3 More Gas Saving Myths

Not all your time is spent in your semi truck, you also have a car/truck for around home that you use.  Saving money at home is important too. 

Sure you want to save gas, but there’s a lot of bad advice on how to do it. Some of it makes no difference, and some of it can wind up costing you.

Myth #1. Pump up your tires

Proper tire inflation is important for a number of reasons. Under-inflated tires are bad for handling and can even cause a crash. Improper tire inflation also causes tires to wear out faster and to heat up more, which could trigger a dangerous high-speed blow-out.

According to on-the-road driving tests by both Consumer Reports and auto information site Edmunds.com, underinflated tires reduce fuel economy, so proper inflation is key.

But you should never over-inflate your tires. They’ll get you slightly better fuel economy because there will be less tread touching the road, reducing friction. But that means less grip for braking and turning. The added risk of a crash isn’t worth the extra mile a gallon you might gain.

Myth #2. To A/C or not A/C

There’s no question air-conditioning makes extra work for your truck or car engine, increasing fuel use. But air conditioners are much more efficient today than they used to be. In around-town driving, using the A/C will drop fuel economy by about a mile a gallon in a car.

On the other hand, driving at higher speeds with the windows down greatly increases aerodynamic drag. As speed increases, drag becomes more of an issue, making A/C use the more efficient choice at high speeds.

At most speeds and in most vehicles, A/C use drains slightly more fuel than driving with the windows down, contends David Champion, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports. “My final take on is that it’s very close,” says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. “It’s hard to measure the difference and every vehicle is different.”

The best choice - if temperature and humidity allow - is to keep the windows rolled up and to turn the A/C compressor off. You can keep the fans running to blow in air from the outside and keep it moving around inside your vehicle.  Your car/truck will be as aerodynamic as possible while still letting you breathe and be comfortable. 

Myth #3. Bolt-ons and pour-ins

Before you buy a device that’s supposed to make your car/truck more fuel-efficient or pour in an allegedly gas-saving additive, ask yourself this: Don’t you think oil and car companies aren’t doing everything they can to beat their competitors?

If any fuel company could add something to its gasoline that made cars/trucks go farther on a gallon, vehicles would be lining up at the company’s pumps. Sure, people would burn their fuel-saving gas more slowly, but then they’d drive right past rivals’ fuel stops to come back to the fuel-saving gas pump. The fuel-saving gas stations could even charge more for their gas and still sell tons of the stuff.  Judge for yourself what will save you fuel and money.