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With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how’s this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car.

By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.

A miracle? All we did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn’t work at all. We’ll give you the breakdown.

These tests were done under real-world conditions and not in a government lab somewhere. Our results can be matched by anyone and even you.

The wonderful part about what we found is that improving your car’s mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these winners together and we’ll bet that you’ll see a substantial savings at the pump and without the need for a new car.

The results of each test are summarized directly below, for people with ADD. If you would like to know the details and methods of each of the six tests, keep reading until the end.

Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving
Result: Major savings potential
The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent.
Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.

Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Result: Substantial savings on a long trip
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent.
Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.
Lower Speeds Saves Gas: Read the entire test

Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent.
Recommendation: If you’ve got it, use it.

Test #4 A/C On, Windows Up vs. A/C Off, Windows Down
Result: Nice in theory; not true in practice.
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable difference (unless you open the sunroof, too!).
Recommendation: Please, make yourself comfortable.

Test #5 Check Your Tire Pressure
Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear.
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable effect on the vehicles we tested.
Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often, but don’t expect a big savings.

Test #6 Avoid Excessive Idling
Result: More important than we assumed.
Cold Hard Facts: Avoiding excessive idling can save up to 19 percent.
Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut ‘er down.

The Tests
Our results are based on two separate fuel testing sessions. On each occasion we took two cars from the Edmunds.com long-term fleet and drove on a 56-mile test loop. Our route circled Owens Lake near Lone Pine, California, at the foot of Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. We chose the route because it was so deserted we could vary our speed and driving style without interfering with the flow of traffic. The only other cars we saw on the route were a caravan of test vehicles from Mercedes-Benz. We drove the loops back-to-back to ensure that we were comparing similar wind and temperatures. We logged our results and later put them on a spreadsheet where the results were averaged.

Test #1: Aggressive vs. Moderate Driving
This is gonna hurt. Our tests showed that the most significant way to save gas is: you. And we’re talking massive fuel economy gains. Think you need a hybrid? Chances are you’ve got hybrid-style mileage in your gas pedal foot. Don’t mash the gas when you start up. Take the long view of the road and brake easy. This tip alone can save you unbelievable amounts of gas. If you slowed your 0-to-60-mph acceleration time down from your current 10 seconds to a more normal city pace of 15 seconds, you’ll feel the savings immediately.

Method: We conducted this test four times. The first time we did the full 55-mile loop once by accelerating aggressively 15 times at 3/4-throttle from zero to a cruising speed of 75 mph. We also applied the brakes hard to come to a full stop. Then, we drove the second loop by accelerating moderately 15 times at 1/4-throttle to a cruising speed of 70 mph. We braked lightly to a full stop. In the second set of tests we drove 25 miles making 25 rapid accelerations to 65 mph at 3/4-throttle. After 1 minute of cruising we braked hard and repeated the cycle up to 65 mph. We then drove the same distance making 25 moderation accelerations to 60 mph at 1/4-throttle. After 1 minute of cruising we applied the brakes easily and came to a full stop.

Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Remember a thing called the speed limit? On most highways it is either 65 or 70 mph. How fast are the cars and trucks around you going? From 75 mph to 90 mph. These people are wasting a lot of gas for the chance to get there a little earlier. Factor in safety concerns and a speeding ticket once or twice a year and going fast is a costly proposition.

Method: This test was simple. For 50 miles we drove with the cruise control set at 65 mph. Then, for another 50-mile stretch we drove with cruise set at 75 mph. We repeated this test going in the opposite direction. It is amazing how obvious the difference in gas mileage was. Just think what would have happened if we had slowed down to 60 mph. The only problem is with impatient drivers behind you. One driver became so irate that he tried to run our editor off the road. Still, if you are pinched by gas prices. Leave a little early and drive the speed limit (in the slow lane).

Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Using cruise control is a bit of gas-saving advice frequently on tips lists. We have always agreed with this tip in theory but we hadn’t expected such significant results. First, it smoothes out the driver’s accelerator input by preventing nervous “surging.” Second, it makes the driver take the long view of the road rather than reacting to every change in the traffic around them.

Method: We did this test twice with four different cars each time driving the 55-mile loop. The first time we set cruise control to 70 mph. The second time, with the cruise control off, we varied our speed between 65 mph and 75 mph. We tried to mimic the driving style of a person who is in moderate freeway traffic.

One thing that’s important to note: if you are in a mountainous area you should turn off cruise. It will try to keep you up to the speed you’ve set and will use a lot of extra gas downshifting to lower gears to accomplish this.

