How to Improve Your Fuel Efficiency

Canada is a large country with nearly 40,000 kilometers of paved roads. Though many large urban centers have well-designed rapid transit systems, owning a vehicle (for most people) is still a necessity. Statistics Canada estimates that in Canada, we burn approximately 111 million liters of gasoline per day equalling over 40 billion liters of gasoline per year.

If there's one thing that frustrates most drivers, it's the ever-increasing cost of fuel.

As gas prices continue to climb, it becomes more important than ever to improve your vehicle's fuel efficiency. You will want to consider every possible way to wring a few more kilometers out of each tank. Regardless of what vehicle you drive, there are ways to stretch every gas dollar further.

9 Ways To Improve Fuel Economy

1. A well-maintained vehicle burns less fuel. It's that simple. Regular maintenance including oil and filter changes, tune-ups, and mechanical inspections make a huge difference. Preventative maintenance will go a long way toward reducing fuel consumption.
2. Are you carrying extra weight in your vehicle? Have you packed the trunk or storage compartment with unneeded items? If you're driving a truck, are you hauling unnecessary items in your truck bed? Extra weight makes your engine work harder, reducing fuel economy. Stop hauling items that you don't need. Removing needless items and lessening the weight can improve your fuel consumption by as much as 2-percent.
3. Check the Gas Cap. A broken or lost gas cap can effect your fuel economy and the environment by leaking.
4. Get an Alignment. Driving over all those potholes created during the winter months can easily throw your vehicle's wheel alignment out of whack. This can not only cause tires to wear out more quickly, but it also forces the engine to work harder, which can reduce gas mileage by as much as 10%. If you notice your car pulling to one side or the steering wheel is off-center, take your car in for an alignment, pronto.
5. Consider your Engine Oil. Whether you take your vehicle in for oil changes or prefer to do it yourself, be sure the crankcase is filled with the thinnest-viscosity motor oil recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer. For example, if you're currently running on 5W-30-grade oil, switching to 10W-30 could reduce your vehicle's fuel consumption by 1-2 percent
6. Don't Idle. If you find yourself waiting curbside or parked for longer than 30-secs, turn off your engine. Many new vehicles offer an auto start/stop feature now that will do this automatically for you. The potential savings is 2-cents per gallon for every 2-mins your engine is off.
7. Keep your foot off the brake pedal. We hope not many people drive this way, but don't even rest your left foot on the brake pedal while driving. This will reduce the life of your brakes and it will drastically increase the amount of gas consumption by up to 35%.
8. Slow down. We aren't suggesting you take this to the extreme, but even just reducing your highway speed by 5 km/hour can increase your fuel efficiency by 7%.
9. Drive smoothly. Although it can be exciting to launch yourself from a dead stop, or drive Fast & The Furious style around corners, the more extreme your driving the worse your fuel efficiency becomes. Take it easy and enjoy a nice smooth ride if you want to save on fuel.

Now, here's something you may not have considered: one of the easiest ways to improve fuel consumption is to ensure that your tires have the right amount of pressure. Under-inflated tires force your engine to work harder and can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 7 kilometers per 100 kilometers. That's considerable and over time, adds up quickly. It's also important to point out that under-inflated tires wear out faster, negatively impact handling, braking, and performance, and put added strain on your vehicle's suspension components. It's a small yet vital thing that can add up to substantial fuel savings throughout your ownership of the vehicle.Trust your local Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centre to ensure your tires are aligned, balanced, and properly inflated. And if you need new tires, no one beats Quick Lane's Price Match Promise - your guarantee of the best tire deal today every day! To request a tire quote CLICK HERE.