Save Gas Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Save Gas With Better Hypermiling Techniques
By James J Dixon
In North Andover, Massachusetts, Matt Herring teaches
how to save gas by following his hypermiling tips. Before
his commuters get started, he advises them to fill up
at the same gas station using the same pump and track
savings with a $160 scan gauge (an electronic device
that provides data on how much money each trip costs
you).
You can also visit www.ecomodder.com
to log your fuel economy, he adds. He will check www.fueleconomy.gov
to see how your car is rated. He’ll measure tire pressure,
advising that the average car inflates from 32 to 44
psi in the summer to increase your MPG 5%.
In the winter, he will advise you to drop it back down
because higher psi reduces traction. He adds that items
like engine grill blocks, engine block heaters and foam
pipe insulation can save you 50 miles per tank in the
winters.
Tracking Your Mileage
The first step many hypermilers take to review their
options is to track their mileage, so they have a clearer
understanding of what works best for their vehicles.
They can compare how they drive on Monday to how they
drive on Tuesday.
They can glance down at something called a Scan Gauge
to see how many MPG they’re using or even how much money
a certain trip cost them in gas. The Scan Gauge isn’t
exactly cheap (with a price tag around $160), but the
installation is painless.
Saving Gas By Improving Your Driving
Experts say that being conscious of how accelerating,
braking and driving techniques affect your gas mileage
can really make an enormous difference and most drivers
save an instant 10% of gas this way.
One technique used to save gas is called "hypermiling
coasting," which can be quite dangerous if you
don’t know what you’re doing. During this trick, drivers
who are going downhill will shift to neutral gear, turn
the key from "Run" to "Acc," and
return to "Run" once the engine stops.
Extremely Dangerous Technique
Drivers must be careful not to accidentally switch
to "Off" or their steering will lock up and
they must also make sure they resume their key to the
"Run" position or they’ll be in danger of
locking up and crashing.
They should only do this technique when they’re coasting
down a straight hill that doesn’t have twists or turns
involved. While this may sound crazy, the hypermiler
forum website www.ecomodder.com
says, "Engine-off coasting is one of the largest
contributors to increased efficiency of hybrid vehicles,
many of which automatically shut down the engine while
the accelerator is released and the vehicle is coasting."
Drive A Smaller, More Fuel Efficient Car
Another way to increase gas mileage is to plan your
trips wisely. First of all, "use the right ride
for the job," says Popular Mechanics’ Mike Allen.
"Why take a gas-guzzling SUV to work when a smaller,
more efficient fuel-sipper will do?" Allen asks.
Car-pooling and public transportation should also be
an option if you head into work during heavy traffic
each day. While running errands, try to combine your
projects into one trip, rather than driving to the post
office just to mail a letter. A great resource is Mapquest’s
"Multi-Stop Route Builder" to see the best
order and route for your destinations.
Leave Home Earlier To Avoid The Rush Hour
Avoid rush hour at all costs to save gas. Sometimes
just leaving 30 minutes earlier or later will save you
a ton. Lastly, try to plan your route as the path of
least resistance, choosing fewer stoplights, less traffic
and lower speed limits.
According to Allen, "Even if you save 0.1 gallons
of gas each day, you’ll save more than $130 per year."
About the Author:
James J Dixon has written a number of articles on Hypermiling and Recycling including
Hypermiling Hybrid,
Hypermiling To Save Gas,
Hypermiling Your Car,
Waste Water,
Disposal Of Plastics.
Look out for new articles as they become available on this site.
Little Known Hypermiling Facts.....
Are there really contests that involve hypermiling?
Yes, there are actually contests
that take place to see who can get the best miles per
gallon. One of the contests to tests hypermiling is
the Maximum Fuel Economy contest that takes place in
Elkhart, Indiana.
The winner of the contest was
a Honda Insight which got 213 miles per US gallon round
trip. Next up were a Toyota Prius with 136 miles per
gallon and a Ford Escape Hybrid that achieved 76 miles
per gallon.
But all of the records are being
heavily scrutinized because they did not follow legal
fuel saving techniques as set forth by the Hypermiling
Safety Foundation. Most of the competitors did not come
to a full stop at stop signs and all had overinflated
tires.
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