Test #4 A/C On, Windows Up vs. A/C Off, Windows Down
This has got to take you back to the days with the family on vacation. Dad says, “Turn the A/C off! It wastes gas!” And Mom says, “We can’t roll the windows down or everyone on the highway will think we can’t afford A/C.” And you’re in the back roasting, hoping someone will win the argument so you can cool off.

Well, family psychology aside, if dads are still saying this, they aren’t necessarily right. While the A/C compressor does pull power from the engine wasting some gas, the effect appears to be fairly minimal in modern cars. And putting the windows down tends to increase drag on most cars, canceling out any measurable gain from turning the A/C off. But this one depends on the model you’re driving. When we opened the sunroof in our SUV, the mileage did decrease even with the A/C off. Still, in our experience, it’s not worth the argument because you won’t save a lot of gas either way. So just do what’s comfortable.

Method: We drove the full 55 mile-loop in two cars at equal speeds both times at 65 mph. The first loop we drove with the A/C on and the windows up. The second loop we drove with the A/C off and windows down. In the second test we drove 20-mile loops. This was far enough to see our gas mileage level off and remain steady on the computer trip meter.

Test #5: Check Your Tire Pressure
No matter how many times drivers hear about the importance of tire pressure, most of them don’t do anything about it. They probably don’t like squatting beside their car in a busy gas station with fumes swirling around them. But is it important? The answer is yes, for a number of reasons. Properly inflated tires are less likely to fail at high speeds. They wear more evenly and, yes, they deliver better gas mileage. How much? In this test we saw a modest difference in two of the cars. It might have been more dramatic with different tires on different cars. Experts swear by it; we couldn’t really document it. And we wound up wondering if tire technology, like the design in other areas of the car, had improved.

Eventually, we concluded that each set of tires is different and every vehicle is different. We recommend that you do your own tests to see what inflation setting gives you the best fuel economy.

Method: We drove the 55-mile test loop four times at 60 mph and twice with tires at or above proper inflation. Once, we did the test with the tires 5 psi below the pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Since this produced very little difference we enlarged the gap and under inflated the tires by 8 psi. We felt that it was important to make sure the tires were inflated to the recommended level or above.

Test #6 Avoid Excessive Idling
If you turn off a light bulb as you leave the room you’ll save electricity. If you turn off your car you will save gas. Obviously. But related questions are more difficult to answer. If you’re only stopping for only a minute, is it better to shut off the engine or keep it idling? Should I shut off the engine in traffic? How much gas will this save? What rule of thumb do I use when trying to save gas this way?

Method: We took two cars and drove a 10-mile route stopping 10 times for two minutes. We shut down the car each time. Then we drove the same route at the same speed and let the car idle for two minutes.

Conclusions
The good news is that you can drastically improve your gas mileage. The caveat is that you have to change your driving habits. If you are willing to change, you’ll find many related benefits too: no speeding tickets, greater safety, reduced stress and lower repair bills for tires and brake pads. In the long run this will save you money. And who knows? You might like the new you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/what-really-saves-gas-how-much-six-common-gassaving-tips-tested-86527.html

About the Author

Neil Lemons represents Comedy Defensive Driving School the first no reading Texas state-approved online defensive driving course.

Gas prices have now hit record highs the price of gasoline in the U.S. is heading for $4 gallon while the U.K. are looking at £1.20 a litre

This has caused motorists to look for more and more ways to save gas and reduce their gas bills as much as they can.

The International Energy Agency energy forecast for 2008 has projected world oil demand would grow by 1.7 million barrels per day compared to 0.9 million barrels per day in 2007.

The world’s refineries are working round the clock 24/7 to meet the ever-increasing demand of an average of 83.5 million barrels a day.

However, the projected world oil demand is expected to reach 87.5 million b/d in 2008, which is a record.

The demand for oil world wide is driving up gas prices to record highs Developing countries like China have increased their imports of crude oil year on year to more than 12%, and the trend continues.

While our oil supplies are on the decrease, experts are now suggesting many of the major oil fields in countries around the world such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and North Sea have reached their peak.

Oil discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico hit a 10-year low in 2007 and research firms, like Wood Mackenzie are reporting that companies found the equivalent of 553 million barrels of oil in the Gulf last year, this is half as much as in 2006 and the lowest figure in a decade.

The oil import bill for the U.S. has skyrocketed 300% since 2002 and the oil import bill in 2007 was $327 billion and could reach $400 billion in 2008.

Well, putting it simply the demand for crude oil now, is far greater than the supply. This can only mean one thing for motorists like you and I, the price of gas at the pump is going up. The days of filling your tank for $10 has gone, and to reduce our motoring cost we must save gas as we will never see $30- $40 oil prices again and we cannot do a thing about it.

