Enjoy!

Hopefully, you will have saved a lot of money if you keep this up. Hope this helped!

Comments

[lsargent]

Since this was your first instructable, I'll be nice.

coasting down a hill in gear or out of gear in a car while disregarding the brakes is highly dangerous. If you want to avoid riding the brakes, engine brake with your car by putting it in a lower gear. The compression of the engine will keep you from going too fast.

[PhantomOfHeat]

 Also look for stations that do not have ethanol in the gas that kills mileage.

[Vinsu]

This is what pisses me up: here in Finland the once cheaper 95 octave gas has now more ethanol thus more fuel consuming and more consumptive on fuel system, corroding it slowly. This newly named "E10" (meaning the maximum ethanol percent of 10%) isn't even recommended for older cars and many people have had their engine modifyed because of this. So I'm sticking on the old and pricy "98" no matter what the enviromentalist say. Correct me if necessary, I love the Earth but not enough to pay for gas that at the same time risks my car's engine and is consumed more.

[Prometheus]

Using sub-standard gasoline can and will actually reduce your gas mileage and increase your emissions, because these gasolines don't burn as efficiently, and they also load gunk into the engine.The first step in fuel mileage and engine efficiency is quality fuels and lubricants. What you invest now into these saves you in repairs in the long run.

I didn't get 47MPG out of a 155+HP engine on Citgo or Arco gasoline.....Chevron only, and a quality fuel means more then better emissions, but also means replacing your catalytic-converter less often, which is a big savings in maintenance. Poor fuels have water and sediment that can damage sensitive engine components subtly, leading to poor overall fuel mileage.

If you are traveling downhill and see yourself coming to a stop, take it out of gear (manual transmission only...if you are driving an automatic, fuel mileage is not important to you). There is no need to have the engine revving if you are coming to a stop and you are sure that your brakes are functional....Fuel burned for the rpm range is minimal under a reverse load, however, that is fuel burned that exceeds idle speed. As a precaution, be prepared to use the engine to brake in any situation, as one should not assume that their brakes will never fail.

In most any jurisdiction, it is deemed safe to pass through the intersection if you can never have possibly seen the red light as you passed through. Simply put, if you see yellow and can stop reasonably, you should.

Assuming reliance on AAA is not adviseable as they cannot always respond to a particular location...Learn to change a tire yourself and save that tow for when you actually need it. Never get under the car with an emergency jack, always tighten lug nuts/bolts in a criss-cross pattern. Pick one nut/bolt and label that #1. Count clockwise on the driver's side, and counter-clockwise on the passenger side, and proceed as follows. Repeat this procedure in no less than two steps of gradual tightening (recheck with a third step is advisable). This is how you tighten wheels so that they don't fall off later:

4-bolt = 1-3-4-2
5-bolt = 1-3-5-2-4
6-bolt = 1-3-5-2-4-6

Remember that lugs are threaded right and left for each side of the car. Simply-put, the handle of the lug-wrench should point toward the rear of the car as you push down on either side to loosen. To the front of the car to tighten.

If you have not changed the tire within 50 miles of installing it, repeat the above steps, with two rotations of the bolt-circle....this means check every bolt/nut twice in a circular motion. Each nut should be snug within a significant amount of force by hand, such as the force with which you would shove a person in a bar-fight, placed instead on that factory-included lug-wrench. The criss-crossing is to assure even tension and to avoid warping of the hub or brake rotor.

You should now know how to change a tire. If not, read this post again until you get it.

[petty]

let me add the hypermiling techniques on [url=http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/lp/0809/save-gas.html]
]tips to save gas[/url], the best and surest way. Did you know that our driving style has a big impact on fuel economy? And by changing the way we drive improves fuel economy by 37%.

[gizmosass]

Slowing down from 75-80mph to 55mph on the highways will make a significant increase in gas mileage. Try it. I did. With my late model Jeep Cherokee, the mileage went from 19.5 to 27mpg. I noticed others are slowing down, too. What's the big rush, anyway?

[colin_bignall]

good instructable, kickstarting conversation like this is never a bad thing, also good to see u thinking of the environment, never even gave it a second thought when i was lerning to drive x number of years ago, keep up the good work 10/10

[timmy1234s]

thanks. I really appreciate the support.

