Friday, March 25, 2011

Someday I will commute to work in an all electric car that will get 100% of its propulsion energy from the sun via my solar panels. Until that time, I at least want to make my gas vehicle cheaper to drive.  

My 19.3 mile commute consists of 2½ miles of residential and city streets, 13 miles of 55mph highway and 4 miles of interstate. 

I have gotten so familiar with the traffic lights and flow that I can almost drive the whole route without using my brakes. 

Secrets to Increased Gas Mileage the oil companies don't want you to know about:

OK, so maybe these are not secrets but they really will help you save a ton of money on your gasoline bill. You won't have to buy my book for $29.95 either. 

A few years ago I had to replace the entire exhaust system on my Honda from the manifold to the tail pipe. I have always wondered what would happen to the gas mileage if my car had a larger exhaust system. Trying to breath through a straw is difficult. I figured a tiny tail pipe is no different. Installing a bigger catalytic converter and muffler and going from a 1¼” diameter to a 2¼ ” diameter tubing increased my gas mileage 4 mpg. Well, that was easy! Why don't the car manufactures design cars with larger exhaust pipes? It's a relatively easy thing to do with a quick return on investment.  

A motor-head buddy of mine told me he fills his oil up to the low side of the dipstick to get more performance out of his race cars. The theory is there will still be sufficient oil for cooling and lubrication but the crankshaft won't be sloshing through the oil in the pan as much. He even went as far as sharpening the edges of the crankshaft so it would knife edge through the oil. Hmmm, interesting. 

Increasing the tire pressure will decrease the rolling resistance of a vehicle's tires. Quantifying a measurement like this is difficult without driving the exact same way for an entire tank first then increase the pressure and drive the same way for another whole tank. Outside temperature and weather will also effect the measurement.

If the engine RPM is low, the engine will not work as hard, nor burn as much gas. Lower RPM → less fuel intake strokes → Higher gas economy. You will use a lot less gas by accelerating slowly. But be courteous and aware of others around you though. Accelerating too slowly might make the 42 drivers stacking up behind you angry. Keep out of the passing lane so others who have not read this blog can pass you.

Drive slower Who do you think you are? Marty McFly? Not driving 88 miles per hour will ensure you don't accidentally go back in time and also save you a lot of gas (and potential speeding tickets). The faster you drive, the more wind pressure will push against your vehicle. Around 40 mph this force becomes significant. Above 55mph, it becomes the dominant force and your engine has to work harder and burn more fuel to overcome it. You might as well be dragging a boat anchor behind you everywhere you drive.