ENERGY BOOMER

7 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY DRIVING THE CAR YOU HAVE NOW

The price of gasoline at the pump where I live has been going up the last few weeks. I need to remind myself that there are ways to save fuel while driving the Buick that I already own.

1. Avoid Idling.

Running the engine, while the car is standing still gets you zero miles per gallon. That is as low as it can go.

Big engines waste fuel fester while idling than small engines. Idling at traffic lights and waiting at drive in windows waste your money.

Starting your car and waiting until it warms up to clear the windows on winter mornings, wastes gasoline. It is less expensive to use a portable electric space heater, inside your car, to melt the ice on the windshield. Don’t forget to unplug the extension cord before driving away.

2. Tune-ups and clean fuel systems save you money.

You can save about 4 cents on every dollars worth of fuel just by keeping your engine tuned and clean. Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent. Clean fuel injectors are important.

Myth buster: Dirty air filters on cars that have modern computer controlled fuel injection do not reduce your miles per gallon. The computer corrects the air fuel ratio based on the reduced airflow through the dirty filter. For more information see

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/pdfs/Air_Filter_Effects_02_26_2009.pdf

You do loose power because a dirty air filter reduces the maximum amount of fuel air mixture that can get into the engine. A dirty air filter might actually save gas because when you floor the accelerator pedal, the car won’t use as much gas as a clean air filter would let you.

Keeping a dirty air filter on your car is like having a governor that limits your engine’s power. I do not recommend it.

3. Keep your tires up to pressure.

You can save about 3 cents on every dollars worth of fuel by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1-psi drop.

Properly inflated tires are safer because you give the best steering control and good traction. Tires with the wrong pressure can blow out. You also save money because tires with the right pressure last longer before needing replacement.
The right tire pressure for your vehicle can be found on a sticker on the edge of driver's side door where the door latch is.

Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire's sidewall. The pressure on the tire is a maximum pressure safety rating, not the right operating pressure for your vehicle.

4. Use the right oil

You can improve your gas mileage by about 2 cents per dollars worth of fuel by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1 or 2 percent.

Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by one percent, or so. Look for motor oil that has an American Petroleum Institute (API) label that says, "Energy Conserving."

5. Lose 100 Pounds

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle.  Get the junk out of your trunk. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles per gallon by up to 2 percent.

6. Don’t Drive 5 Over

In some States, there is an unwritten rule that it is OK to drive five miles an hour faster than the speed limit. If you drive over 60 mph, understand that you are throwing money away. Most vehicles reach peak fuel economy at speeds below 60.

Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

The science is not that simple, but it is true that the aerodynamic drag increases rapidly above 60 mph.

Observing the speed limit is also safer. Avoiding an accident saves your money big time.

7. Smooth Driving Saves You Money

Jerky stops and starts waste money on fuel. The less you use the gas pedal the less fuel you use. The same is true with the brake pedal.

The difference can be as much as 30 to 40%. The way you drive is the biggest factor when comes to saving money on your fuel bill.

Accelerating slowly and stopping gradually save fuel and wear and tear on your car. It is good to have power available, when you need it to get out of the path of danger, but flooring the gas pedal costs you money.

You can reduce the amount of braking you do by leaving plenty of room between you and the vehicle ahead. Plan ahead by looking as far up the road as you can.

Don’t rush up to a red light. Coasting toward a red light may give it time to turn green so you don’t need to brake.

Drive like you don’t have any brakes and you will save on fuel.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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Save Energy by Driving With Your Dog

The photograph tells the story better than my words can. It arrived in an email with a joke about speeding. The point is that you should drive more carefully when your dog is with you. Careful driving saves you money at the gas pump.

Most folks make sure that their children are safely belted in the car when they go for a ride. Parents drive noticeably slower and more carefully when there is a child on board. Driving slower and more carefully saves energy and money.

I don’t recall seeing a pet dog securely held in with any kind of restraint. I have seen “Caution Dog On Board” signs on some cars that are transporting the family pet.

Dogs are most often the first to climb aboard and usually left free to roam about in the vehicle. That freedom leaves the dog vulnerable to injury when the driver stomps on the brakes or makes a sharp turn.

You know what kind of look your dog will give you after he has bashed his nose into the dashboard at a stop sign.

To prevent injury to the dog and to avoid the guilt of causing injury to a “dumb animal” folks drive better when there is a dog in the car.

