Fuel Efficiency Tips From The Tennessee Department of Agriculture
- Avoid rapid acceleration to reduce fuel consumption.
- Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly which saves fuel for everyone.
- When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine.
- Drive more slowly.
- Remove extra weight from the car—100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg.
- Avoid using roof racks and remove when not in use.
- Use cruise control on highway trips.
- For any stop lasting more than a minute, shut off the engine rather than letting it idle.
- Avoid warming the engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather.
- Do not rev engine before shutting it off; this wastes fuel, dilutes motor oil and leads to excessive wear on engine parts.
- Reduce the use of the air conditioner at low driving speeds. When driving over 40 mph, using the air conditioner costs less fuel than having the windows open.
- Park in the shade or leave the windows slightly open to reduce the need for air conditioning.
- Check tires—an under-inflated tire can decrease fuel economy by 2 percent.
- Refrain from topping off the tank at the gas pumps.
- Replace air and fuel filters regularly as instructed by the vehicle maintenance manual; change air filter more often if driving in dusty conditions.
- Keep engine properly tuned.
- Use API certified "Energy Conserving" motor oil, either conventional or synthetic. Use the service classification and viscosity specified for the vehicle.
- Avoid buying "aggressive" tread tires.
- Determine gasoline mileage periodically. Declining mileage can be an early indicator of mechanical problems or a need for servicing.
