Improve Your Gas Mileage

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I drive 55 miles each way to work each day. I drive a 1998 Dodge Durango with the Magnum Engine. With gas prices over $3 per gallon, I have learned several tricks to get the most out my gas dollar. The SUV I drive has an onboard computer that will calculate my average fuel economy and I have been running some small tests lately with it. At the beginning of my trial period, I was getting about 16 - 17 mpg. Now I consistently get between 18.5 and 19.5 mpg. That may not sound like much improvement to you but that is an 8 to 20% improvement!1. The first thing I did was change the oil to AMSOIL synthetic motor oil (yes I'm a dealer but, I would use it even if I weren't. If interested send me a message). This made the biggest impact in my mileage. I was able to see a full 10% increase in gas mileage with this change alone. 2. Next I began to purchase premium gas. Now before you start to ask how I can save money by buying premium gas, let me finish. You can easily get 10% better gas mileage by using premium gas just like using premium oil gets you better gas mileage. The trick is to purchase the premium gas when you are traveling long distances and when the premium gas is less than 10% more than the price of regular. If you are doing city driving, stick to the regular because you will not get significant enough improvement in fuel mileage to offset the cost. Has to be long distance driving. 3. TURN OFF THE CRUISE! If you live or drive in an area where there are lots of hills, do not use your cruise control. You will use more fuel going through hills with cruise on than anywhere else. If you are on a long stretch of flat road with no stops or slow downs, by all means, use the cruise but, not in hill country. See the next tip. 4. Coast up hill and accelerate down hill. Sounds like leaning into a right hook but, it will save you a bundle. When you go down hill, the weight of the vehicle will cause your speed to increase. Slowly roll the accelerator on a little extra to gain speed for the next hill. As you go into the hill, ease off the accelerator and use your momentum to carry you up the hill. You will have to use a little accelerator occasionally but, coasting down the hill and accelerating up the next wastes much more gas because you have to overcome gravity as well as accelerate. 5. Anticipate the future! What? Who can do that? You can. As you are approaching an intersection, anticipate what the light is going to do. If you know it will be red by the time you get there, coast. Take your foot off the throttle and let the car coast up to the light. No sense racing to a stop light. When you travel back country highways (as I do) and you come into a town that requires you to slow down to 40 or 35, coast into town. Let off the accelerator as soon as you see that "Reduced Speed Ahead" sign and cost. By the time the lower speed zone starts you will usually be down to the appropriate speed. When you leave the town or intersection, slowly accellerate. If you need to be in a hurry, leave home sooner. 6. My final tip is drive 60. I try to avoid using expressways with 70 MPH speed limits when ever possible. They just have too many idiots on them that should have left home sooner than they did. This time of year they are all under construction anyway. If you are on the Expressway, you will have to drive faster but, my general rule is not to go over 70 MPH if the posted limit is 70. On country highways and roads where the speed limit is 55, I do 60. 60 MPH is the optimum speed for the best fuel efficiency. I have never been pulled over for doing 60 in a 55 either. Well, I hope these tips have been helpful. If you have other tips you would like to pass on please feel free. If you are intersted in AMSOIL Products visit their website at www.amsoil.com. If you would like to support me and my family with a purchase there, my dealer number is 1356550. Have fun!