62 Great Ideas to Improve Fuel Economy

Some of the most influential factors affecting a vehicle’s fuel efficiency depend on a fixed number, such as engine size or the weight of the vehicle. However, the vehicle’s mechanical condition, how it is driven, the environment, and driving conditions also contribute to the overall fuel efficiency.

Fortunately, proper maintenance and driving habits can help you improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by roughly 10%.

Here's a complete guide to help you find out what you’re already doing right and other things you can implement or improve upon, to get the best possible fuel economy from your vehicle and reduce your fuel costs:

Adopt Good Driving Habits

1. Keep Moving but Drive Less.

The best way we know of to reduce your gas consumption as well as the impact of your transportation needs on the environment, is by driving less. A little foresight will improve your fuel economy: Try meeting your travel needs with the vehicle your family has: Link errands, telecommute, bike, walk, or take the train or bus to work.

And, if you have two vehicles, consider car-sharing or ride-sharing, which might save you the extra expense of the car while still allowing access to extra wheels when necessary. Uber and Lyft are two good examples.

2. Drive Sensibly

An aggressive driving habit (speeding, rapid acceleration, and braking) can lower your gas mileage around town by 5% and a whopping 33% at highway speeds. Always anticipate traffic situations and maintain adequate distance between the vehicle in front of you to avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration.

When you begin accelerating, do so smoothly at a moderate rate. Not only will sensible driving improve your fuel economy by up to 10%, but it is also a lot safer, so you may save more than gas money.

3. Remove Excess Weight

Go through your car and get rid of unnecessary items, especially heavy ones. The lighter your vehicle is, the lower your fuel consumption. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could decrease your fuel economy by 1% or more. The fuel impact of the extra weight affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

4. Avoid Excessive Idling

Your car only uses a few seconds’ worth of gasoline every time you restart. However, letting your engine idle for more than a minute can consume a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour and pump needless CO2 into the atmosphere. Picking the kids up from school? Shut the car off while you wait.

5. Observe the Speed Limit

Contrary to what you may think, driving at the highest speed allowed doesn’t increase fuel economy. Even though each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different range of speeds, there’s usually a rapid decrease in gas mileage as speeds climb above 50 mph.

You can assume that you are paying an additional $0.20 per gallon of/for gas every 5 mph you drive over 50 mph.

6. Avoid Slowly Crawling Up to Speed

Driving too fast decreases your fuel economy, but so does driving below your car’s optimal speed. Below optimal speed, your car’s engine may be doing much work that is accomplishing very little, getting little momentum from the gas burning in all the cylinders compared to when you simply speed up close to the limit.

7. Carrying Cargo on Your Roof

Anything you strap to the top of a vehicle is going to increase the drag coefficient of your car which will, in turn, affect your gas mileage.

The lower this drag coefficient, the easier it is for your car to slip through the air. But when you begin to attach things to the top of an otherwise very aerodynamic vehicle, the greater the drag. Dual mountain bikes strapped to the roof of your vehicle can reduce fuel economy by 31% or around -9 mpg.

8. Use Cruise Control

The debate continues –does cruise control save gas? Yes, it does, but only on flatter stretches of road.

Unlike your right foot, which does a bad job at leveling out the speed, cruise control helps you maintain a constant gas-saving speed. But then if you practice sensible and efficient driving, you can read and react to changes quicker than the car’s computer.

9. Warm Up Your Car for Shorter Lengths Of Time

Modern engines require less warm-up time than the older models need. Your car has a control system that gets the engine warm enough to start moving in 10 – 30 seconds.

Letting your vehicle’s engine idle for more than a minute is just a waste of fuel and pumps nasty greenhouse gas emissions into the air.

The smarter fuel-saving method is to warm the engine for 10 – 20 seconds and then drive at low speed for the next 1 – 3 minutes.

10. Use Windows and Air Conditioning Wisely

Should you keep the windows open in the summer to avoid using your energy-intensive air conditioner and increase air drag, or shut all windows and run your air conditioner but minimize air drag? The answer is simpler and less complicated:

Air drag increases the faster you go. So, if you are cruising below 55mph, open the windows and turn off the air conditioner; above 60mph you can run your air conditioner with the windows closed without hurting mileage.

11. Drive a Manual

There are lots of different opinions for and against manual or automatic transmissions.

In a manual transmission, the driver has full control over rpm because the driver can increase or reduce the engine speed via gear selection. The lower the gear, the higher the rpm and the more fuel it uses.

