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With the price of gas continuing to rise, some might be rethinking that summer road trip. KSMU’s Chasity Mayes tells us gas saving tips that could salvage your summer vacation.
Summer is just around the corner and gas is already nearing the four dollar mark in most of the Ozarks. Although driving fewer miles is one obvious way to save gas money, there are other ways to save when you’re hitting the road.
A list of tips recently released by the University of Missouri Extension office said it’s important to change your filters often. Other tips on that list that could improve gas mileage include:
1. Use your air conditioning less when you’re driving at low speeds and more at high speeds. If you’re going a short distance it’s recommended that you roll down your window to stay cool. At high speeds, open windows create a drag and reduce your gas mileage, so it’s actually cheaper to use air conditioning on highways. Turn it off a few minutes before you get where you’re going and let the fan circulate the cool air.
2. Check your spark plugs and tire pressure. That’s because unclean spark plugs can use more gas, and vehicles operating on low tires will do the same thing.
3. Use the recommended grade of motor oil. Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil can improve your gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent. Look for motor oil that says “energy conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
4. Don’t top off the tank when you fill up. Some of the gas may expand in the heat and overflow from the tank.
The University of Missouri Extension Office also encourages people to use regular unleaded gas and to make sure the trunk of your vehicle isn’t weighed down to improve efficiency.
For more gas saving tips visit our website: KSMU.org.
For KSMU News, I’m Chasity Mayes.
