Track Your Car’s Gas Mileage
Most of us kind of recall what the sticker on our car said the gas mileage would be but when is the last time you actually tested it? Tracking your mileage in real time is a great way to find out exactly what your vehicle really gets in day-to-day driving.
It’s pretty simple to do as well. You’ll need to stick a pen and pad in the car to write down some numbers and dates and then you’ll need a calculator (unless you’re a math whiz) to figure out your gas mileage. This is an important first step in saving fuel though and it’s really not that difficult or time consuming.
Next time you gas up, write down the date and the mileage on your odometer. The following week, when you refuel again, write down the date, number of gallons used and the odometer reading again. For this to work, you’ll need to fill the tank completely each time. Now simply figure out how many gallons you used and how many miles you drove. As they say, “Do the Math!”
Example: Odometer reading was 22,317 on 5.1.14 and you filled the tank on that day.
On 5.16.14 you refueled and it took 10.4 gallons of gas. On this date, your odometer reading was 22, 589.
22,589 minus 22,317=272 miles
In other words, you were able to travel 272 miles on 10.4 gallons of gas. 272÷10.4=26.15mpg
Perform this exercise each week for about 4 weeks to get a good average of your actual miles per gallon. You may find that some weeks you get about 27 mpg and some you only get 25 mpg. So your average would be 26 mpg. Now you have a good starting point in your quest to get better gas mileage. Exercises like this also help us to be more mindful of our driving habits.
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Few Simple Tips To Improve Gas Mileage
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Taking off quickly from a red light costs more gas; so does accelerating rapidly on the highway to pass a car.
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Check your air filter and have regular tune-ups performed to ensure that your vehicle is consistently running good.
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Low tires can decrease fuel consumption so be sure to check tires monthly. Our tires lose air simply from daily use.
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Maintain the recommended air pressure for the best gas mileage.
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Try to brake slowly. Sometimes if you watch the red lights you can tell when it’s about time for it to change.
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Starting and stopping a lot will increase your gas mileage.