Though an automatic transmission liberates the driver from shifting gears, it takes some of this control out of the driver’s hands, and nothing is free.

12. Avoid Rough Roads

Fuel consumption increases for every loss of momentum and subsequent acceleration to bring it back up.

Driving on streets or off-road paths that have excessive dirt or gravel can cost you 30% extra gas mileage. The driver is forced to lower his speed, brake more often, and accelerate after every rough patch.

13. Try To Avoid Traffic and Bad Weather

It should come as no surprise that the more you get stuck in busy, high-traffic times or when it’s windy or raining, the lower your fuel economy sinks.

When driving in bad weather there’s extra air resistance, which your vehicle has to overcome by using more fuel to create and maintain forward momentum.

In high-traffic times, you are occasionally stopping and starting, idling, weaving, and your car’s fuel economy drops faster than your patience.

14. Do Not Rest Your Left Foot on The Brake Pedal While Driving

Always keep your foot off the brake pedal until you need it. The slightest pressure puts “mechanical drag” on components, which can create what’s known as “brake fade.”

Essentially, your hydraulic fluid is under constant pressure, causing the brakes to get weaker because the pads and rotors never get a chance to cool down. At the same time, the engine consumes additional fuel to overcome the drag.

15. Surrender In the Great Parking War

We have all done this at some point: You’re at the parking lot cruising around for the right spot to park, and just when you spot one and start approaching it, another driver beats you to it. Restart cruising.

This is bad, avoid it as much as you can. Take the first space you can find and save yourself 3-9 minutes’ worth of gas plus as a bonus, you’ll get some exercise!.

16. Avoid Left Turns

Do you recall what we said about idling? Yes, it burns your time and gas but gets you nowhere. Sitting in the left turn lane with your engine running while waiting for an opportunity to turn takes more time (and gas) than taking a right turn.

And as silly as it might sound, UPS found that by minimizing left turns on their delivery routes, they were able to save $300 to $400 million per year in gas, salaries and vehicle upkeep.

Gas Saving Car Maintenance Tips

17. Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned

Engines need to be tuned at regular intervals. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve fuel economy by an average of 4% and maintain engine efficiency.

An engine that is properly tuned uses less gas, so if you can’t remember the last time you last had a tune-up, it may be time to schedule one.

18. Keep Tires at The Right Pressure

Under-inflated tires wear out faster and waste gas. Maintaining the right tire pressure can improve your gas mileage by up to 3%.

The ideal time to get accurate tire pressure measurement is before you drive more than a few miles, as warm tires give a less accurate pressure reading. To find the proper tire pressure for your vehicle, look in the owner’s manual or the sticker close to the driver’s side door jamb.

19. Keep Your Tires Aligned

When your vehicle isn’t properly aligned, your tires are not working together like they should, and could start working against each other. This means your engine must work harder and use more fuel to get your car moving.

It is recommended to get your vehicle’s front suspension and steering components checked every 6-12 months for misalignment. When everything operates in harmony your engine doesn’t have to use so much fuel and your tires last longer.

20. Rotate Your Tires a Little More Frequently

Potholes, speed bumps, and uneven roads can hurt your wheel alignment and cause your tires to wear faster on the outer or inner thread.

Consider switching up your tires when you get an oil change. Moving the front tires to the back and/or right tires to the left will keep the tread wear even. Your car’s gas mileage, handling, and control will improve, and your tires will last longer.

21. Use the Recommended Grade Of Motor Oil

Pay attention to the grade of motor oil you feed your car. Using the grade of motor oil recommended by your car manufacturer can improve your gas mileage by 1-2%.

For example, an engine designed to use 5W-30 will accept and run on 10W-30 motor oil, but you will lose gas mileage to parasitic horsepower loss as the thicker oil is harder to pump.

22. Always Properly Change Your Oil or Always Change Motor Oil When Due

Mechanics suggest changing the oil in your engine every 90 days or 3,000 miles, but motor oil has become so efficient that it can last longer than that.

Unfortunately, beyond that recommended change date, old motor oil gets thicker, becomes less efficient, and affects your fuel efficiency.

With old motor oil, it’s a downward spiral: thicker oil increases friction in the engine, friction generates more heat, and your fuel burns faster.

23. Replace Your Air Filter Often

Your engine sucks in over 12 million gallons of air yearly. Replacing your air filter at least twice a year or more if you drive in dirty, dusty conditions can instantly increase your engine’s efficiency.

A dirty air filter can increase fuel usage on older vehicles (pre-1999) by a whopping 10%. Though newer vehicles can detect when there’s lower airflow and respond by cutting fuel supply to the engine, your engine loses power and efficiency.