[beavercleaver]

Good suggestions. I would add shutting engine off if idle time exceeds 30 seconds. Change fuel filter, a restricted filter lowers pressure at the fuel rail, and the fuel does not vaporize as efficiently without the pressure the injectors are designed to operate at. Run a good quality injector cleaner through the fuel system at oil change time, carbon buildup from babying the throttle will block flow into the heads, forcing more throttle to get the minimum response. Make certain you are using the manufacturer recommended oil viscosity, thicker oil will rob 1-2 mpg. Use a oil additive such as "slick 50" they really do work, the less power lost through friction, the better. One work of caution, DO NOT turn off the key and coast automatic transmissions, the front pump sends trans fluid through the bushings for lubrication, without the pump operating, the driveshaft bushing will dry out and kill your transmission., manuals, OK.

[Tool Using Animal]

I've heard that "leave the spare tire at home and rely on AAA" so many times I think it must be astroturfing. Firstly unless you have AAA Plus, they only pay for 3 miles of towing, then the towing fee is going to cost you more than you will ever save in gas. Secondly, changing a tire takes a few minutes, the one time I had to rely on AAA (frozen lugs) it took their guy 2 hours.

[beavercleaver]

Absolutely, if nothing else, get a "doughnut" that fits. They are light and cheap, and necessary if you are in a "dead zone" and cells wont work. Never go very far without a spare of some kind.

[Weissensteinburg]

Yeah...we've had pretty bad experiences with AAA, too. They always seems to have to go somewhere else before they can get to you. We first got it way before I was around...because the car my mom had at the time would over heat constantly.

[timmy1234s]

I know! But why is everybody rating my instructable bad!!!?!?!?! This is my first instructable!

[Weissensteinburg]

Your rating appears to be "Average", which is about what I'd say this instructable is. Nothing against you, it's just that these are the same tips we see every day on TV and online, on how to save gas. There's just not a lot new or original about this instructable. You did a good job actually constructing the instructable (good grammar, decent pictures, etc), which is more than I can say for a lot of people. But as mentioned, this information just isn't new to a lot of people.

[timmy1234s]

oh. So its the info. Thnx

[Weissensteinburg]

That's just my guess, I can't tell you for sure what other people think.

[timmy1234s]

oh. But it helps

[timmy1234s]

oh. Sorry i am just a teen writing this. My mom and dad have AAA so i thought towing was free.

[LinuxH4x0r]

It is. We have it. However, its very limited.

[Jonny2hats]

opening your windows does not make for worse aerodynamics, why use AC at all on the moterway, just open your cars vents and let your speed do the work.

[beavercleaver]

Yes , it does. Tests have proven that windows down at 55 MPH and up create enough aerodynamic drag to be equal or even greater than operating the A/C.

[livesteamfan]

If you want to save on gas, get a diesel powered car and run it on filtered used cooking oil. Or (I don't know if this works on fuel injectors) make a device that you can use to separate hydrogen from water (an unmodified engine will burn hydrogen), compress it in a tank and hook that tank up to your car.

[Matt D655]

nice car dude

[Derin]

is it a manual transmission?then that pedal would be clutch use neutral when you will coast on flat terrain and the first gear to use the "engine braking"

[timmy1234s]

uh no. Its an auto. But yeah, using neutral is also a good idea in a manual transmission.

[Derin]

Most autos also have the neutral and maybe that lever could be the "hood unlock",most VW cars have it

[caappold]

Yawn!

[timmy1234s]

I dont think I am going to have a very good review.

[LinuxH4x0r]

Thats it? No more tips?
I already did this
http://www.instructables.com/id/Tips-on-how-to-improve-gas-mileage/

[timmy1234s]

sorry. Didnt know.

[LinuxH4x0r]

Nothing wrong with doing it twice, but I'd love to see some other tips too.

[timmy1234s]

Thanks

[tradergordo]

Could use a LOT more detail. Here are some of my suggestions: If you want to save gas, you could first consider getting a more efficient car (or other means of transportation - bike, public transit, etc). Driving of course is the biggest factor for someone trying to get every last bit of efficiency out of their existing car – slow acceleration, anticipating (timing) traffic lights, smooth rolling stops, getting any extra dead weight out of your car, properly inflating your tires (maybe slightly over), drafting/venting off of big trucks, driving the speed limit instead of over, putting it in neutral and coasting down hills – will all add up to significant savings. If you REALLY want to somehow get something for nothing – after you finish pumping your own gas and have replaced the pump nozzle – completing your official transaction, take the pump nozzle out again, stick it into your car and squeeze the trigger. You will get a little bit of free gas. To do this more stealthily, hit the pump return lever without taking the nozzle out of your car in the first place, then squeeze out the last drop before returning it to the pump. Of course if you think of time wasted as money wasted, or you wear your tires out early, get a ticket for speeding down a hill in neutral, or you rear-end a truck because you were tailgating, you aren’t going to have any savings!