It is much easier to increase your fuel mileage than you think. There are many things that affect your mileage in a small way, but when you put them together, they can save you $300 - $700 a year in gas. That could buy you a nice little vacation, couldn't it? I will give you a lot of suggestions; you can pick the ones that suit you the best.

The first thing is speed. Most people do not know that the smallest difference in traveling speed has a very large effect on fuel economy. Traveling at 65 mph (104 kph) instead of 55 mph (88 kph) can waste 17% more fuel. That alone can add a few hundred dollars to your annual fuel bill.

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Here are some points:

- Minimize daily warm ups to 30 seconds. Even at sub-zero temperatures, 30 seconds is all a car needs if you don't race away, and make sure to drive the car slowly for the first few miles. The rest of the time you're wasting gas.

- Higher octane gas (super unleaded) does not give your car more power or better fuel mileage. It means your car is more resistant to detonation. Purchasing the more expensive, higher octane, premium fuel provides no benefit to most cars. The only reason to use high octane gas is if your car is starting to "ping" (which is also called engine knock). This knock will not only rob your car of power and fuel mileage, but more importantly, depending on the severity, can ruin your engine over time.

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- On the highway, use cruise control to reduce gas consumption. It helps maintain a steady speed and therefore better gas mileage.

- Don't fill the gas tank to the brim. Stop when the pump clicks off. Usually, tanks have overfill tubes and when you go around a corner with an overfilled tank, some gas spills out through this tube.

- Check tires regularly. Under-inflated tires can run hot and shorten the life of the tire and rob you of mileage - up to 4% for every 5 pounds it is under-inflated. Air expands with heat, so when inflating a warm tire add about 4-5 psi to your recommended tire pressure. In addition, for every 10% your tire is deflated, you increase tire wear 15%.

- Some people over inflate their tires to get less rolling resistance and therefore better fuel economy. It does work, but there is a catch. You can get premature and uneven tire wear and end up replacing your tires much sooner than normal. The money you save on gas is more or less the same as the added expense of replacing your tires much sooner.

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- Use your air conditioner sparingly because your engine has to power the air conditioner compressor. By using the air conditioner, you can increase your fuel consumption by 10% on the highway, and up to 20% in stop and go traffic.

- Some companies are marketing a product termed a "gasbooster" that retails between $25-$100. Each product uses the principle of ionizing the gas with a new gas line material or using the heat from the water hoses to help vaporize the fuel/air mixture. The product manufacturers claim a 3-5% better fuel economy and can reduce pollution by up to 15%. I have personally tested many of them, and they did not live up to their promises. There may be one out there that works, but I haven't seen it yet. And if these products are so great, improve fuel consumption and reduce pollution, why isn't every car manufacturer putting them on their vehicles?! It would only cost them a dollar or so in mass quantities.

- Many major gas companies or retail and department chain stores offer a percentage discount from your gas bill if you purchase gas on their credit card. Usually they will give you between 5 cents to 15 cents per gallon (depending on the total quantity purchased over a month). This can really add up at the end of the month. Just inquire the next time you are filling up at your favorite service station.

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- Save up to 1.5% by removing unnecessary items from the car (commonly in the trunk). For every 100 pounds in extra weight, the car eats up 0.5% more gas.

- If you have a carbureted engine, a poorly tuned car can use 5-9% more gas then normal.

- Save up to 4% by taking your snow tires off as soon as it is safe to do so.

- You can save up to 5% by removing roof racks that create wind drag.

- Use premium multi-grade oils to save up to 5% on your fuel consumption. Friction modified oils can improve your mileage. Use low viscosity oil in the winter, like SAE 5W30 or 10W30. Also, start using EC (Energy Conserving) or EC II grade oils. EC oil reduces fuel consumption by up to 1.5 - 2.7%.

- Try to conserve the car's momentum. It takes 600% more gas to move a car from a dead stop compared to one that has a couple mph's momentum. By observing traffic conditions and maintaining a reasonable distance from the car ahead of you. This will reduce braking and allow you to keep the car's momentum. The gas it takes to accelerate from 0-35 mph in half a city block could have carried you a half a mile at 35 mph. Simply getting out of poor driving habits can save 10-25% in fuel expenditures.

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- Radial tires can cut 3-4% of your fuel bill.

- If you own a pick-up truck, remove your tailgate (or put it down) for any highway driving. The tailgate acts like a drag chute giving you very poor fuel economy as much as a 15% loss). If you don't want to remove your tailgate; you can use a soft net-type gate or get a bed cover to almost eliminate the drag chute affect.

- Expect up to 10% drop in fuel economy in heavy rains, and 1-2% for every 10 degree Fahrenheit drop in temperature.

- Fuel consumption is heavy in the first 20 minutes after start-up, especially in winter months, because the car hasn't fully warmed up to its efficient temperature. To reduce this effect, use a block heater. Purchase one with a timer so it comes on 2-3 hours before you have to start the car. A warmer engine means easier starting and better fuel economy. This also reduces pollution to our environment since the car's emissions are much higher before it warms up.