24. Replace Spark Plugs Early and Save a Lot

The role of your spark plugs is simple: to ignite fuel. Failure to do this is a waste of your precious fuel.

At some point, your spark plugs will fail. You can expect them to start misfiring and produce incomplete combustion after running for 40,000 to 60,000 miles.

We recommend changing the plugs on your engine at either 30,000 or 60,000-mile intervals.

25. Replace A Broken or Missing Spoiler

On the right model and make, spoilers look great. But they are more than that.

A spoiler functions like a plastic air dam. It channels air from the undercarriage of your car over the hood. This increases cool airflow within the hood which helps the engine, air conditioning condenser, and radiator dissipate heat and reduce the electrical system's workload.

26. Replace Your Oxygen Sensor(s) Before the Light Goes On

An oxygen sensor measures the efficiency of an engine by tracking the quantity of oxygen left in the exhaust. But it could cost you over 10% in gas mileage when it starts sending faulty data to the onboard computer due to degradation.

The system activates your ‘service engine soon’ light, potentially incurring an $80 diagnostic fee.

For older vehicles (pre-1996), we recommend replacing the sensors every 60,000 miles to maintain peak mileage. The sensors on newer models need replacement every 100,000 miles.

27. Keep Your Gas Cap Fully Sealed

As simple as they look, an unsealed, faulty, or missing gas cap can reduce your fuel efficiency by 2%.

The gas cap’s job is to prevent your fuel from escaping when it evaporates. When the cap is faulty or unsealed, evaporated fuel escapes very fast through any open cracks –especially on hot days.

Most modern cars have a sensor in place to let you know when your gas cap is faulty, but it doesn’t take much time to inspect your gas cap for cracks, chips, or wear at least once a week.

28. Give Your Fuel Injectors an Ultrasonic Bath

Those who have witnessed a diamond ring being restored to its previous beauty in a jewelry store will have an idea of what an ultrasonic bath can do.

An ultrasonic bath is a process that involves immersing your fuel injectors in a specially-made cleaning solution before being bombarded with ultra-high frequency sounds.

What this does is shake up, loosen, and dislodge carbon deposits that may have been deposited in your fuel injector. After the process is completed, you are left with an efficient fuel injector.

Buy Gas for Less

29. Buy Quality Fuel

No two fuels have the same quality, though you may save a few cents per liter or gallon by buying “discount” brand fuel, they contain a higher percentage of ethanol which has less energy compared to gasoline.

Compare mileage between fuel companies and stick with the brand that gives you better mileage.

30. Stick to The Motor Oil Recommended by Your Vehicle Manufacturer

Though aftermarket engine oil may improve performance and mileage, you have no way of testing the impact it has on your engine long term. But your manufacturer knows all the details of how your car engine works.

They have tested the performance of different types of motor oil, and they know which improves the efficiency of the engine and the one that doesn’t. Stick to the recommendation, you’ll be glad you did.

31. Utilize Online Resources to Find the Best Deals on Gas

Different organizations provide discount refuel coupons as a “Thank you” for purchasing their products and/or services.

Though this doesn’t improve your gas mileage directly, you are nevertheless offered the chance to save up on your next refill.

32. Download and Use a Gas App

Using a smartphone app can help you spend less money at the gas pump. There are free apps that help you look around for the best pump price or give you discounts on fuel. Some quick examples are Fuelly, Gas Buddy, Waze, Fuelio and Upside.

Please note that though we are talking about driving your vehicle and using a phone, we do not recommend doing both at the same time.

33. Buy Discounted Gas Gift Cards

Gift cards are awesome, getting discounted gift cards for gas stations like Shell, Mobil, and Gulf. Two sites we know of that sometimes sell discounted gas gift cards are CardCash and Raise. Here you could get a gas gift card worth, say, $100 at the cost of $95. That’s $5 gas free!

34. Make Good On Gas Rewards

If you drive a lot, having the right credit card can help you earn some rewards on gas purchases. Some cards will get you up to 5% cash back on gas purchases. Some grocery stores can help you save 10 cents per gallon for every 100 points you earn.

35. Pay the Right Way

When buying gas be sure you are not paying more for using a credit card. Some gas stations pass on the processing fee on credit card transactions to the customer. You could be losing $0.05 per gallon.

Always use cash at gas stations that do this and check with the attendant that “cash” is noted on the pump if you choose to pay with cash.

