50 Ways to Save Money at the Gas Pump, Part 2

This is a continuation of 50 Ways to Save Money at the Gas Pump.... What follows are 10 more tips that you can use to save money on gas.

11. Turn the Nozzle

When you have finished filling up your gas tank try turning the nozzle of the hose a full 180 degrees.

This will drain a bit more gas into your tank; in some cases up to an entire half cup that would otherwise be a bonus to the next gas customer.

Once you get into the habit of turning the hose you’ll find yourself doing it without thinking. That extra half cup that you get each time that you fill your gas tank can add up to a lot of extra gas at the end of the year that you never have known about.

12. Say No to High Octane Gas

For most cars these days, buying higher octane gas is a waste of your money. Regular unleaded has approximately 87 octane already and is fine for your vehicle.

By avoiding buying high octane gas you’ll be saving a large amount of money over a period of time.

High octane gas is always more expensive at the gas pumps so the next time that you feel guilty for filling up your SUV with regular gas you can be assured that no harm will come to your vehicle.

Octane is simply a measurement of how difficult it is to ignite the gas in your car and has nothing to do with the quality of the gas. If you are experiencing engine pings, rattles, or knocks you can switch to high octane gas.

However, you shouldn’t be experiencing any of those knocks and rattles if you are keeping your vehicle maintained and making sure that you don’t miss those scheduled maintenance checkups.

If you are driving a new model car you definitely shouldn’t be hearing any pings or rattles and if you are you should take your vehicle to a mechanic.

13. Avoid Topping Off

Try to avoid “topping off” at the gas pumps. When you purchase just a bit of gas at the gas station the pump doesn’t have enough time to really activate, resulting in short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the amount of gas that you are purchasing.

The best time to replenish your gas tank is when you have half a tank or less left in your vehicle, or when you find a gas price that you just can’t afford to miss.

14. Avoid Running Your Gas Tank Too Close to Empty

Try not to drive your car when the gas gauge is on empty.

You may think that you using very little gas when your car is on empty, but you are in fact using more gas because your vehicle is running less efficiently as it tries to accelerate and decelerate in a normal fashion.

Keep your gas level above the quarter tank mark if at all possible.

15. Avoid Buying Gasohol

You should never purchase gasohol for your car since it contains only two-thirds of the energy of gasoline. This means that you would need to buy much more gasohol to go the same distance on a tank of gasoline. Gasohol is a mixture of ethanol (alcohol made from grain) and gas, and is used by some farmers to help cut the amount of pollution in the air. Even if you are traveling and it seems like the only fuel choice for miles is gasohol try to avoid buying this type of adapted fuel.

16. Avoid Buying Gas From A Newly Replenished Gas Station

When a gas station has its underground tanks filled, the particles at the bottom of the tank are stirred up.

These particles can become mixed in with the gas that you are putting into your car, which can lead to efficiency problems. The particles can clog your fuel filter, causing your car to stall and start with some difficulty.

If the gas station that you have decided to stop at has the lowest gas price in your area you may want to think about taking the time to come back at a later time rather than stopping at the next gas station that is offering a higher price for gas.

17. Keep Your Car Well Tuned

One of the best things that you can do is to keep your vehicle as well tuned as you possibly can. This means taking note of those regularly scheduled maintenance checkups that you so often ignore. Studies indicate that a car with an engine that is poorly tuned will increase the amount of fuel consumption from 10 to 20 percent.

Information found at FuelEconomy.gov shows that when you tune up a car that is due for a checkup or one that has emissions problems, you can increase the gas mileage by up to 4.1 percent.

Source: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml

Pay attention to the signals that your car is giving you. When the red message light on your dashboard lights up letting you know that it’s time to “check your gauges” make sure that you have your car looked at as soon as you can. If you are uncertain when the last time was that you had your car serviced you may be able to contact the mechanic that last did the work for you.

If they keep accurate records your mechanic will be able to give you a date for your last maintenance visit and help you schedule a new one at the same time.

18. Change the Oil in Your Car

Change the oil in your car on a regular basis. When you keep the oil in your car clean you reduce the wear that is caused by friction in the moving parts of your car’s engine. Keeping track of your last oil change will save you money at the gas pump and increase your fuel consumption.

19. The Right Grade Of Oil

Make sure that you are using the right grade of oil that is required by your car or truck. Oil grades are measured in viscosity, which determines how much the oil can resist flow. Grades of oil include:

• 0W (this is the thinnest) (“W” stands for winter)

• 5W to 25W

• 20 to 60 (60 is the thickest)

Check with the owner’s manual that comes with your car for more information about the grade of oil that is required by your car.

Make sure that you use the right grade of oil to ensure that your car runs as smoothly as it should in all types of weather.

If you find that you are always running out of oil when you need it you can buy car oil in bulk at stores such as Costco so that you always have oil available for your vehicle.

If you can’t change the oil in the car yourself ask a family or friend to give you a hand.

20. Replace the Air Filter in Your Car

Studies at FuelEconomy.com suggest replacing the air filter in your car on a regular basis. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve the mileage that you get with your car by up to 10 percent.

When you calculate that 10 percent into gasoline savings, you’ll be saving up to 15 cents per gallon. You can ask your mechanic to replace the air filter in your car or you can do it yourself.

That’s just 20 of more than 50 ways that we will cover in this article series for saving gas at the pump. I hope that you will find some of these tips useful.