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Save gas money

Edited by Ephraim, Charmed, Danh, Maria Quinney and 3 others

Today most people complain about how much a gallon of gas costs and how much gas they use every day. As a result, a lot of people have become extremely vigilant about the current oil and gas prices, and no one can blame them. Everyone knows that a lot of the money that pays for gas pump is money that can pay for other family expenses.

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Actually, there are ways that will allow people to leave a little extra money in their pockets instead of handing it over to the gasoline station. If you are interested in seeing less of your hard earned income go down your gasoline tank, here are some steps to help you use gas more efficiently. These will translate into easy savings on gas money.

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1
Follow the speed limit.
1. The freeway speed limit in most states is 60 to 65 miles per hour.
2. If you use a car with a gauge that measures gas efficiency, you will see how going beyond this speed will bring down your efficiency by as much as 20 miles per gallon.
3. At the same time, going slower than 35 to 40 miles per hour (the usual limit for country roads and main thoroughfares) will also bring down your efficiency.
4. As a whole, following prescribed speed limits can pretty much guarantee that you are not burning gas unnecessarily.
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2
Avoid driving in challenging weather conditions.
Do your best to avoid driving when there are strong winds and heavy rain
.
When you drive in these conditions, your car needs more fuel to keep moving forward because there is greater air drag. In addition to this, you usually have to drive more slowly and that means using even more gas.

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3
Avoid streets with heavy traffic.
When you are caught in traffic jams, you often need to come to a full stop with your motor running
.
This is probably the time when you use the most gas. Explore possible alternative routes through Yahoo Maps or Map Quest to find streets you can use, particularly when traffic is heavy.
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4
Get rid of unnecessary baggage.
This is a matter of common sense
:
a lighter vehicle needs less gas. If you have been keeping a lot of stuff you should unload, you are using more gas than you should. Go through the trunk of your car and the back seat, and relentlessly remove books and other stuff that don't need to be there. If you are driving a truck, lower the tailgate to reduce air drag.

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5
Drive smoothly.
1. Keeping the gas flowing at an even, consistent rate is one way to use gas economically.
2. Use cruise control whenever you can; this helps keep your car moving at a steady pace.
3. Check the way you use your brakes; try to slow down gradually and smoothly instead of stepping on your brakes to bring down speed quickly.
4. In the same way, when you want to increase your speed, do it smoothly.
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6
Avoid aggressive driving.
Accelerating rapidly, constantly braking and speeding up instead of keeping your speed constant - all these actions will reduce the efficiency of your gas mileage
.
Jack rabbit starts and hard braking can become bad habits that will cost you a 40 % increase in fuel consumption. In addition to that, you will increase toxic emissions by as much as 5 times more.

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7
Keep your air filter clean.
Keeping your air filter clean and changing it as soon as necessary will increase air flow
.
This will help your vehicle burn gas efficiently by as much as 14 percent. On the other hand, a dirty and clogged air filter will reduce the amount of air flowing into your car's engine and lessen your gas efficiency.
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8
Take care of your tire pressure.
1. Make sure the pressure on your tires is kept at the level recommended in your car's manual.
2. Check your tire pressure regularly. When you use your car daily, you can expect tire pressure to go down. This can affect your vehicle's fuel consumption.
3. There are reasonably priced tire checkers in auto supply stores today.
4. Buying one is a good investment because it means you don't need to wait for the time when you are at a gasoline station or auto shop just to find out if you need more air.
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9
Shift to synthetic oil.
The next time you get your oil changed, consider choosing synthetic oil instead of regular even if you have to spend a bit more
.
This shift will help you save on your gas consumption by as much as 5 percent. Synthetic oil has lower viscosity so that friction is reduced when you warm up your engine. Vehicles using synthetic oil do better on EPA fuel economy tests.
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10
Don't skimp on tune-up.
1. Getting your car tuned up and checked regularly will save you a lot in the long run.
2. Misaligned tires, worn out spark plugs, and other seemingly minor problems all combine to bring up your gas consumption.
3. Follow the tune-up intervals recommended by your car's manufacturer.
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11
Idle the engine properly.
Idle your car for a minute or so before turning off your engine
.
Do the same thing when you start it. However, do not let the engine idle too long; that is a waste of gas. If you are driving a new car, idling it for a few seconds will be enough to do the trick because the new models do not need to be "warmed up".
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12
Find out where the cheapest gas is along your route.
This is easy to do if your cell phone has an application that will help you find the cheapest gas in the area
.
It is natural for motorists to gas up wherever it is convenient, but do try to find a place that is nearby with lower prices than others.
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13
Pay the best way.
Most gasoline companies charge less for cash payments than for credit
.
Figure out the difference and if it is worth it, pay in cash. Quite often, there is a substantial bargain to be had if instead of swiping your card you take the bother of preparing cash for your gas.
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14
Change your spark plugs and plug wires regularly.
The simple act of changing spark plugs and plug wires when you should will improve the performance of your car engine and consequently increase the number of miles you get per gallon of gas
.
1. If your car manufacturer recommends that you change your spark plugs every 30,000 miles, go ahead and do it.
2. Actually, some auto shops tell motorists it is better to change their spark plugs a little earlier than the recommended time if they have been driving a lot through severe conditions.
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15
Drive using the right gear.
1. When you drive, ease into top gear as soon as you can, but do it without accelerating harder than you have to.
2. Avoid driving at a lower gear than what you need because this uses up more fuel. However, bear in mind that when you go uphill or take sharp curves, you will use more fuel than necessary if you maintain top gear.
3. Ease up a bit on your accelerator once your vehicle has gained momentum.
4. If you have automatic transmission, easing back a little will allow your vehicle to shift up more smoothly.
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16
Consider riding the bicycle and walking
.
If your destination is within 5 to 7 kilometers, and the weather permits it, why not use your bicycle? It is a very good exercise for the lungs and the legs and you do not spend any gas money when using it. Also, walk if your destination is no more than 2 kilometers. Ever wonder why people of long ago have very healthy bodies? They walk to school everyday! We can also do it today, and it is very good exercise - something which most physicians would recommend for fitness. And very cheap...actually free! Just check the weather before walking.
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There are many other ways to save on gas today and these days, it is good to learn them all and put them into practice. Remember, saving fuel not only means saving money. It also means a cleaner environment for you and the rest of the planet.

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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.