Gas mileage?

I live about 40 minutes away from my job, and with gas prices what they are these days, the commute is a financial thorn in my side. What are some ways I can increase my gas mileage? For example, I have heard that keeping the outside of a car clean helps to decrease drag, and in effect increase gas mileage. (Although not by too much.)|||What is key is to make sure tire pressure is at near max/max pressure. Drive slower, empty the trunk of the car, wax and polish the exterior. Maintain a constant speed with cruise control, you will have a noticeable difference in mileage. Change the motor oil every 3,000 miles this will reduce engine friction, and change the coolant ahead of time and all other fluids. Arguably a cold air intake and a performance exhaust like a Borla or Magnaflow mandrel bend pipe will do two things; your car will inhale (cold air intake) and exhale (performance exhaust) with a greater capacity, it's like a new set of lungs for the car. I cannot say how much your gas mileage will increase based on to many unknown variables, my actual miles increased 50-75 additional miles before I have to fill up. The first figure is city, the second is highway.|||at each fill up I add a bottle of octane booster, and a fuel injection cleaner, $1.00 each and I have noticed a definite increase in my gas mileage. I guess since the fuel injection cleaner keeps the injectors flowing freely, and the octane booster does wonders for Fords. and of course you know to keep tires a bit over inflated , buy just 2 -5 pounds|||Just keep you car well maintained. Change the oil when it's time, keep the tires properly inflated. Also keep unwanted junk out of the car. It keeps the car a little lighter. Don't run the a/c when not really hot and don't do any jackrabbit driving.|||Over-inflating the tyres is a no-no. You will gain a tiny bit, but its not worth the faster wear on the tyres. Even 3 psi extra can increase your wear by 30% - it would take up a lot of gas to make up that difference (not to mention poor handling and braking, more wear on the springs, shocks and suspension bushings, and a bumpy ride for you!)





Cleaning the car can help a little, particularly underneath, where mud and snow can accumulate and weigh the car down. Snow can easily add over 100lb!





Avoid carrying "stuff' in the trunk that you don't need. The extra weight hurts your milage in the long run. A d keep the windows up and the A/C on (if you need it at all) whenever you're doing over 40 mph. Open the windows and shut off the A/c below about 35 mph (at low speeds, the drag from open windows is actually less that what the A/C uses - the reverse is true at expressway speeds.)





The biggest trick is driving technique. Drive smoothly. Never "hit" the gas or the brake - always squeeze them gently. The Anticipate the traffic. Notice that you're catching up to the car in front, and look to change lanes BEFORE you have to hit the brakes. That way, you don't have to hit the gas again afterwards. This also means leaving yourself a big enough gap in front, so you can see what's going on ahead and still have time to react gently.





Look ahead for traffic. If you see the light turn red in the distance, let off the gas and see what happens - there's a good chance that you won't have to actually stop at all - and starting from a complete stop uses the most gas of all.





The final trick is to follow another (preferably larger) vehicle. The hole that an 18-wheeler makes in the air in front of you can save you over 30% of your fuel - while still remaining 150 feet behind it (but NEVER drive any closer! The fuel savings are greater, but the danger is too high. And 30% savings is nothing to sneeze at, either!) Of course, it doesn't have to be a semi, either. All vehicles do it to some extent - and the less aerodynamic the other vehicle is, the better for you. Large minivans, SUVs and small trucks are also good for this.





And if 150 feet is too close for your comfort, make it 300, or even 500 feet. There will still be significant savings.





Just remember - always be safe.