36. Target the Best Day And Time To Buy Gas

Waiting until your gas gauge drops near the “E” to fill up is a recipe for losing money. When your gauge drops close to the empty mark, you are forced to buy at the next pump you find even though there are better prices elsewhere.

With proper planning, you can also schedule some savings. If you want to get the lowest pump price, then you should consider filling up just before dawn or late at night; during rush hour some stations usually raise prices.

According to a recent study from GasBuddy, the best day of the week to find the best deals is usually late in the week or over the weekend.

37. Be Picky About Where — and How — You Fill Up

We advise you to avoid the convenient gas station on the side of the highway. These pump prices can be up to $.15 more per gallon.

Though warehouse clubs often have low gas prices, that’s not always the case. Compare prices online before you just automatically fill up there.

Planning Ahead

38. Plan Routes

Reduce your driving time by pre-planning your shopping trips and other outings in efficient ways.

If the grocery store near your workplace offers nice discounts, you could do your shopping after work rather than waiting until the weekend –to make a separate trip to the store.

Each separate errand trip you make contributes to your gas bill, rather than making several trips on different days combine all your errands into a maximum of 2 –leave the second for things you missed or couldn’t get.

39. Combine Journeys

Consider combining your short trips into one or two round trips. A warm engine operates better in terms of fuel economy whereas making several cold starts increases fuel consumption even though the total mileage covered might still be the same.

40. Share Rides

Less time spent on driving means less gas used and more money saved. If your co-workers live nearby and you have similar schedules, take turns driving so you can all save more and drive less.

You could organize a carpool with friends or neighbors to transport your kids to school or extracurricular activities, and each parent could take turns with the driving duties.

Gas prices fluctuate from time to time and your preferred refill station may not be giving you the best deal. Some gas stations may offer cheaper fuel at different times of the week. There’s one way to stay updated and that’s –you guessed it– the internet.

Selecting A More Fuel-Efficient Car

41. Consider a Hybrid

When you are looking for ways to save gas money a hybrid vehicle is always worth considering and for good reasons. With current technology, hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more reliable. You can find a hybrid in many models, the only downside being that you might have to pay more for a hybrid.

If you cover 15,000 miles per year while buying gas at $4 per gallon, in one year a hybrid that gets 25 mpg will save $600 yearly when compared to the gas version that gets 20 mpg. That’s $3,000 in five years!

42. The Diesel Alternative

An engine running on diesel can get close to 50% better fuel economy than a gasoline-powered engine. And this efficiency is not just because diesel contains more energy than gasoline, but because diesel engines use energy more efficiently than their gasoline counterparts.

43. Buy New for Better Mileage

In this article alone we’ve said a lot about maintaining your car for better efficiency and that’s one key to saving money spent on gas. If you are considering a used vehicle, make sure you find out how well that car, truck, or van was maintained.

Though getting a new vehicle can put a dent in your finances, you should know that they come with technologies that make them run efficiently and get you better mileage for your gas.

44. Tires Make a Difference

With some new models, you get to choose a low-resistance tire option to boost fuel economy. A low-resistance tire rated 20% or lower than standard tires, can improve fuel economy by 5% or more. Irrespective of the tire you choose, make sure it is inflated to the recommended maximum.

45. Choose Light-Colored Instead of Black

It’s easier to conserve gas if the air conditioner is not needed all the time. If you live in a hot climate, driving a car that has a light-colored exterior and interior will help keep the heat down by reflecting some of the light. Tinted glass also prevents heat buildup.

A black or beige car in this climate will absorb as much heat as possible and, of course, you will need an air conditioner to run more often than not –especially on sunny days.

46. Go Small

Earlier on we talked about removing some redundant weight from your vehicle, and that’s because more weight translates to more fuel consumption. Getting a small car can also cut your gas bill, as they consume less fuel.

Fuel Economy in Cold Weather

As the temperature drops closer to freezing, so does your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. According to a fuel economy test performed by FuelEconomy.gov, a gasoline-powered vehicle experiences a drop of 12% in fuel efficiency when the temperature is 20 degrees, compared to when the temperature is 77 degrees.

But why the sudden drop?

When the temperature is very low, an engine needs more time to heat up to its optimal fuel-efficient temperature, tire resistance also increases because of the low tire pressure induced by the temperature drop, and motor oil in the engine has more difficulty flowing through the engine when it’s cold.

How To Improve Fuel Economy in Cold Weather?

47. Park in A Warm Place

Park your vehicle in a warm enclosed space, like your garage, to give your vehicle’s engine a warmer initial temperature.

