Gas saving tips

Monday, April 24th 2006, 10:29 am

By: News On 6

Down a few cents since the weekend, gasoline prices are still considered outrageous by most drivers. A check of the gas gauge shows about $2.75 a gallon at many Tulsa gas stations. It's still 16-cents below the national average, but that's little comfort for Green Country motorists spending $40, $50, even $60 to fill up.

We've all heard tips on how to save gas, but how many actually work? News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin learned some popular practices really don't make a difference.

While you can't do much about the price at the pump, you can control how many times you have to fill up.Experts say the key is changing your driving habits, something for most of us is easier said than done.

Edmunds.com, an award-winning automotive sales and research site, put several gas saving tips to the test and came to a few surprising conclusions. Researchers say the biggest savings come from NOT driving like a maniac. Accelerating and braking at a gradual rate save about 31-percent in fuel costs.

You may not want to hear it, but experts say it's true, substantial savings on a long trip come from driving the speed limit. Just 10-miles-per hour less can save gas, but remember to use this tip in the slow lane. 7-percent savings just from using cruise control. This helps save fuel by smoothing out acceleration.

A popular mis-conception according to the tests, while the air conditioner compressor does pull power from the engine wasting some gas, compared to the drag you get rolling down the windows, in most modern cars there's no measureable difference in savings.

Checking the air in your vehicle's tires is important for safety, but didn't have much of an effect on gas.

You don't have to sit idly by and waste your gas, tests show just leaving the engine running uses more gas than previously thought. That means when you're sitting in line for lunch or at the bank and you think you'll be there for more than a minute, tests show you're better off on gas turning the engine off and restarting. Just don't re-start until the line has moved at least one car length ahead.

Shutting down at stoplights will just wear out your starter, but you can avoid the creep, when the car in front of you rolls forward a bit, stay put until the light changes.

It's another test of driver patience, but researchers say these tips and routine tune-ups will save you cash.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/calc/gasPrice.asp