Gas Saving Myths; Find Out What They Are - With gas prices very high , the marketplace is flooded with number of products which claim to
help the consumers by saving money and/or increasing gas mileage. While some of these
products and ideas are sound, most of them are simply without a base and do very little to help
the consumers in their quest for saving money on gas.
We are going to discuss four of these lesser effective techniques. Although some of them are a
necessity for security purposes, they do very little to save you gas:
1)Tire Pressure;
There are a lot of articles written about tire pressure being one of the main channels on saving
gas mileage. It is often said that the more inflated your tires are, the less gasoline you spend.
Although, they do contribute moderately to the overall gas mileage of the vehicle, tire pressure
is mainly a safety issue, as, properly inflated tires promote security at high speeds.
2)Air Conditioner;
You heard it many times; turn off the A/C and roll down the windows. Well, it is partially true.
While A/C compressor gets the power it needs from the engine, the effects of it on gas mileage
seems to be minimal in most cars nowadays. And, even if you turn off the A/C and roll down the
windows, the benefit of doing so will be cancelled out via the drag created at higher speeds. In
short, roll down the windows around town and use the A/C on the highway.
3)Idling;
Many believe that by turning on and off the engine, they will be spending more gas, therefore,
they keep their cars idling for long periods of time. Just as by turning off a light bulb you save
electricity, by turning off the engine, you save gas. And your car only needs very little amount
of gas to start. So, should you turn it off or let it idle? Use your judgment. If you are stopping
to load and unload passengers, keep it idling, and if you are stopping for more than a minute or
two, turn it off.
4)High Octane Gas;
It is often suggested that by using high octane gas, you are more likely to increase your gas
mileage. Contrary to this misconception , unless specified by the manufacturer, you do not need
to use higher octane gas in your vehicles. The money to be saved on gas mileage using a higher
octane gas is often offset by the difference of the price per gallon over time.
Whether, the effectiveness of these ideas on gas mileage is disputable, you will soon find out
that they do offer some secondary benefits such as; increased safety, lower repair bills , etc.
However, the most basic requirement for increasing gas mileage begins with your driving behavior. By
modifying your driving habits, you will then immediately begin seeing increased mileage on a daily basis.
Gas Saving Myths; Find Out What They Are
