Hypermiler Step 2: Vehicle Check Up
Once you are well aware of what fuel economy you should be able to expect from your vehicle (by checking the feuleconomy.gov website), let's use those numbers as a basis for taking our fuel economy up a few notches. You see, hypermilers aren't interested in meeting their car's fuel economy numbers, rather they want to exceed them, and do so handily!
First, what kind of fuel economy are you observing from your vehicle? Are you even getting the suggested numbers for your vehicle? Don't be alarmed if you are not. You are not alone and many, if not most, people are below even the city and highway fuel economy numbers suggested for their car.
Step 2 is all about getting our vehicle in prime running efficiency. Here's the simple checklist to insure your vehicle is ready for all out hypermiling:
1. Check your vehicle's tire pressures. This is perhaps the simplest and most overlooked way to prime your vehicle to save fuel and money. Every vehicle manufacturer places a sticker on the inside driver's door that states what the proper inflation pressure (usually in PSI - pounds per square inch) each tire in your vehicle should meet for optimum performance. Cold weather, tire leaks, and time in general can often lead to lower tire pressures than are called for by this sticker for your tires. Low air pressures can lead to both poor fuel economy and possibly even a tire blowout or flat. There are several options to check your tire pressures. One is to purchase a tire pressure gauge. These are easily purchased at a local auto parts dealer or even a simple find at Walmart or Target or other similar retailer and usually cost anywhere from $1 to $10, depending on how fancy they are. With your gauge in hand, take off each tire's cap and press your gauge to the stem to reveal the tire pressure. It is best to test your tires when they are "cold" or when the vehicle has not been driven recently (perhaps first thing in the morning). Your gauge will reveal the difference in pressure between where your tires are and what your vehicle's optimum tire pressures should be. Let out air with your gauge if there is too much air, or add air if it is low, using an air pump you can purchase at a local retailer or the air pump at a local service station.
The second option is to go to a local service garage and ask if they might be willing to check your tire's pressure and have them inflated to the proper PSI. Many service garages will do this either for free, or for a very little amount of money.
Insuring that your tires are inflated to the proper pressure can save anywhere from 2 to 4 percent of the fuel you are otherwise wasting unnecessarily. At $4.50 a gallon, this check and adjustment could save a quick savings of 9 to 18 cents a gallon on every gallon of fuel used!
First, what kind of fuel economy are you observing from your vehicle? Are you even getting the suggested numbers for your vehicle? Don't be alarmed if you are not. You are not alone and many, if not most, people are below even the city and highway fuel economy numbers suggested for their car.
Step 2 is all about getting our vehicle in prime running efficiency. Here's the simple checklist to insure your vehicle is ready for all out hypermiling:
1. Check your vehicle's tire pressures. This is perhaps the simplest and most overlooked way to prime your vehicle to save fuel and money. Every vehicle manufacturer places a sticker on the inside driver's door that states what the proper inflation pressure (usually in PSI - pounds per square inch) each tire in your vehicle should meet for optimum performance. Cold weather, tire leaks, and time in general can often lead to lower tire pressures than are called for by this sticker for your tires. Low air pressures can lead to both poor fuel economy and possibly even a tire blowout or flat. There are several options to check your tire pressures. One is to purchase a tire pressure gauge. These are easily purchased at a local auto parts dealer or even a simple find at Walmart or Target or other similar retailer and usually cost anywhere from $1 to $10, depending on how fancy they are. With your gauge in hand, take off each tire's cap and press your gauge to the stem to reveal the tire pressure. It is best to test your tires when they are "cold" or when the vehicle has not been driven recently (perhaps first thing in the morning). Your gauge will reveal the difference in pressure between where your tires are and what your vehicle's optimum tire pressures should be. Let out air with your gauge if there is too much air, or add air if it is low, using an air pump you can purchase at a local retailer or the air pump at a local service station.
The second option is to go to a local service garage and ask if they might be willing to check your tire's pressure and have them inflated to the proper PSI. Many service garages will do this either for free, or for a very little amount of money.
Insuring that your tires are inflated to the proper pressure can save anywhere from 2 to 4 percent of the fuel you are otherwise wasting unnecessarily. At $4.50 a gallon, this check and adjustment could save a quick savings of 9 to 18 cents a gallon on every gallon of fuel used!
2. Up to date vehicle maintenance. It is quite surprising how many vehicles are on our roads today in need of simple maintenance fixes that will restore lost gas mileage and even help make the vehicle last longer. Three areas that you should give helpful attention to on your vehicle include the air filter, spark plugs, motor oil and your fuel injection setup. Before you assume that these are complicated to check about, each one is really to assess.
First, depending on your vehicle, air filters should be changed routinely every 10,000 to 30,000 miles. The air filter insures that your engine receives the proper and ample amount of fresh and clean air to promote the proper fuel to air mixture in your vehicle's engine. Air filters can become clogged quite easily by debris found in everyday driving, and over time can hinder the amount of fresh clean air entering your engine. Changing your air filter is a piece of cake and can be done usually with simple tools, like a screwdriver or wrench. Check your vehicle's manual for specific information about accessing your vehicle's air filter and give your filter a good look over to see if it is clogged or in need of replacement. If it is clogged, head to your local auto parts store to purchase the correct replacement air filter for your car, or better yet, consider upgrading to a K&N Air Filter for your vehicle. K&N Filters are more expensive, but are lifetime filters (a 1 million mile guarantee), are clean-able (better for the environment), and promote better clean air flow to your engine. This is one upgrade to your engine that may easily pay for itself many times over through fuel savings and long-life usage.
Click here to continue Step 2, your Hypermiler vehicle checkup.
First, depending on your vehicle, air filters should be changed routinely every 10,000 to 30,000 miles. The air filter insures that your engine receives the proper and ample amount of fresh and clean air to promote the proper fuel to air mixture in your vehicle's engine. Air filters can become clogged quite easily by debris found in everyday driving, and over time can hinder the amount of fresh clean air entering your engine. Changing your air filter is a piece of cake and can be done usually with simple tools, like a screwdriver or wrench. Check your vehicle's manual for specific information about accessing your vehicle's air filter and give your filter a good look over to see if it is clogged or in need of replacement. If it is clogged, head to your local auto parts store to purchase the correct replacement air filter for your car, or better yet, consider upgrading to a K&N Air Filter for your vehicle. K&N Filters are more expensive, but are lifetime filters (a 1 million mile guarantee), are clean-able (better for the environment), and promote better clean air flow to your engine. This is one upgrade to your engine that may easily pay for itself many times over through fuel savings and long-life usage.
Click here to continue Step 2, your Hypermiler vehicle checkup.