Everyone is interested in better fuel mileage. Gas prices fluctuate, last year gas nearly reached $4.00 per gallon a 5% increase in fuel mileage, from 24 mpg to 25.2 mpg, saves $4.00 for every 500 miles driven. A 10% increase in Fuel mileage saves $7.50 for every 500 miles driven. Over the course of the year this can really add up.
With that in mind here are some tips to help get better gas mileage:
1.) A well maintained vehicle is a key to good fuel mileage. If Secor Subaru services your vehicle regularly you have made a great start.
2.) Avoid excess idling. The quickest way to warm your car up on a cold morning is to drive it gently. Avoid hard acceleration until it is warm. If you've stopped someplace and are going to be there for more than a minute turn your engine off. Idling wastes fuel unnecessarily.
3.) Get the junk out of your trunk. It is said that for every extra 100 pounds that a vehicle carries its fuel mileage drops by 2%.Â
4.) Drive sensibly. Rapid acceleration and braking wastes gas, not to mention brakes and tires. Avoiding jackrabbit starts and stops increases fuel economy by 5%.
5.) Observe speed limits. To double the vehicles speed requires four times the horsepower. Slowing from 75mph to 65mph can increase fuel mileage by 15%.
6.) Keep the windows closed at highway speeds. Due to the aerodynamic drag at highway speeds when the windows are opened it is more efficient to run the A/C. At slower speeds this is not necessarily the case.Â
7.) Don't ignore the check engine light. There are many things that malfunction and not only turn the check engine light on but also result in poor fuel mileage. A simple loose gas cap, for instance, allows gasoline to evaporate and escape into the atmosphere.
8.) Ensure that your tires are properly inflated before setting out on your journey. Tires (especially OEM tires) are designed to run at peak efficiency at a set inflation. If you do not know what the proper PSI for your tires is just call our service department and ask they will happily tell you, or come on in and we can set it for you, we do at every service anyway!
 
