Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
The rising price of gas has left many drivers looking for alternative transportation as well as ways to conserve gas to get the most out of a full tank.
As Maine draws near the $4 per gallon mark, one University of Maine professor is offering tips to help maximize fuel efficiency.
One of the most important aspects when attempting to increase fuel economy lies in driving habits.
“Your fuel economy is proportional to power,” said Chuck Maguire, a mechanical engineering professor and former General Motors employee. “The more power you demand with your right foot, the more you are going to pay for it.”
Maguire said a lighter foot has a substantial impact when it comes to gas mileage.
“Easing out of red lights opposed to heavy acceleration as well as being easy on the brakes can help your gas mileage,” Maguire said. “Let the car coast as much as it can before your slamming on the brakes and then speeding up.”
Maguire said heavy acceleration when traveling up hills can also lead to poor gas mileage. Maintaining a constant speed is an effective way to increase mileage.
“Try to maintain constant speeds and try not to stop,” Maguire said. “That is where you are eating up your fuel economy. When you are sitting there at a light or you stop for a light that is where a majority of your fuel goes. Once you get up to speed it only takes 4 or 5 horsepower to keep going on flat level ground.”
Maguire added that, in Maine, it is important to check the brakes of a vehicle, not only to make sure the vehicle will stop effectively but also ensure they are not slowing your car or truck down.
“In the state of Maine, making sure that the brakes aren’t frozen up in the wintertime is huge,” Maguire said. “One of the problems vehicles face is that the calipers end up locking up and they don’t retract fully anymore” due to new de-icing chemicals on roads.
Maguire said there are a few other areas of the vehicle that should be checked on a regular basis in order to maximize fuel efficiency, starting with what he sees as the most overstated — tire pressure.
“I hate to say this because everyone makes a joke out of it, but tire pressure [and] rolling resistance is one thing that you can reduce,” he said.
Maguire said that carefully selecting the tires and tread pattern for your car can have an impact on the vehicle’s gas mileage. Replacing studded winter tires with a smoother summer variety with a less aggressive tread pattern can impact fuel economy.
Maguire added that simple things like keeping windows closed or open — depending on the situation — may affect your car’s aerodynamics.
“Drive with your windows up if you can,” he said. “Open windows can cause air drag. Also, roof racks, canoe racks and anything that is interfering with the car’s aerodynamics being removed helps.”
Maguire said open windows are mainly a highway issue because of the speeds cars travel and the wind resistance encountered in those situations.
Proper maintenance of the vehicle is also important for mileage. Items such as air filters and oil can have an impact on the gas mileage of that vehicle. Also, fullness of the gas tank affects mileage.
Maguire said that while some think it would make the most sense to keep the gas tank a little on the empty side to reduce the vehicle’s weight, this practice can have detrimental effects on a car.
“Most cars use the fuel in the tank as a cooling mechanism for the fuel pump,” Maguire said. “So if you habitually run a car low on fuel — down below a quarter of a tank — especially in hot weather, it is taking life off of the fuel pump. So you may be saving fuel economy but you’re looking at a $400 to $500 repair for premature failure of the fuel pump.”
Maguire said while all of the aforementioned will help, the most important aspect of saving money on gas lies with the person driving.
“Make believe you have an egg between your foot and the gas pedal,” he said. “That is the biggest factor, because it is really your behavior that is going to make or break your gas mileage.”
For people trying to enhance their vehicle’s performance through aftermarket parts, they would be wiser to save their money. According to Maguire, these $20 to $30 parts can be found at just about any retail store with an automotive section and are essentially useless, in some cases actually reducing a vehicle’s gas mileage.
“If the factory could put on a device for $20 to $30 that will improve fuel economy, they certainly would,” he said.
