Maximizing Your Gas Mileage

[Adam's Apple]

Fueling Fact or Fiction?
By Abe Aamidor for the Indianapolis Star
March 21, 005

With gas prices at record highs, it's time to learn the truth about maximizing your miles per gallon.

When it comes to cars, tips on how to save gasoline rank with the Ten Commandments.

But what do you really know about fuel economy? With gasoline prices hovering at or near record prices in recent days -- and the peak summer vacation travel season yet to come -- it's time to put up or shut up.

Take the following "True or False" quiz to measure your GQ (that's short for Gas Quotient).

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. Always inflate your tires to the "maximum" pressure as embossed on your tire's sidewall.

2. Cleaning out the trunk of your car will improve gas mileage.

3. In summer, turn off your air conditioning and roll down the windows to save fuel.

4. High-octane fuel gives better gas mileage than "regular."

5. Manual-transmission cars provide better fuel economy than automatics.

6. "Amazing new discovery improves gas mileage 72 percent!"

7. Cruise control helps save fuel in flat terrain, but not hilly terrain.

8. In summer, buy gas during the coolest part of the day to get more gas for your money.

9. Gas/electric-hybrid cars aren't much better at fuel economy than traditional gas-powered cars, in spite of all the hype.

10. Buy the cheapest brand of gasoline -- it's all the same anyway.

For answers go to the website:
http://www.indystar.com/articles/0/230691-8540-047.html

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Fueling Fact or Fiction?
By Abe Aamidor for the Indianapolis Star
March 21, 005

With gas prices at record highs, it's time to learn the truth about maximizing your miles per gallon.

When it comes to cars, tips on how to save gasoline rank with the Ten Commandments.

But what do you really know about fuel economy? With gasoline prices hovering at or near record prices in recent days -- and the peak summer vacation travel season yet to come -- it's time to put up or shut up.

Take the following "True or False" quiz to measure your GQ (that's short for Gas Quotient).

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. Always inflate your tires to the "maximum" pressure as embossed on your tire's sidewall.

2. Cleaning out the trunk of your car will improve gas mileage.

3. In summer, turn off your air conditioning and roll down the windows to save fuel.

4. High-octane fuel gives better gas mileage than "regular."

5. Manual-transmission cars provide better fuel economy than automatics.

6. "Amazing new discovery improves gas mileage 72 percent!"

7. Cruise control helps save fuel in flat terrain, but not hilly terrain.

8. In summer, buy gas during the coolest part of the day to get more gas for your money.

9. Gas/electric-hybrid cars aren't much better at fuel economy than traditional gas-powered cars, in spite of all the hype.

10. Buy the cheapest brand of gasoline -- it's all the same anyway.

For answers go to the website:
http://www.indystar.com/articles/0/230691-8540-047.html

1-i believe that to be true
2-depends on how much crap you have in it.
3-100% true
4-no, it depends on what your engine takes
5-yes/true
6-huh?
7-true
8-no/false
9-false
10-false, some brands are better than others-i know from experience

 

[Adam's Apple]

Fuzzy, you can get the answers by clicking on the url.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Fuzzy, you can get the answers by clicking on the url.

i know, i didn't have time to finish my post.

anyway...these are the ones i got wrong:
#1-this can be considered true, because properly inflated tires do assist in your car getting the best mileage.
#3-i drop about 50-75 miles per tank (my average in summer is 375-395)by using the AC. when i roll my windows down, my mileage doesn't drop as much, maybe 20-30 miles. I drive mostly highway miles as well.
#8-often i don't have time to think about what time of day I get gas. it's usually when my 'low fuel' light comes on. i then have 22 miles to find a station.
#9-whodathunkit? i went to the Mpls Int'l Auto Show this weekend, and the hybrids were the big stars...

 

[dmp]

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. Always inflate your tires to the "maximum" pressure as embossed on your tire's sidewall.

False

2. Cleaning out the trunk of your car will improve gas mileage.

Kind of True - Removing undo weight from the car can reduce the amount of fuel required to accelerate at a given rate


3. In summer, turn off your air conditioning and roll down the windows to save fuel.

False - Just use less gas pedal. I'd bet wind resistance created by rolling down windows is worse for economy

4. High-octane fuel gives better gas mileage than "regular."

False - High Octane fuel is HARDER to burn than lower octane fuel. Higher octane is to protect the engine from pre-detonation. In fact, on my personal car, I get 2mpg increase by running 89 Octane fuel, compared with 92 Octane. (19mpg on 89, 17mpg on 92 - on average)

5. Manual-transmission cars provide better fuel economy than automatics.

True Less gas pedal...when you let off the gas to shift, you are reducing gas consumption.

6. "Amazing new discovery improves gas mileage 72 percent!"

False - Snake Oil


7. Cruise control helps save fuel in flat terrain, but not hilly terrain.

False- I'd bet CC saves fuel in all situations.

8. In summer, buy gas during the coolest part of the day to get more gas for your money.

True - Not sure why...but, sure..why not? Less gas 'vapor' more 'gas'?

9. Gas/electric-hybrid cars aren't much better at fuel economy than traditional gas-powered cars, in spite of all the hype.

False - They are MUCH better...especially in-town. On the freeways, however, there is less of a gap in mileage. Most of the new hybrids get better mileage by a decent amount, while driven in town. While at slower speeds, the vehicle uses more electric motor, as opposed to more gas motor at freeway speeds.


10. Buy the cheapest brand of gasoline -- it's all the same anyway.

False - Detergents added to gas from better companies can do a good job of reducing deposits, on gas-touching parts.

 

[dmp]

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. Always inflate your tires to the "maximum" pressure as embossed on your tire's sidewall.