What we can do and in fact, what we should be doing, is learning new ways, techniques and changes so we can reduce our gas consumption and in doing so save as much as we can on our gas bills.

Changes include driving less and car pooling, ride share or using public transportation when possible, even switching to hybrids or smaller cars with better gas mileage.

Telecommuting is becoming the vogue as more and more people try to cut their transportation costs.

We are going to have to adjust our driving habits to conserve gas. Most people are amazed to discover the amount of gas you can save by yes, going slower on the freeway.

Driving faster may get you where you want to go in less time, but it also means more trips to the gas pump.

We are now instinctively keeping our eyes open for low gas prices, but if we are not careful, we fall into the trap of wasting gas driving to a distant station to save a few cents.

Even getting lost has now become more expensive as it wastes gas as well as time. We are all going to have to plan our route so we know exactly where we are.

Keeping up on your vehicle maintenance will be of the utmost importance as wear on mechanical parts and tires increase fuel consumption tremendously.

Also reducing the weight you carry in a vehicle means better mileage and more savings.

Buying gas at the right time of day and checking your local gas stations for the best price possible before you turn a wheel, will become, if not already the No1 motoring rule of the 21 century.

So start today, find every way you can to start cutting your fuel consumption and saving as much as you can at the pump, as oil prices are going higher and inevitably gas prices will too.

The thing is, even if oil prices do retrace slightly and come down, it does not mean gas prices will too. I have never known gas prices come down after they have gone up: have you?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/gas-at-record-highs-how-can-you-save-gas-412837.html

About the Author

Barry Share is the Founder and Editorial Director of “The New Lifestyle Programme”
Where you can find more tips & tricks to help you save money at the pump
=> http://newlifestylepro.com/save_gas_money/

With the current high prices for gas, everyone is looking for ways to save gas. You may think that you would have to give up all of your freedoms accomplish this but that is not exactly correct. You will have to be more conscious about your driving habits but you will still enjoy driving and going on those road trips.

Let me ask you this. Have you ever heard of the term “Hypermiling”? Hypermiling is a method of increasing your car’s gas mileage by making skillful changes in the way you drive, allowing you to save gas. We will give some techniques used with this method of saving gas but a little example would be to reduce the amount of weight in your car. For example, don’t drive around town all week with your golf clubs in the trunk.

If you want to save on gas and put more money back into your pockets. It really is not all that hard. Just put your imagination to work along with some of the tips list here.

Let’s start with some techniques that hypermilers use:

1. Clean out your trunk. If you are not going on a trip, remove the luggage. Remove anything that you are not going to need when you next hit the road, for example, tool boxes, golf clubs, sports equipment like batting bags filled with bats.

 

2. Remove anything that will create drag on your car such as roof racks and bicycle racks.

 

3. Make sure your tires are pumped up at the suggested manufacture pressure. The higher the pressure, the less rolling resistance.

 

4. When driving, take a route that is less busier even if it is a slightly longer way, distance wise. Setting less in idle traffic will increase gas consumption.

 

5. Leave earlier to get to your destination than normal. When your not in a rush, you generally will not need to speed like a bat out of hell. If you are in traffic to your destination, speeding will lead to a lot of flooring it when you see an opening and breaking suddenly.

 

6. When you know that a stop light of stop sign is about to come up. Take your foot off the gas and coast. Some say that you can get an extra increase in gas savings if you actually put your car in neutral when coming up to a stop.

 

7. When cruising down the freeway, try to maintain the same speed as those in front of you. Keeping behind someone will cut down on the drag onto your car because you will be basically in the air stream.

 

8. Avoid Drive-Thru-Windows that have long lines. The idling is a pure waste of gas. If you visit a restaurant and the drive thru is 4 cars or more deep. Pull in, park and go in to get your meal.

 

9. Use the lowest weight oil recommended for your vehicle. Low-weight oil is easier to pump through an engine, and the engine components will interact more efficiently.

 

10. Even though I think this one is now considered  a myth: Turn off your A/C when possible. Now for older cars this may be a good idea. The A/C can rob your engine of power which mean more gas usage. Now for the newer more modern cars. I think the savings would be minimal and you can achieve that bit of savings by using one of the other techniques.

 

Here are a few more tips and tricks for ways to save gas.

1. Use your cruise control.Studies show that you can save on average 7 percent by using it.

 

2. If your family has more than one vehicle. Chose the one with the best miles per gallon. In some cases for long trips, it may be more cost effective to rent a car that has good gas mileage.

