Gasoline prices continue to soar, and it seems everyone has a tip on how to save fuel. While much of the advice is well intentioned, CNNMoney.com says in the end, much of it won’t lower your gas bill.
CNN offered a look at a few of the misconceptions that many of us may have:
1. Fill your tank in the morning—Many of us have heard it’s best to fill your tank early in the morning while the fuel is cold, since fluids are denser at lower temperatures. So a gallon of cold gas actually has more gas molecules than a gallon of warmer gas. Actually, the temperature of the gas as it comes out of the nozzle varies, according to Consumer Reports, so there is little to no benefit to getting up at the crack of dawn to put gas in your tank.
2. Change your air filter—Despite rumors, a clean air filter isn’t going to save you any gas, since modern engines have computer sensors that automatically adjust the fuel-air mixture as an increasingly clogged air filter chokes off the engine’s air supply. Consumer Reports says that while engine power will decrease slightly as the air filter becomes clogged, a lack of performance or an increase in fuel consumption will be negligible.
3. Use premium fuel—Premium is a hard sell these days with gas prices the way they are, but a lot of drivers think that since their owners’ manual recommends premium, they’ll get better fuel economy. Actually, if you purchase premium, you’re actually paying more money for nothing, CNN says.
4. Pump up your tires—Keeping your tires properly inflated is important, but you should never over-inflate your tires. CNN found that according to on the road driving tests by both Consumer Reports and auto information site Edmunds.com, under inflated tires reduce fuel economy, so proper inflation is key. Over-inflating will get you slightly better fuel economy because there will be less tread touching the road, reducing friction. But that means less grip for braking and turning, and the added risk of a crash isn’t worth the extra mile a gallon you might gain.
5. To A/C or not A/C—Using the air conditioner makes your engine work extra hard, increasing fuel use. But CNN found that car air conditioners are much more efficient today than they used to be. In around-town driving, using the A/C will drop fuel economy by about a mile a gallon. Driving at higher speeds with the windows down greatly increases aerodynamic drag. As speed increases, drag becomes more of an issue, making A/C use the more efficient choice at high speeds, CNN says. The best choice would be to keep the windows rolled up and to turn the A/C compressor off, keeping the fans running to blow in air from the outside. This way your car will be as aerodynamic as possible while still letting you breathe. CNN says you will save gas, but the fuel economy improvement will be slight.
6. Bolt-ons and pour-ins—CNN recommends you ask yourself the following question before spending your money on a device that’s supposed to make your car more fuel-efficient or pour in an allegedly gas-saving additive: Don’t you think oil and car companies aren’t doing everything they can to beat their competitors? If the oil companies could add something to its gasoline that made cars go farther on a gallon, they would. Likewise, car companies are already spending big bucks to increase fuel mileage and if they could simply put a device in the fuel line to make it more fuel-efficient they would, since their sales would skyrocket.
CNN says the most important thing to do is keep a close eye on your driving habits and what kind of car you drive, since in the end that can make the most difference in saving gas.