48. Turn Off Power Consuming Features

Limit the use of power-consuming features, like seat warmers, window defrosters, heater fans, etc. –or use them briefly if you have to.

49. Use the Recommended Oil For Cold Weather

The motor oil you use during the summer will get thicker during the cold and will not work as effectively as those recommended by your manufacturer for winter.

50. Make Your Vehicle Aerodynamic

During cold weather, the air is usually denser, which means more wind resistance. Get rid of accessories that add drag to your vehicle like, like roof racks and cargo boxes when not in use.

51. Preheat Electric Vehicles While Charging

Preheating the cabin of your plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle before driving can extend your vehicle’s range.

52. Use Seat Warmers to Save Energy

Using the seat warmers of your plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle instead of the cabin heater can save energy and extend driving range.

Fuel Economy in Hot Weather

When it comes to fuel economy, engines perform better in hot weather compared to cold. Irrespective of when you start your engine, it quickly warms up to an efficient running temperature.

Since the air is less dense there is little air resistance on your vehicle, your tires stay at the optimum pressure, and there’s good contact between tire and asphalt. But there are other important details, most of which are due to the heat, that may reduce your fuel economy.

How To Improve Fuel Economy in Hot Weather?

53. Cool Your Vehicle the Smart Way

A car’s air conditioner is the main contributor to a reduction in fuel economy, but you need it for cooling the car. There is a way to get a balance: let air in through the windows at lower speeds and use the air conditioner at highway speeds.

54. Use the A/C When Necessary

Simply because the weather forecast predicts a really hot day doesn’t mean you should turn on the air conditioner as soon as you drive out of the garage. You can let in cool air through the window for part of the day until the air temperature rises, then you can set the air conditioner at a comfortable low.

55. Park in the Shade

Your car is mostly metal and, of course, metal absorbs heat. Parking your car somewhere shaded from direct sunlight like a sunshade so that the cabin has a lower temperature when you get into the car.

56. Air Out Your Car

Keep the windows down for a short time when you drive off. This way the cabin lets out the hot air which will reduce the workload on your air conditioner.

57. Don’t Idle With The A/C Running

Idling with the air conditioner running gets you 0 mpg. You can turn on the cooling unit when you are in motion –that’s after airing out the cabin. When the car is moving, the engine gives the air conditioner more cooling power.

58. Get the Most Out of Your A/C

Read your owner’s manual to understand all your car air conditioner’s control system, energy-saving features, and the best way to use the unit for maximum efficiency.

59. Pre-Cool While Plugged In

Pre-cooling the cabin while your plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles are plugged into the charger can extend your vehicle’s range.

Other Ways to Save Fuel

Source: MileIQ

60. Monitor Your Fuel Economy

Tracking your fuel economy may be boring, but it matters in two ways.

Firstly, over multiple refills or for consistent trips, like commuting to work, errands, and short trips, tracking fuel economy helps you to see the effect of your driving style on your fuel gas mileage.

Secondly, if your dashboard provides an instantaneous estimate of fuel economy, you can use it to optimize your driving style for gas mileage. This is particularly useful for finding the speed range at which your car is most economical as well as improving the way you accelerate.

61. Avoid Ethanol When Possible

Ethanol significantly drops fuel mileage because it stores less energy than gasoline (80,000 Btu per gallon vs 119,000), so it takes more ethanol than gasoline to cover the same distance. That’s why you should avoid gasoline that has been cut with 10 or 15 percent ethanol, called E10 or E15 if you want better mileage.

62. Stop Using Premium Gas

Over the past few decades, gasoline chemistry has undergone enormous changes, and most vehicles run efficiently on regular or mid-grade gasoline.

In very few cases, like in high-performance engines, premium gas is necessary.

But, how do you know which one your engine needs?

The answer premium comes down to the difference between two words: “recommended” and “required.”

Suppose your car manufacturer says the engine “requires” premium gas. In that case, you must use it to preserve the engine, but if premium gas is “recommended” you can experiment with lower grades. If your car still performs well while running on low-grade gas, then you can skip the premium.

Final Thoughts

From our observations of people whose vehicles consume too much gasoline, the main culprits are usually extended idling, multiple short trips, using cooling or warming units for extended periods, and faulty spark plugs. Simply working on these can instantly improve your fuel efficiency.

No matter what kind of vehicle you have, you can rely on Enthuze to provide you with a wide selection of durable and rugged aftermarket accessories like floor liners and window visors, or cargo boxes and trailer hitches.