 

3. If you have a few errans to run, drive to the furthus one first and work your way back. This will allow for your car to warm up which means when you stop and restart your car. It would take less gas.

 

4. Stay on top of your vehicles service. Replace the oil every 3 months and most importantly. Make sure the air filter is changed. A poor air filter would cause your car to mix incorrectly.

 

5. This one everyone already knows. Carpool!!! If it is not a huge inconvenience to you, you should do this when ever possible.

 

Ok so what about trading your car in for a hybrid? All I have to say is if you got the money then why not. Hybrid cars burn clean which helps the environment and takes less gas which keeps money in your pocket.

Hybrid vehicles use battery cells that help cut back on the amount of gas that would normally be needed. As of late I have heard a lot of talk about using water fuel cells. What this is, is a system that breaks out the hydrogen in water and uses that to fuel your car. This is pretty awesome! I have seen reports of people getting as much as a 70% gas savings by using this technology. There are a number of energy enthusiasts and entrepreneurs that have designed a do it yourself water fuel cell kit that will allow you to easily adapt your existing vehicle with this gas savings technique.

Whats scary about the release of this water fuel cell technology by private citizens is that the government will probably find some way to stop them from mass producing such a device because it will take away from the big oil giants.

Read more at: http://www.WayToSaveGas.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/useful-ways-to-saving-gas-491514.html

About the Author

To read about 15 useful ways to save gas and discussions on keeping money in your pocket instead of giving it to the oil rich families. Point your browser to http://www.WayToSaveGas.com

Throughout the challenging economy we all find ourselves in, there may not be a better spot to focus on than exploring the greatest ways to conserve on gas. Apart from food, fuel is the one commodity that threatens the actual existence of your family and cherished ones.

For the individuals that are still able to keep working, getting to that job is the most crucial element of life. Depending on the size of your commute, what can you do if gas reaches 4 or also 5 dollars per gallon? How much could that additional fuel bill have an impact on you and your budget?

This is why more and more individuals are wanting for gasoline saving ideas. One route that can be very effective is to uncover a quality fuel additive that substantially decreases how much money you have to spend when you go to the gas pump.

Whilst there are quite a few additives on the market, you do need to locate the versions that work most efficiently. When you do, having said that, you’ll notice how substantial the gasoline savings can truly be. Most folks report saving anyplace from $5 to $15 every single time they go to the gasoline pump to fill up.

In addition to the instant savings at the gas pump, you should also start seeing a great enhancement in getting farther with every container of gasoline as you get better gas mileage. If you’re conserving cash on each fill-up as well as going farther on every container of gas, that is quick cash to put into your wallet for other various essential functions, such as feeding your spouse and children.

A different facet you want to take into account as you look for approaches to save on gasoline is that a quality fuel additive should start treating the insides of your automobile. As your injectors and engine parts are cleaned and freed from a lot of the gunk and buildup, performance benefits should follow. A lot of folks report that their cars possess much more responsiveness and power after they’ve used a gas additive a few times.

If you do your own investigating, you can also locate fuel additives that are eco friendly. A few are biodegradable, which is vital in these days of air pollution. A few will assist to reduce the poisons and pollutants that your automobile places out into our environment. You may discover that you get far better gas mileage at the same time that you’re slicing down on your automobile’s toxic emissions by as much as 40% to 60%.

Consider the truth that some folks will usually drive an extra mile or 2 across town just to save a few cents on gasoline. If you locate the correct fuel additive, it won’t make a difference the place you fill up as you save many dollars and miles rather than just a few cents.

As the economic system worsens and the greenback is devalued even more, discovering ways to save gas couldn’t be a much more critical activity.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motorcycles-articles/ways-to-save-gas-get-better-gas-mileage-3796152.html

About the Author

Are you looking for more gasoline saving ideas as you see the price of fuel continue to go up? Now is the time to find ways to save gas, before gas prices get so high that you have to cut back on feeding your family.

A Small Reminder on How to Save Fuel

Let’s face it.  We all know what we should be doing to save gas. My favorite is the notion that driving 55 MPH will save because engines are designed to run more efficiently at that speed. I hate people who drive 55. Besides, if you never go over 55 you will end up with a carbon buildup, which as it so happens is worse for both the environment and your car’s engine. Now excessive acceleration, is something that we all can control, and will lead to worse gas mileage. Another way to save gas is to not ride your brakes or constantly slam on them. By paying attention and looking ahead, you’ll always be able to anticipate and ease down on the brake peddle when necessary. This will also save on tire wear, which brings me to the most important thing you can do to save on gas.

