Find Out How To Save Fuel By Hypermiling

"Anyone can learn to hypermile and save money

, gas and the environment. It's safe and it's free," says Matt Herring of Super Commuter in North Andover, Massachusetts. For a small fee, Herring teaches commuters how to change their driving habits to save gas. Herring says he managed to go from 17 to 22 MPG in his 2005 Toyota 4Runner, which saved him 3 gallons every fill up. In one year, he drove 15,000 miles and saved about $900. In this article, you'll learn more about hypermiling, which is a technique that will save you lots of money, whether you're cruising around town or hitting the highway.

The first step many hypermilers take is to track their mileage, so they have a clearer understanding of what works best for their vehicles. They can compare how they drive on Monday to how they drive on Tuesday. They can glance down at something called a Scan Gauge to see how many MPG they're using or even how much money a certain trip cost them in gas. The Scan Gauge isn't exactly cheap (with a price tag around $160), but the installation is painless.

One of the most basic techniques to save gas is to check your tire pressure. The average car should have its tires inflated from 32 to 44 psi in the summer, which increases your MPG 5%. In the winter, drop it back down because higher psi reduces traction. Installing items like engine grill blocks, engine block heaters and foam pipe insulation can save you 50 miles per tank in the winters.

Experts say that being conscious of how accelerating, braking and driving techniques affect your gas mileage can really make an enormous difference and most drivers save an instant 10% of gas this way. One of the most sacred rules of the road for all hypermilers is to only brake when you have to. While most people are inclined to speed ahead to the stop light and abruptly slow down if the light doesn't change in time, the conscientious hypermiler will take his foot off the gas as soon as he sees the light is red and will slowly coast up to the intersection. This is also sometimes called "timing the lights" because often the light will change when the hypermiler gets there. Another trick is to take a 10 to 15 second buffer after the light turns green and the other cars accelerate. By leaving extra space ahead, drivers can see the brake lights well in advance and avoid hard braking. Some drivers say they save gas by watching their mileage go up over 70 MPG even while sitting in traffic!

Another way to increase gas mileage is to plan your trips wisely. First of all, "use the right ride for the job," says Popular Mechanics' Mike Allen. "Why take a gas-guzzling SUV to work when a smaller, more efficient fuel-sipper will do?" Allen asks. Car-pooling and public transportation should also be an option if you head into work during heavy traffic each day. While running errands, try to combine your projects into one trip, rather than driving to the post office just to mail a letter. A great resource is Mapquest's "Multi-Stop Route Builder" to see the best order and route for your destinations. Avoid rush hour at all costs to save gas. Sometimes just leaving 30 minutes earlier or later will save you a ton. Lastly, try to plan your route as the path of least resistance, choosing fewer stoplights, less traffic and lower speed limits. According to Allen, "Even if you save 0.1 gallons of gas each day, you'll save more than $130 per year."

by: Garry Betsworth

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