Reducing Your Pain at the Pump

It’s not news that gasoline prices are higher than ever, and even worse news that some experts predict even higher prices this winter. There are, however, several simple things you can do to squeeze that lemon of yours into giving you better mileage, and lessening your pain at the pump.

When was the last time you had a tune-up? A badly tuned car can waste up to 15 percent of the gas it burns. For the average driver, that can add up to 35 gallons a year – a big chunk of the tune-up cost. Get a tune-up every 10,000 miles, or twice a year, and make sure it includes cleaning dirty spark plugs and replacing worn ones, changing the oil filter and checking the timing.

When was the last time you checked your tires? Under-inflated tires waste gas. Tire pressure changes one pound for every ten degree Fahrenheit change in the outside temperature, so it’s important to check your tires for each new season. Always check pressure when tires are cold -- even driving to the nearest gas station can provide a false pressure reading. This may even be the time to rotate you tires, too, since regular rotation helps achieve more uniform wear. A good rule of thumb is to rotate every other time you change the oil filter.

When was the last time you emptied the trunk? All that junk you tote around adds weight and that reduces mileage performance.

You also could switch to a lower cost, lower octane gas. According to the American Automobile Association, the percentage of premium octane fuel that’s sold exceeds the percentage of vehicles on the road that require it. In other words, a lot of us are paying for more than we need at the pump. Simply, there’s no advantage to running a low-octane engine on high-octane gas.

Octane is a measure of how quickly fuel burns. Premium gasoline contains additives, which slow the combustion of the air-fuel mixture and reduce engine knocking. The higher the octane, the slower the burn. Most cars are engineered to run on regular 87 octane without knocking. Unless your owner’s manual specifies the richer gas, you probably don’t need it. Generally, only large, luxury-size vehicles such as the Cadillac Seville, Lexus LS 400 and Mercedes S Class, and high-performance vrommers such as the Jaguar XJS, Chevy Corvette and Ford Thunderbird need premium-grade gasoline.

As engines age, their octane requirement often increases, so if you are driving an older car, or even a late-model one that you’ve churned up the odometer on, it may do better on a higher octane fuel.

The additives in higher octane gas cost more than the gas they’re blended into, that’s why it’s more expensive. Since there’s no uniformity in the way oil refiners blend additives into gasoline, a vehicle might do better on one brand than another. Also, since name brand oil refiners generally put the same additive package in each grade of gasoline they sell, you could improve gas mileage, reduce pinging, or both, simply by switching to the same octane from another brand. It could be all you need to clean off deposits and eliminate knocking.

As for after-market detergents – many experts believe they also are a waste of money. Brand-name gasoline has detergents in it already. They are federally required to prevent fuel injector and intake valve deposits, which can effect exhaust emissions and the health of your vehicle’s catalytic converter.
There also are some driving tricks that can save gas. Accelerate and stop gently. If you drive a manual transmission, get out of the lower gears as soon as you can, since they use more fuel. Stay within the speed limit, since higher speeds burn more gas. And, finally, these foolproof ways to save on gas--walk, carpool, bicycle, or take public transportation.