If you have any suggestions, please post! I am very interested in building the list.
- Air Filters on your vehicle - I am at an automotive supplier customer right now (they make hybrid battery systems) - one of the engineers suggested that I buy a K & N air filter for my car. It gives increased oxygen intake, so it improves your mileage, and is available at any auto parts store. My experience with auto parts stores is that those guys can usually tell you how to put it in yourself, or of course next time you get an oil change, you can hand them the filter and ask them to do it.
- Inflate your tires - NHTSA studies have shown that most people drive around with underinflated tires. This leads to faster wear on your tire, as well as reduced fuel economy. I bought a power station from Costco for about $50 or $60, that has a tire gauged pump, work light, battery jumper, and 110 volt inverter. We have already used it 3 times to jump a low battery, and many times to inflate tires, and it still shows a full charge! Typically, if you open the driver's door, there is a sticker on the edge of the door, or the door frame, that indicates the pressure to inflate your tires to. If not there, it should be in the owner's manual. If, like my 1998 Buick, you still can not locate it, a good rule of thumb is 30-32 Pounds per square inch (or PSI - 207 kPa) on a car, 35 PSI (241 kPa) for a van/SUV.
- Reduce your acceleration - keep to around the speed limits (really, does a few minutes saved in driving really matter?), don't floor it from a stop, hang back as you approach a red light, etc. Acceleration is where most of your fuel is spent. (Thanks, JB!)
- Drive less - that's right, be judicious. Not too easy for us Detroiters - heck, we get in our car to go to the end of the driveway & get the mail!! (OK, maybe not that bad, but you get the point.)
- Car pool - ever see those car pool signs on the side of the freeway?
