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Chicagoland |
Hog's & Hemi's 2007 (Woodstock Harley Davidson) |
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Gas Prices Suck!
By Dave Kanofsky
Posted: 06/13/2000
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Chicagoland |
Hog's & Hemi's 2007 (Woodstock Harley Davidson) |
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I'm sure most of you know all of this already, but just in case you hadn't thought about it, here are a few ideas to help use a little less fuel during this ridiculous fuel price era:
- Keep your tires fully inflated, the max pressure is right on the side of the tire. Fully inflated tires create less rolling resistance
- Keep your vehicle's front end aligned. This also offers less rolling resistance.
- Remove any unnecessary items from your vehicle, especially heavy things. It takes less energy (fuel) to move a lighter vehicle.
- Keep your car in good tune - dirty air filter and degraded ignition components are inefficient and use more fuel. A good PCV valve also helps increase economy by creating a vacuum in your engine which increases ring seal and reduces pumping losses from the backsides of the pistons. Set your timing as far advanced as possible without knocking, and be sure your vacuum advance is functional.
- Make sure your exhaust and catalytic converter are free flowing and free of blockage or kinks. Ridiculously large tips on a Civic do little more than add weight, they do nothing for power or fuel economy.
- For highway driving, a clean and waxed car creates less aerodynamic drag.
- Use the appropriate octane rating - Premium only offers more knock resistance and is rarely necessary, especially late model computer controlled vehicles.
- Toss a bottle of carburetor or Fuel injector cleaner in your tank, especially when it is getting low, it may help.
- Buy fuel with the least amount of alcohol/ethanol added. Alcohol/ethanol has less energy than gasoline and thus requires more fuel to make the same power.
- Run as light weight oil as the vehicle manufacturer recommends and the proper amount. Lighter oils use less energy to pump through the engine and too much oil in the engine gets in the way of the crank. Allen Johnson (NHRA Amoco Pro-Stock Avenger) told us that he runs Synergen 0W-5 in his race engines. He said if you put this in a Stock Eliminator car, it will pick up about 0.2 seconds in the quarter mile, although he don't recommend using this in a stock engine regularly.
- For pick ups, a tonneau cover or cap helps reduce drag as does driving with the tail gate down without a cover or cap.
- Driving style can greatly affect fuel economy. As much as I despise slow acceleration, the truth is it uses less fuel.
- If you own a '69 Charger or '70 Road Runner, Fuel economy gains can be made by reducing drag by adding a long pointed nose, A pillar moldings, a rear window plug and a big wing!