Improve gas mileage without buying anything

I've been inspired lately to re-up my efforts to help the environment. As I recently started replacing all my CFL (mercury laced) bulbs with LED bulbs, I started to think about what else I can do.

<p>Gas mileage came to mind. When I first got my 2000 Toyota Echo it got consistently 44-48 MPG and it's not even a hybrid. Sadly, this car was discontinued after 2005 and mine is now getting ONLY 38-42 MPG as it's gotten older. Not bad and still double what car dealers are claiming to be good, but I miss those higher numbers so I started doing some research.

<p>Hypermiling aka. Eco-driving to the rescue! There are many websites out there that detail the many different techniques to get super gas mileage. Most of the techniques are simply ways to change your driving habits. Mythbusters even proved that this works. With hypermiling techniques, people have been able to get double the EPA rating of their cars in many cases. It also happens to be safer and reduce the amount of pollution as well.

<p>The thing I really like about hypermiling is that it's accessible to everyone who has a car. You don't have to have lot's of money to buy a hybrid or other expensive technology. It's the kind of solution I heard Julia Butterfly refer to in a talk here in Asheville. To paraphrase, "we need more solutions that even poor people can implement." Not only are most of hypermiling's techniques free but they save people money in the end.

Here are some of the key driving tips:

<p>-The biggest tip is to drive less aggressively or should I say, not aggressive at all. This means accellerating gradually, not tailgating, holding steady speeds, and stopping gradually (preferably without braking). This is the point the Mythbusters proved. From just this point alone I consistently get 5 MPG better, sometimes more. The key is to plan ahead and leave early whenever possible so that you don't have to rush. This method also is a lot less stressful. Take the, "I'll get there when I get there" attitude and notice the difference.

<p>Advance hypermilers will look far down the road and anticipate possible stops or slow downs. For example, if a light has already been green for a long time and you're still 100 yards or more away, go ahead and let off the gas. Let go of the need to make the light. If you do still make the light great but if you get caught, you won't have wasted those big gulps of gas in the HOPES of making it. This is where the "safer" aspect comes in. Hypermilers tend to pay more attention to what's going on around them and are less prone to get into accidents.

<p>-Drive slower. I know, it's the last thing that some of us want to do and/or even want to believe but numerous road tests have shown that 40 MPH is about the optimal speed for most cars. Though not practical for highway driving, find ways to your destinations that allow this speed with the least amount of stops and traffic. If you need to get on the highway, it has been shown that driving at 55 MPG vs. 65 MPG will save most cars anywhere from 5-10 MPG.

<p>-If your car is going to idle for more than 7 seconds, turn your car off. Most stoplights hold for over a minute these days and you can restart your car when the other direction turns yellow to avoid holding up the cars behind you.

<p>-Park facing out and downhill if possible. It takes less gas to back into a space when the car is still warm than to back out when you first start up the car. Or better yet, find a pull through space. And for the advanced hypermiler, park facing downhill and don't start your car until you've already started moving after letting off the break.

<p>-Empty your trunk and any excess weight. I even leave my spare tire at home unless I'm going on a road trip because I have a cell phone and enough friends and relatives throughout my home town that I'm not worried about getting stranded.

<p>-Remove external resistance. This means taking off those luggage, bike and ski racks when not being used as well as keeping the car clean. People are surprised of what a little dust and grime can do to cut down on aerodynamics and thus mileage. If you don't use the radio, lower your antenna or if possible, remove it. Also, keep windows rolled up. If you want fresh air, bring it in through the vents and avoid using A/C.

<p>So the previous points don't require any investment but there a few things that do require a little money that will extend your hypermiles even more.

<p>-Maintenance! This is the most important thing. If you're car is out of tune, needs an oil change, and so forth it can significantly decrease your mileage.

<p>-Oil changed on schedule and with synthetic oil. I noticed an immediate increase of 3-5 MPG when I started using a synthetic oil. They have less resistance and also prolong the engine life.

<p>-keep tires inflated at least to the factory specified pressure if not a little bit over. Deflated tires cause excess drag and even wear out the tires quicker.

<p>-Keep your car tuned. I once noticed my mileage dip down to around 30 MPG which for me is unusually low. It turned out the I needed new spark plugs. Premium spark plugs can also make a huge difference between 3-8 MPG better than the cheap ones.

<p>-Air and Fuel filters can also cut your MPG when they start to get old.

<p>-Gas additives. Yes, there are proven additives. Not those MLM(multi level marketing) pills that cost you $3 a tank that don't show any improvement. The most proven is PURE Acetone. About 2 oz. per 10 gallons of gas. Make sure you get pure unmixed acetone, not paint thinner or scented nail polish. I got a gallon at Sally's Beauty Supply for under $10 and that's enough for more than a years worth of my gas fill-ups. You can also find it in hardware stores sometimes in the paint thinner section. There are other additives that people have had success with but they require mixing recipes with fairly picky ratios that to me turned out to be too much hassle for very little improvement. Acetone is the simplest but it is a solvent that can remove paint so just be careful when adding it to your tank that you don't spill it on the outside of your car.

<p>-Scanguage 2. This is a digital readout you can hook up to your car's computer that will give you the current running MPG without the need to wait till your next fill-up. They also tell you the actual fuel consumption rate and MPG in realtime which allows you to make immediate adjustments to improve your mileage. These are invaluable for the advanced hypermilers. Pretty much all of the hypermilers that have set records use this to train them how to drive. It's kind of like biofeedback for your car.

<p>-Use a neti pot before your drive. Just kidding. But I do feel calmer and refreshed after using a neti pot which may help curtail aggressive driving. Who knows? :) It may become the next coolest thing to add to the hypermilers toolkit.

<p>So since I drive an Echo does that make my eco-driving into Echo-Driving?

<p>Good luck and happy hypermiling! And with this article especially, YMMV (your mileage may vary). :) Also, if you have any success I'd love to hear about it so please <a href="/contact/">email me</a>.