Fuel Saving Tips When Driving a Car with an Automatic Transmission

With gas prices at a record high, that can spell trouble especially if you take long commutes. With most people driving automatic cars, whether you go for the higher-grade fuel or not, its money coming out of your wallet. Let’s look at a few tips to help achieve maximum fuel efficiency when driving an automatic car.

Slow Down and Drive Conservatively

Surprisingly speeding increases fuel consumption and decreases fuel saving. Aggressive driving, in other words speeding, wastes gas and can lower your fuel economy. Rapid acceleration and braking wastes gas and can lower your gas mileage by roughly 15 to 30 percent at highway speeds. 

Tire Pressure

Your car’s tire pressure can affect fuel consumption. Under inflated tires can lower your gas mileage around .2 percent for every one psi (pound per square inch) drop in the average pressure of each tire. The United States Department of energy recommends by keeping your car tires at their recommended pressure you can improve your gas mileage by 3 percent.

Cruise Control

In many cases, cruise control can increase your automobiles fuel economy. In fact, driving on a level highway, using cruise control could increase your automobiles fuel efficiency, helping you save between 7 and 14 percent on fuel.

Car Idling

Turn off your idling engines, save fuel and keep the money in your pocket. Leaving your automobile running consumes gasoline. Depending on the size of the engine, idling uses up to ½ gallon of fuel per hour. Idling for a few minutes everyday can cost you several dollars per week. 

Less Cargo

Try to limit the cargo you have by simply removing unnecessary items in your trunk or attachments such as bike or roof racks. The more your vehicle weighs, the more fuel it burns. The lighter the weight, the less fuel it burns. It takes more gasoline to accelerate the increased weight. Each additional pound of weight requires the engine to work harder, which increases fuel consumption. 

Regular Car Maintenance

Regular car maintenance can help boost your gas mileage. It can be as simple as regularly changing the oil, keeping the fuel injectors clean or an engine tune-up. Regular maintenance not only keeps your car running longer, but also running efficiently longer.

If you ever have a transmission issue or have questions about your transmission and the maintenance to help it last contact Eagle Transmission Shop in Mesquite today.