Keeping your tires inflated at the manufacturers recommended level at all times will save more than you think. Your engine uses some 20% of its efforts just overcoming the resistance of tire rolling, and that percentage figure increases when the tires are under inflated, thus causing both tire wear and loss of gas mileage. Of course there are other measures you can take to save on gas. If you’re stuck in traffic or in line at your favorite burger joint, turn off the engine. Also by lightening the load whenever possibly, you can save gas as well.

Another way to get better gas mileage is to buy a car that gets great mileage. For those of you who simply can’t afford to it right now, there is always car conversion. You have probably heard that switching your car over to bio-diesel, or even electric is a viable option, however, have you heard about running your car on water? That’s right, good ol H2o. On top of that, you might even be able to increase your MPG by 30-50%.

The Hydrogen Future is Now

Water as Fuel Today
Although hydrogen cells are what most experts claim to be the fuel of the future, I have found a grassroots movement that uses
water as fuel today. You will still  have to take the occasional trip to the gas pump, because water is supplemental to your gas or diesel fuel, and 100% water cars are still on the drawing board. Moreover,  extracting energy from water to double or triple your fuel economy is VERY EASY. This is not new technology. People have been using water to gas converters in vehicles for  years.  

Your Gas Guzzler Could Be Green

You Could Double Your MPG
This is proven technology. Using a simple device, you can use the electricity from your battery to separate water (H2O) into a gas known as HHO.  HHO is two parts’ Hydrogen and one part Oxygen. HHO is a supercharged gas that burns effectively and produces significant energy, greatly improving your fuel economy.  Incredibly, the waste product is water! The green car of the future just might be sitting in your driveway. Because the hydrogen is produced On-Demand, this technology is perfectly safe for you and your passengers. Imagine going from 20-25 mpg,  to 50-60 mpg or more,  and at the same time reducing your carbon foot print.

Well, these are some of  the actions you can take to save gas while driving. If you’re not thinking of buying an electric or hybrid in the near  future, you should look into HHO. Obviously, I can’t go into great detail in this article, but if I have piqued your interest, you can get all the facts of this or many other ideas on how to go green at my site   Possibly GREEN.  There you’ll find the right ways to live a greener life, including information on how to find green jobs in your area.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/car-conversionsdriving-to-save-gas-1218978.html

About the Author

At 57, I consider myself to be a Jack Of All Trades And Master Of Nothing. I was a struggling actor for 25 years. During that time I learned a little about a lot of things, and would like to pass along some of that knowledge. I live in California with my beautiful wife and a menagerie of pets.

The two ways to save money buying gas is to pay less and use less. One of the best ways to use less gas, pay the best price and maximize savings is to plan ahead. Organizing when and where you fill up will go a long way to reduce the amount of gas you use.

Plan ahead to take advantage of other purchases when buying gas. Check out coupons in your local area that offer money off certain items, like convenience food. If you purchase your gas at a service pump that has a convenience store attached then you can use your money-saving coupons for convenience purchases.

Although you are not saving money on your actual gas purchase, just by combining your convenience purchase with your fuel purchase you will find some money saving benefit by shopping and fueling up at the same location. You will be saving on your convenience purchase and you will be conserving gas by not making an extra trip.

You can save money on your gas purchase if you plan when and where to fill up. Don’t wait till you are almost empty to fill your car. Plan ahead where and when you are going to purchase gas. Save by trying to fill up once a week at a gas station that you have discovered that sells at a good price.

If you let your tank get too close to empty you may find that you are forced to buy gas at a higher priced station to avoid running out of gas. If you plan your purchase ahead it will allow you to take advantage of the lower priced stations.

Scouting out the best gas prices as you drive can save you plenty. Keep a look out for stations around your house or on roads you travel often and note the prices and locations in a notebook. Soon you will know where the best deals are. You will have created your own local database of prices without using any additional gas to do it.

Sometimes waiting to buy gas can save you money. If on a particular day you cannot find the price you were looking for, wait a day or two and you may still find your price. The price of gas is constantly changing. A few days could make a difference. Again if you plan to fill up well before your tank is close to empty you will have the flexibility to be able to wait till you find the right station with the right price.

A little advance planning can go a long way to help control your gas costs. It may seem like a small thing to do. Just remember all the small things you do to help save gas and money will add up to big savings over time.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/save-gas-and-money-by-organizing-your-fill-ups-321633.html

About the Author

Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of industry insider information
on saving gas and money at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to learn how
you can get better gas mileage.
Find out how to increase gas
mileage.