- Avoid driving with an open sunroof or windows at highway speeds. It increases aerodynamic drag and wastes fuel (up to 8%). Use the vehicle's flow-through ventilation to provide fresh air for passengers.

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- If you are going to be stopped for more than 60 seconds with the engine idling, shut it off. It takes more fuel to idle over 60 seconds than it does to start the car.

- Make sure your front wheels are aligned properly. A misaligned front end increases fuel consumption.

- Keep filters and catalytic converters clean. Dirty filters increase fuel consumption as much as 10% and studies have shown that 33% of all vehicles on the road are in need of a new air filter.

- A V-8 engine averages 17.5% greater fuel consumption than a V-6 (that could amount to as much as $500 per year in fuel savings). A four-speed automatic gives you 5% better fuel economy than a three-speed automatic transmission. Consider this when buying a car.

- Also, when buying a car, it is good to find out if it has a lock-up device in the torque converter. If it doesn't, it means there is probably always slippage, which can increase fuel consumption by 6%. The lock up reduces this slippage and saves wasted energy.

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- An automatic transmission will have an average of 5-11% poorer fuel economy than to a 5 speed manual transmission that is used properly. Most people don't know that power steering can add 3% to fuel consumption with its added weight and strain on the engine.

- By driving in a straight line instead of letting the car wander from side to side in the driving lane, you can save up to 2 mpg.

- A new car that is "broken in" properly can get as much as 5% better fuel economy throughout its life. Refer to the owner's manual for "break-in" procedures.

- When you go to foreign countries, many do not have gas pumps that reset to zero after each use. Many unsuspecting tourists are fleeced when they pay for their own gas and the gas registered on the pump before them. This is very common in Mexico. Don't end up paying for 50 liters of gas instead of the 30 liters you actually pumped.

- If you do an excessive amount of traveling, you may consider changing your final drive gear. You might want to get a low axle ratio gear so that the car's engine can turn the wheels faster at the same r.p.m.; therefore getting better fuel mileage. This lower final drive ratio is sometimes an option when buying a new car.

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- Cars are usually "air-starved" at high speed. If you do a lot of highway driving it may be worth your while to use a homemade air ram. Purchase a length of air duct, similar to the type under the dash of your car, and attach one open end behind the front grill so air is forced into the tube. Cut an opening in the air cleaner intake and attach the other end of the air duct with sheet metal screws there (you can use duct tape to seal the connection if you wish). This will achieve better fuel mileage at highway driving speeds if your engine is "air- starved".

- A fantastic tip used by truckers everywhere is to purchase gas on Indian reserves. You can buy gas at 25

- 40% discount because there are no taxes on gas on the reserves. Most maps mark Indian reserves clearly, and many times they are just a few miles from major interstates. Plan your trip to stop and fill up on reserves and save big dollars.

- Split Fire® plugs claim to give you 4.8% better gas mileage and a smoother running engine. Although you will probably see a slight increase in gas mileage, it is not guaranteed. I don't think it will be as high as 4.8%. We didn't notice any significant difference in our test car, but feel free to try it; maybe you will find a difference.

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- Converting to propane is another alternative. Although this is an expensive project, you will save approximately 30 - 50% on your present fuel cost (depending on local propane fuel prices). With this type of saving, the conversion process could easily pay for itself within a year. After that, you are saving 30 - 50% for doing absolutely nothing but using an alternative fuel. Because propane is considered a cleaner fuel, it can mean smoother acceleration and idling, reduced engine maintenance, overall improved performance and less air pollution (carbon dioxide, is partially responsible for the greenhouse effect). As you may already know, most taxi cabs are converting to propane or natural gas. Tokyo has been using this system to improve air quality for many years now.

- Consider buying a diesel engine next time you are in the market for a new car. The disadvantages are: the initial purchase price is more, it's noisier and has less horsepower. The advantages are: much greater fuel economy (usually 25 - 30%), higher resale value and maintenance is lower due to a more simple engine. The best customer for a diesel engine is one who drives more than 15,000 miles a year. If lack of power is a concern, try a turbo diesel. They have about the same horsepower as a gas engine of the same size.

Expect to get poorer mileage on short trips, in cold weather, or heavy traffic - this is normal.

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Studies have shown that you can save 15% on gas just by practicing simple maintenance and driving habits. If you use all the other tips and techniques, you're looking at much more savings.

Remember, that the less fuel we burn the better; for the sake of the environment. With over 200 million cars on the road just in North America alone, the pollution effect is astronomical.

In Case of Emergency - It is late at night, it's 50 miles to the next open gas station, and you have only one gallon of gasoline. If your car gets 20 mpg, you know you won't even come close to making it. Well, you can drive that 50 miles on one gallon of gasoline. Here's how:

This is a simple technique used by Mileage Marathon drivers. Accelerate very slowly to 20 mph, turn off the engine and shift the car into neutral. Let the car slow to 5-8 mph, restart the engine and repeat the process over and over again. Make sure your flashers are on as not to cause an accident and keep alert for someone coming up fast behind you. This technique is incredibly effective but should be used only in an emergency situation.

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