raised many concerns for consumers. With the increase in gasoline prices, is it any wonder that drivers are focusing on improving their gas mileage so as to minimize the number of fill-ups they need. The obvious solution is to only drive when absolutely necessary, but that can be difficult for those who have to commute back and forth to work each day. Commuting daily to your place of employment results in filling up the tank at least once per week and in some cases more.

HOW TO INCREASE GAS MILEAGE

Here at Auto Clinic of Franklin, we understand full well the challenges that we are all faced with right now with the rising cost of gasoline and in the economy as a whole. With that said, we have put together some helpful tips to help you get where you need to go while spending less money on gasoline.

• · Brake and Accelerate Less – Constant braking and accelerating can certainly contribute to wasted gas usage. When you travel at slower, more reasonable speeds, you will not have to brake as often when driving. Rather, when travelling at a slower speed you can gradually slow down and brake at a slower pace, saving gas. In addition, to save gas and money, avoid sudden, abrupt accelerations which are proven to use and waste more gasoline.
• · Minimize Wind Resistance – Especially in the summer and warm weather months, we all like to drive around with the windows down, T-tops off and sun roofs open. Though it is far more comfortable to do so, wind resistance increases your gasoline usage and costs. Minimize those gas costs by keeping the windows up and the sun roofs closed.
• · Reduce Sit and Run Time – Many of us are guilty of warming our vehicles up in the winter and cooling them in advance in the summer. However, when you allow your vehicle to sit and run for extended periods of time, you are wasting gas. It is a simple matter of disciplining yourself to just wait until you are in the vehicle and start your drive to set the AC or heater as needed. You may want to minimize the amount of time you run your AC or heater during these challenging times since doing so will help to conserve on gas.
• · Tire Pressure, Wheel Alignment and Oil Changes – You can easily increase the amount of gas you are using when your tires do not have sufficient air levels. A greater drag against the roadway is created as a result of low air tires and this forces your vehicle to use more gasoline. In addition, an improper wheel alignment and dirty filters will also result in the use of more gasoline. These simple preventative maintenance tasks should be performed to help increase gas mileage, reduce gas usage and save money.
• · Lighten Your Vehicle Load – Lower gas consumption and savings can result when the amount of weight your vehicle is carrying is lessened. Avoid keeping heavy items in your trunk and you are sure to enjoy some simple gas savings.

TRUST THE PROS AT AUTO CLINIC OF FRANKLIN

Here at Auto Clinic of Franklin our team of highly skilled and experienced automotive technicians is committed to providing our valued clients with the highest quality automotive products and services this side of Tennessee. We want to remind all our customers that routine preventative maintenance is not only beneficial to saving money and reduced gas mileage, but also contributes greatly to the life span of your vehicle. Here at Auto Clinic of Franklin we stand ready to serve you with all your automotive needs. Give a call out to one of our team to schedule your preventative maintenance appointment today.