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Agassed? Tips on conserving fuel
Narrator Says:
It’s a topic that’s more important now than it has ever been.
With concerns about auto emissions contributing to global warming, and gas reaching record highs, fuel economy is becoming more crucial all the time.
Aside from taking advantage of Metro’s expanding bus service and commute alternatives, there are ways to improve your fuel economy when you do have to drive your car, that will reduce your personal carbon footprint and save you money at the pump.
Melody Bennett is a Project Manager with King County’s Fleet Division. She says the steps to improving fuel economy are simple.
King County Fleet Division Project Manager Melody Bennett Says:
The main thing I would say is, just think about revising the way you drive in general and drive sensibly. Don't do sudden starts, taking off really suddenly stopping really suddenly, aggressive driving.
Just manage your trip in a way where you go with the flow of the traffic, you go the speed limit, and you don't have to make sudden stops or starts or sudden maneuvers, and that will smooth out your driving in such a way that you will have significant fuel savings just from that process.
Inside Transportation Host Matt Reichmann Says:
Aggressive driving can cost you a lot in fuel. In fact, it can cost you an extra five percent to 33 percent, that's about 15 cents to almost a dollar a gallon. Make sure that your starts are smooth, no jack-rabbit starts. And always drive the speed limit.
The same applies when you're coming to a stop. When you hit the breaks at the very end, not only is it hard on your car, it's unsafe for drivers around and it uses more fuel.
Narrator Says:
Idling is another contributor to needless fuel consumption,
Sitting in a stationary running car for 10 minutes burns the same amount of fuel as does driving a mile, except you aren’t going anywhere,
Everyone who drives knows that roads and highways in urban areas of the county can become very congested.
Avoiding these areas during peak driving periods and planning your trip ahead of time will ensure you don’t sit idling in heavy traffic, or waste fuel by making extra stops along the way.
King County Fleet Division Project Manager Melody Bennett Says:
Plan your trips wisely. Both in terms of where you're going to stop if you have errands to run, and you have to go to this place and that place. Plan everything so you do one circuit, instead of having to go out and get something maybe come back home. Go out later, get something, maybe go to the office, whatever.
When your car has to re-heat up, when the engine has to get re-heated each time. You're using more petrol, more gasoline to heat it up. So you save energy. You save fuel by not going back and forth all the time. Simple too, doing trip planning. Watching for areas that you know are congested all the time and planning to avoid those places or planning the shortest route to your destination. All of these things will cut down on the amount of miles you travel and by extension the amount of gas you use.
Inside Transportation Host Matt Reichmann Says:
The National Safety Council estimates that idling and stop-and-go traffic cost drivers more than 753,000,000 gallons of fuel every year. That's about $1,200 we could all be saving by making sure we turn the car off when we're not moving.
Narrator Says:
But it’s not just our behavior out on the roadway.
It’s also making sure the car we’re driving is properly maintained, and in optimal condition to deliver good fuel economy.
Bob Toppen is the Fleet Division’s Equipment Supervisor.
He says good fuel economy can be the result of simple vehicle maintenance.
For instance, making sure you don’t have a clogged air filter.
King County Fleet Division Equipment Supervisor Bob Toppen Says:
It restricts the air flow into your engine and basically the motor's nothing more than an air pump. The more air you can get into it and the more air you can get out of it, the more efficient it operates.
Narrator Says:
And making sure you have the right oil viscosity for your engine.
King County Fleet Division Equipment Supervisor Bob Toppen Says:
With today's vehicles, the engineers are engineering these vehicles to run on lighter and lighter weight oils. If you use too heavy of an oil it creates friction, internal drag in your engine causing the engine to require more fuel to operate efficiently. So the lighter oil you can use the more fuel economy you're going to get.
Narrator Says:
Paying attention to the kind of gas mileage your getting from tank to tank can also help diagnose bigger problems with your vehicle.
Decreased mileage may mean you’ll need to consult your mechanic about what’s going on.
King County Fleet Division Equipment Supervisor Bob Toppen Says:
The newer vehicles use computerized engine controls [that] monitor all the systems in the engine. The O2 sensor measures your exhaust, and a faulty O2 sensor can cause up to a 40% decrease in your fuel economy. So it's very important to keep your engine tuned up.
As far as changing spark plugs and what not, today's engines are so efficient that generally you don't need to change your spark plugs until after 100k miles or so. But any time your 'check engine' light comes on, that means there's a problem with your emissions system and any of those can make a noticeable decrease in your fuel economy so it's important to keep things running properly to get the best fuel economy.
Narrator Says:
The final tip to remember is paying attention to your tires.
Improper inflation creates extra work for the engine by causing additional drag, which in turn will burn more gas.
Checking the pressure once a month will help to ensure proper inflation, not to mention a safer ride for you and drivers around you.
King County Fleet Division Equipment Supervisor Bob Toppen Says:
If you aren't sure what the proper pressure is, if you look at the sidewall on the tire, every tire that's made today has the recommended inflation pressure on it. And you want to run it at the maximum. That's a cold pressure rating, don't check them when they're hot, you check them when they're cold and as the tire heats up it will even increase the pressure inside of it. But the ratings are all cold ratings, so do your pressure checking when the tire is cold before you drive.
Alignment is another critical issue. On your front end, make sure your tires are aligned properly and aren't causing excessive drag. All of which will decrease your fuel economy. A good tire will lose approximately one pound of pressure per month just because the air will permeate through the sidewall of the tire. So it's a good idea to check your tires monthly and make sure that they are at the maximum rated pressure. Another advantage to running the tire at the maximum pressure is that your vehicle will handle a lot better giving you a safer driving vehicle.
Narrator Says:
Better fuel economy is everyone’s responsibility.
It will save you money and cut down on the green house gas our vehicles emit.
For more information on what you can do, visit the King County’s Fuel Efficiency Website.
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