Tips to improve fuel economy

[Scott K]

Tips to improve gas milage!

With gas prices as high as they are, I thought I would give some tips to

improve your milage,and save a few dollars.

In no particular order and feel free to add some, as I am sure I havent

thought of them all!

Alignment

Check tire pressure

Proper size tires

Air filter

Make sure your vehicle is running good

Properly tuned engine. (plugs, fuel filter, ect)

If there is a "Check Engine Light" on, get it diagnosed and repaired

Clean and correct oil

Take out un-needed weight

Drive sensible, not aggressive

Drive the speed limit, or slower

Accelerate slowly

Shut off your vehicle, dont let it idle more then a minute or two

Avoid short trips, plan! Make one trip not several

Carpool

Avoid installing aftermarket items, such as visors, wide tires, lift kits,

running boards, ect..

If anyone has anything to add, feel free!

[harvey lee]

I also run synthetic oil in the motor and rear axle. Every little bit helps. One can also replace your stock air filter with some better aftermarket ones for better filtering and air flow.

[Valv]

Use a tonneau cover for your pickup bed, vinyl type, even a cheap one is better than nothing.

And best advise from me is :

SLOW DOWN !!!!!!!!!!

Remember traveling at 65mph or 60 mph means you just get to destination 5 minutes later every hour of travel. Duluth from MPLS it will be 15 minutes later, but you will save almost 20 bucks in fuel on a round trip.

[boatfixer]

 Originally Posted By: Valv

Use a tonneau cover for your pickup bed

I've gotta break down and get one.

[grizzald]

I've got a tonneau cover on my truck... Can definately tell its on there mileage wise when i have it rolled out. Only draw back to them is they trap the dust in your box while driving on gravel.

[Fishin=Easy]

Use A/C keep the windows UP

[zamboni]

 Originally Posted By: boatfixer

 Originally Posted By: Valv

Use a tonneau cover for your pickup bed

I've gotta break down and get one.

Taking tailgate off works a little too- if you aren't carrying anything that can fly out

[Shack]

Avoid setting heater/A/C ducks on defrost, unless needed. If you have a working A/C system in your vehicle this will engage the A/C compressor, even though you are not using the A/C at the time. I would also say avoid running the A/C when even you can. Running the A/C or defrost on properly working A/C system causes the compressor to run excessively, causing extra drag on the engine, which in turn causes poor fuel economy.

Happy B-day Zamboni! Hope it was a good day for ya!

[Scott K]

As Shack said, in most vehicles now days the a/c compressor will run in almost all the modes, a/c, defrost, floor/defrost, some now do it with just floor, whether you have the a/c on or not, most though dont run it with just vent.

As fishin=easy stated keeping your windows rolled up will reduce windrag!

[Shack]

Thanks 4wanderingeyes, yes it will run in almost all modes now a-days. What some people I have found do, is instead of turning the heater/A/C controls to off, they just leave the system on and turn the blower motor speed down.

The reason why the A/C comp. is engaged in the defrost and other modes, is because the system is removing moisture out of the air (same as when the A/C is on) for quicker clearing of the windows.

[boatfixer]

Uh, I did not know that. Thanks guys.

[Fishin=Easy]

I'm not saying A/C improves mileage but if its 97 degrees out a little A/C is better than all the windows down.

[Shack]

Fishin=Easy,

LOL, you got that right! As fuel wize as I try to be, even some times I have to turn the A/C on, that or my wife takes rule over me.

[Sonicrunch]

 Originally Posted By: zamboni

Taking tailgate off works a little too- if you aren't carrying anything that can fly out

Wrong. That is a myth that has been busted over and over. The air trapped in the box smooths the eddies (turbulence) that forms behind the cab.

[Roofer]

Actually it takes less fuel using the AC than having the windows open. The wind drag with the windows open decreases mileage.

I agree with the bed cover, but with an open bed it's better mileage keeping the tailgate up. The wind goes over the truck and into the bed, but actually pushed you forward........believe it or not

Also, I agree with the defrost......it does turn on the AC compressor. You can hear it come on and off at idle if you listen and change the settings.

If you keep the rpm's under 2000 while accelerating, it's amazing in the long run how much fuel you save. Even with gas at record highs, I still see people shifting down to pass someone. I may drive like a grampa, but I save a ton on fuel.

[goose89]

What Valv and Roofer said. Leave a little bit earlier, if you can, and keep the RPM's 2K or less. My wife's Pathfinder shows MPG's every 30 secs or so. It's amazing the difference decreasing a few MPH can make on MPG. I'm assuming my 01 1/2ton Silverado would show the same thing.

I'm gonna join our Elder's in the right lane (on the freeway), enjoy the ride and save a couple of bucks. I used to TRY to get up to the cabin ASAP. Passing 3/4 of you, cussing out the rest of you slowing me down. Needing to fuel up just before I got to the cabin took longer than the 5-10 minutes I made driving like a lunatic. Now I make it with fuel to spare, and less "insanity".

[Grant]

I have a 2000 Dakota and a 2002 Camry... with the 4.7 V8 and a 2.4 V4 respectively... it's funny how even though they are vastly different engines, the butter zone on engine speed to mileage is right about 2k for both- 1800 to 2000for the Dak and 2000 to 2200 for the camry.

makes a huge difference in both.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I increased my fuel economy by 10 MPG!

Let me explain. last fall I found out I would be driving my boys to cottage grove every day for either day care or preschool. I figured out that it would ruffly run me $70 a week for gas to drive the Tundra everyday. I thought to myself I need another Saturn. So I picked up the cheapest SL-2 I could find that was in one piece and ran tops. I fill up once a week, yesterday it cost me $23. I checked my mileage after I filled up last night which was 28.9 mpg compared to the Tundra at 16.5 to 17. So I drive the Saturn M-F and the Tundra on the weekends!

I am also a big believer in slowing down. I get my best mileage in the Tundra between 55 and 60. Last summer I just missed 19mpg Between Walker and Barnum!

[MuleShack]

I was running the 15-40 oil in my 2500 ram diesel for the last couple years, along with putting some thicker oil additives in the tranny for plowing reasons. I was getting about 15 mpg on daily use. Now i switched to a 10-30 Amsoil (lighter oil) and also Amsoil synthetic tranny oil and am pulling about 22mpg on average now. Driving habits still the same, however if i was to change the way i drive and stay within that 55mph zone or under 2k rpm, i probably could do a lot better yet.

[Valv]

Muleshack which year is your Ram ? I can give you very good info on how to make it run cheap.

[MuleShack]

05

[Grant]

Valv- do you have tips for vehicles other than '05 Rams?

Grant

[Valv]

I don't have tips for others since I owned 6 Rams diesel so far.

Many reccomendations on this thread are very good.

Muleshack, ok I thought it was older, I had a couple of hints.

[MuleShack]

 Originally Posted By: Valv

I don't have tips for others since I owned 6 Rams diesel so far.

Many reccomendations on this thread are very good.

Muleshack, ok I thought it was older, I had a couple of hints.

I had 3 Rams previous to this one but with the 360's and they were lucky to get 10-12 mpg, so I was happy with 15 being my first Diesel...but now you gotta look for ways to improve mileage.

[IFallsRon]

Mythbusters came up with no appreciable mpg gain from having the tailgate down. In most states, it's illegal to run with the tailgate down although police don't seem to enforce it.