Follow these simple tips that add up to large savings at the gas pump.
1. Use a Gas Credit Card with Rewards
Shop around and find a gas card that that gives back a percentage (usually 5-10%) of your gasoline purchase. In a year's time this can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings in gas! Make sure that everyone in your family that drives has a card to take advantage of these savings!
2. Purchase your Gas in the Morning or Evening
Gas pumps are set to measure the volume of the fuel that you pump and not the density. Gasoline becomes denser in colder temperatures. So, if you fill up your gas tank in the cooler morning temperatures, or in the colder evening hours, you’ll be getting the most gasoline for the price!
3. Keep a Record of your Gasoline Usage
Some vehicles will today will actually show you your gas efficiency in miles-per-gallon. If your vehicle does not, consider taking a notepad and keeping tract of your mileage. If you notice that your gas efficiency is decreasing it could be an indicator that your car needs servicing. You will also want to keep a record of mileage to see how much more efficient you are when you put these tips into practice!
4. Buy Gas from a Busy Station
Gas stations that are busy have their underground tanks refilled regularly. Stations that lack consumers means that the gas in their underground tanks have been sitting for long periods of time, and that can lead to gas contamination. Contaminated gas is less powerful than fresh gas and will decrease your fuel economy.
5. Rotate the Nozzle – Get “Free” Gasoline!
After filling up, turn the nozzle of the hose a full 180 degrees. This will drain more gas into your tank; in some cases up to an entire half cup! Once you are in the habit of doing this, you will be getting gallons of “free” gas every year!
6. Tighten the Gas Cap
Tightening the gas cap on your car. Be sure the gas cap clicks 3 times. Doing so will prevent gas from evaporating and escaping into the air. Improperly seated gas caps allow 147 million gallons of fuel to vaporize every year in the U.S. If you have a gas cap that doesn’t fit tightly, or you’ve lost your gas cap, buy a new one to replace it.
7. Don’t waste your Money on “High Octane” Gas
Gas Companies would like you to believe that buying higher octane gas is good for your car. The opposite is true, buying High Octane is a waste of money. Regular unleaded has approximately 87 octane and is fine for nearly all vehicles and buying a higher octane gas will not improve nor will it hurt your Cars mileage or performance.
Octane is a measurement of how difficult it is to ignite the gas in your car. It has nothing to do with the quality of the gas. If you are experiencing engine pings, rattles, or knocks you may want to try switching to a higher octane gas. Although you should never hear these noises on a new car – if so return it to the dealer.
8. Avoid “Topping off” your Tank
When you purchase a small amount of gas the pump doesn’t have enough time to activate. This results in short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the amount of gas that you are purchasing. The best time to stop for gas is when you have half a tank or less left in your vehicle.
9. Don’t let your Gas Tank get too Close to Empty
Your vehicle will run less efficiently when you are running on near empty and will actually consume more gasoline. Keep your gas level above the quarter tank mark if possible.
10. Don’t Buy Gas from a Station that has just Refilled their Tanks
The particles at the bottom of the underground tanks are stirred up when they are replenished. These particles can become mixed in with the gas, which can lead to efficiency problems as noted above. These particles can even clog your fuel filter, causing your car to stall and start with difficulty!
Save even more Money on Gas! Read, "10 Easy Car Maintenance Tips to Save Gas!"
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