When the class of 2006 first came to Fairfield, the average price of gasoline was approximately $1.50 per gallon – half of what it is today. With summer vacation right around the corner, students will be doing a lot more driving, despite record high fuel prices.
Whether you are going to the beach or going to work, below are five easy ways of improving fuel efficiency without having to spend big bucks.
Number One: Use the proper fuel octane. Materials Needed: Money to refill the gas in your car. Time: A couple minutes to glance at the car’s manual. Difficulty: Easy
At gasoline stations, there are generally three grades: Regular, Premium and Supreme (Octane 87, 89 and 93, respectively). There is a myth that suggests paying for higher grades of fuel will yield a better gas mileage as it burns slower and ultimately helps your engine.
The opposite is true: using an inappropriate fuel grade will cause a reduction in your gas mileage because it will burn faster. In some cases, a noise resembling the sound of knocking will arise.
Look in your automobile’s documentation to find the proper octane rating recommended by the manufacturer.
Number Two: Headlight management. Materials Needed: Energy to flip a switch. Time: A few seconds. Difficulty: Easy
The usage of headlights will actually reduce gas mileage. Although the use of headlights is necessary at night or in other poor driving conditions, having the headlights on causes the alternator (an electric current generator in your car) to work harder. Consequently, this extra work adds more friction to the engine, forcing it to use more fuel.
Some cars have daytime running lights where the headlights are always on but at a lower intensity. Nevertheless, don’t turn on your headlights to full power unless the situation calls for it.
Number Three: Blasting the air conditioner. Materials Needed: Energy to flip a switch. Time: A few seconds. Difficulty: Easy
Turning on the air conditioner hampers your vehicle’s gas mileage because it adds extra load on the engine. Rule of thumb: the higher the intensity of the cool air blasting out of the vents, the harder your engine has to work.
Having the windows open is not a good idea it will increase the air drag on the car – in other words, the force of air acting against an automobile while it is moving parallel and opposite to the direction of motion.
Keep in mind that it is actually better to have the air conditioner on with the windows closed while driving on the highway. While maneuvering at higher speeds (on a highway), the air drag from the air conditioner unit will be compensated by the decrease of air drag (because it’s taking less energy to move your car).
Number Four: Tire Pressure Materials Needed: $1 tire pressure gauge Time: 15 minutes Difficulty: Medium (it sounds harder than it actually is)
On the side panel of your driver door is a sticker which lists the recommended cold tire pressure – cold meaning the car hasn’t been driven for at least an hour.
To measure the tire’s pressure, unscrew the small cap on the side of each tire (they are about the size of your finger nail). It’s the same opening that you use to inflate the tire with air.
Take a tire pressure gauge, firmly press its head against the opening, and record your number.
Drive to the nearest gas station equipped with an air pump station. The closest one in proximity to Fairfield’s campus is the Cumberland Farms at 1101 Post Rd.
Now measure the “hot” tire pressure. Subtract the results for each tire against the previous “cold” readings recorded earlier.
Inflate or deflate your tires – whichever way is needed to have your tire reach its recommended pressure.
Example: Door sticker states a pressure of 32 pounds per square inch (psi). Your “cold” tire’s reading is 34 psi. Your tire’s new “hot” reading is 38 psi. The difference is 4. While at the gas station, you have to deflate the tire to 36 psi.
Deflate it by taking the opposite end of the pressure gauge’s head and press it against the opening on the tire.
Number Five: Pretend there is an egg on the pedal. Materials Needed: An imagination. Time: An extra minute or two to reach your destination. Difficulty: Easy
Speed demons will be disappointed to know that the quicker the acceleration, the harder the engine has to work (which burns quite a bit more fuel). The easiest way to overcome this challenge is to pretend there is an egg on the accelerator and brake pedals.
By imagining there is an egg on the pedal, you have to pretend not to break that egg (forcing you to accelerate and brake slower).
Also, anticipate an earlier stopping time so the breaks are applied more slowly. This will also help reduce the wear on your brakes in the long run.
Please keep in mind that whatever experimenting you do with your driving habits, do not obstruct traffic or place the lives of you and others in danger.
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