False

2. Cleaning out the trunk of your car will improve gas mileage.

Kind of True - Removing undo weight from the car can reduce the amount of fuel required to accelerate at a given rate


3. In summer, turn off your air conditioning and roll down the windows to save fuel.

False - Just use less gas pedal. I'd bet wind resistance created by rolling down windows is worse for economy

4. High-octane fuel gives better gas mileage than "regular."

False - High Octane fuel is HARDER to burn than lower octane fuel. Higher octane is to protect the engine from pre-detonation. In fact, on my personal car, I get 2mpg increase by running 89 Octane fuel, compared with 92 Octane. (19mpg on 89, 17mpg on 92 - on average)

5. Manual-transmission cars provide better fuel economy than automatics.

True Less gas pedal...when you let off the gas to shift, you are reducing gas consumption.

6. "Amazing new discovery improves gas mileage 72 percent!"

False - Snake Oil


7. Cruise control helps save fuel in flat terrain, but not hilly terrain.

False- I'd bet CC saves fuel in all situations.

8. In summer, buy gas during the coolest part of the day to get more gas for your money.

True - Not sure why...but, sure..why not? Less gas 'vapor' more 'gas'?

9. Gas/electric-hybrid cars aren't much better at fuel economy than traditional gas-powered cars, in spite of all the hype.

False - They are MUCH better...especially in-town. On the freeways, however, there is less of a gap in mileage. Most of the new hybrids get better mileage by a decent amount, while driven in town. While at slower speeds, the vehicle uses more electric motor, as opposed to more gas motor at freeway speeds.


10. Buy the cheapest brand of gasoline -- it's all the same anyway.

False - Detergents added to gas from better companies can do a good job of reducing deposits, on gas-touching parts.

here are the website's answers....scroll way down...

1. FALSE -- The "maximum" pressure rating on your tire's sidewall has nothing to do with fuel economy; it only refers to maximum safe inflation. Consult your owner's manual for proper tire inflation, and adhere to it.

"It's worth getting an accurate gauge," says Jim Davis, a spokesman for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.

2. TRUE -- Every 200 pounds of unnecessary weight shaves one mile per gallon, according to auto parts dealer AutoZone (see www.procarcare.com for additional information).

3. FALSE -- Turning off the A/C does increase engine efficiency, but rolling down the windows increases drag, which requires the engine to expend more energy. What to do, then? Here's some sage advice from an environmental group known as Earth Share of Washington (esw.org): At lower speeds, open the windows or sunroof to stay cool. At higher speeds, use the car's fan instead.

4. FALSE -- Octane refers only to a fuel's resistance to "knock" or "ping." Using the wrong octane in a high-performance or high-compression engine can be a problem. But only 6 percent of all cars on the road require high-octane gas, while 10 percent of all gas sold is high octane, reports the Federal Trade Commission.

5. TRUE -- "Automatic transmissions generally degrade fuel economy." So says the Office of Mobile Sources at the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory. But some newer automatics do have five gears, which matches the number in most manual transmissions. Also, do not "lug" a manual transmission (meaning shift too soon), and do not race the engine, either (shift too late).

6. FALSE -- The Environmental Protection Agency frequently tests these gimmicky devices, which typically are connected to the car's fuel/air-intake system. For example, the EPA tested the "Vitalizer III Aftermarket Retrofit Device" in 1999, which promised amazing improvements in both fuel economy and emissions control.

Conclusions? Substantially increased emissions, and less than 1 percent improvement in fuel economy, which the EPA deemed statistically insignificant.

7. TRUE -- According to Edmunds .com, "if you are driving in hilly terrain, using cruise control typically causes your vehicle to speed up faster (to maintain the preset speed) than it would if you were operating the accelerator yourself." You'll use more fuel.

8. TRUE -- Savings are slight, but fuel is denser when it's cooler, meaning you'll get more gas for your money. "Gas pumps measure volumes of gas, not the concentration," says Courtney Gable, a Los Angeles-based free-lance journalist, writing on losangeles.about.com.

9. TRUE -- This is controversial, but several sources note that real-world driving conditions take a greater toll on gas-electric hybrid EPA estimates than on traditional gas-powered cars. Also, you can always improve fuel economy in your next automobile purchase by buying the lightest model you can live with and the smallest available engine, and turning off your car at long stoplights, then restarting on "green."

"In normal use, the margin between truly comparable hybrid and non-hybrid cars could be less than 10 percent," reports thetruthaboutcars.com.

10. FALSE -- Several sources insist that all gasolines are not alike. Main differences are detergent level (generally, the more the better, which keeps your car or truck's fuel/air-intake system clean) and volatility (better brands of gasoline simply are more explosive, producing more energy to drive your car or truck). See lincolnsonline.com/article99.html for a nontechnical discourse on why detergent levels and volatility matter.

So - I got 8 out of 10...but I still say I got #9 right.

 

[5stringJeff]

9. Gas/electric-hybrid cars aren't much better at fuel economy than traditional gas-powered cars, in spite of all the hype.

False - They are MUCH better...especially in-town. On the freeways, however, there is less of a gap in mileage. Most of the new hybrids get better mileage by a decent amount, while driven in town. While at slower speeds, the vehicle uses more electric motor, as opposed to more gas motor at freeway speeds.

So the moral is, live in town close to your job so you never have to travel on the freeway, and you'll get great gas mileage.

 

[dmp]

So the moral is, live in town close to your job so you never have to travel on the freeway, and you'll get great gas mileage.

Hybrids still offer great mileage on the freeways...just 'better' in town, where they can use the electric motor more.