Easy Tips to Improve Fuel Efficiency From Your St. Petersburg Area Audi Dealer

May 14, 2013

You can improve your car’s fuel efficiency with a few driving changes and by keeping up with car maintenance tasks. Who wouldn’t want a few extra dollars in your pocket each time you fill your gas tank? Your St. Petersburg area Audi dealer offers the following easy tips for improving fuel efficiency:

Reduce Your Speed

The majority of vehicles get the best fuel efficiency when traveling a steady speed of about 50 miles per hour. As you go faster than that you start to lose fuel efficiency, which has been estimated to cost an extra 25 cents per gallon of gas you buy for every five miles an hour driven over the speed of 50mph.

Reduce Idling Time

If you start your car before you’re ready to go and leave it idling in the driveway, you’re burning gas. Idling also sends harmful chemicals into the air which increases pollution and smog and contributes to asthma problems in children and senior citizens. Help save money and the planet by turning your car off if you are not ready to drive.

Reduce Weight Inside Your Vehicle

The heavier your car is the more fuel is required to move it. You can improve fuel efficiency by keeping the weight in your car at a minimum, and removing anything you don’t need from your trunk or backseat. You can improve fuel efficiency by an estimated 2% for every 100 pounds removed from your car. Don’t forget the roof rack!

Use Cruise Control When the Situation Allows

If you are going to travel a long distance on the highway, you should use your cruise control. This will keep your car at the same steady speed instead of fluctuating between faster and slower speeds, which is what generally happens when drivers are traveling without using cruise control. When you maintain a steady speed on the highway you burn gasoline more efficiently.

New vehicles have a number of safety features in use with cruise control these days, including sensing cars around you and slowing down when the car in front of you reduces its speed.

Take Roof Racks Off Your Vehicle

If you put your bike or luggage on the roof, the rack is extremely convenient for adding extra storage space to your vehicle. If you’re not going to use the roof rack for a long time you should remove it to avoid wasting fuel. They’re heavy enough and create enough drag on the car that when they are on the vehicle you will burn more gasoline than you do when they are not on the roof.