I don’t mean to imply that dogs are dumb. They know when you made them bounce off the ceiling in the back seat. And, they will let you know about it by delivering one of those heart-melting looks.

I do not know the circumstances leading up to the scene in the photograph, but by the looks of the claw marks on that seat, it must have been traumatic.

Save energy and drive as if man’s best friend is always sitting right next to you.

by Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved

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10 Fuel Economy Hints to Save You Money at the Gas Pump

1. Have your car tuned regularly. An engine tune-up can improve fuel economy by an average of 1 mile per gallon.
2. Keep your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can decrease fuel economy by up to 1 mile per gallon.
3. Slow down. The faster you drive the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 65 miles per hour rather than 55 miles per hour cuts your fuel economy by about 2 miles per gallon.
4. Avoid jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts.
5. Pace your driving, unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to 2 miles per gallon.
6. Use your air conditioner sparingly. The use of air conditioning can reduce fuel economy by as much as 2 miles per gallon. (If you are traveling at highway speeds closing the windows can improve the aerodynamics enough to pay for the air conditioning.)
7. Avoid lengthy engine idling. Turn your engine off when you are delayed for more than a couple of minutes.
8. Plan your trips carefully. Combine short hops into one trip to do all your errands.
9. Avoid traveling during rush hours if possible, to reduce fuel wasting patterns such as starting and stopping and numerous idling periods.
10. Clean out your ride to remove the extra weight.

by Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved

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How to Wreck Your Miles per Gallon

Here is a, just for fun, story of some tried and true ways to get the lowest possible miles for each gallon of gasoline that you buy with your hard-earned money.

Run out to your car and start it up on a hot day. Then run back into your house to cool off with a cold drink, while your car’s air conditioner does its thing. Turn your television on and watch the latest news about global warming while you wait for the car to cool off.

Before starting out go around the car and let about 5 psi of air pressure out of each tire. You gotta to do it in hot weather so the pressure doesn’t build up too high.

It is a scientific fact that air expands, as it gets hotter. Lowering the tire pressure will give you more traction and make for a softer ride too.

Jump in your car and turn on the headlamps. It is safer to have them on, even in the daytime.

Scoot out your driveway. See how fast you can accelerate to the end of the block before slamming on the brakes at the stop sign.

Crank your windows down so you can yell at the children to clear the street. Leave the windows down.

Race downtown to the library, you got no time to waste. Park in the sunshine, so the car can warm up again.  Check out twenty or so of the heaviest books that they have about the environment.

Stash the books in the trunk. You will have to shove that old car battery; you were going to recycle, off to the side to fit the books in there.

Speed to the south-side party store, for ice for your cooler. They are having a two for one sale. Save your money by getting two bags of ice. Better yet, save even more money by buying a second cooler and two more bags of ice. Load it all in the car.

Then zoom to the Super Store in the northern suburbs to use your coupon for bottled water to fill the cooler. Buy as much as you can carry because they are on sale, “today only.”

Then try to beat the red lights back downtown to pick up your clothes at the dry cleaners.

You friend Fred rings your cell phone for help. He damaged his bicycle and he needs your help to take it to the repair shop, two towns away. No problem we just tie the wrecked bicycle on the roof rack and off we go. Fred brings his sister Freda and her pal Albert along for the ride. Fill all the seats to make the trip more fun. (They say car-pooling saves money.)

Your cell phone batteries are low so plug it into the car, to charge up. Crank up the DVD player to get your music on. Keep the windows down to share the music.

Hit the highway to get to the repair shop fast. We don’t want to waste the whole day right. If we drive over 80, we will get there faster. Double check to make sure the headlights are on for safety.

Keep the automatic transmission in drive, not that OD thing. Using “DRIVE” will give you better control and quicker response to the gas pedal.

Put your foot to the floor to clear that hill as quickly as you can. Then brake hard to keep from driving under the truck ahead of you on the downhill side.

At lunchtime, skid into the fast food place a few miles off the highway. Inch ahead as the long line of cars moves slowly through the drive in window. Keep the music on, the windows down and the air conditioner pumping out cold air while you wait your turn.

Albert needs to go inside so park over there in the sunshine. Keep cool with the AC on while we wait.

I am leaving the story unfinished in the hope that your comments will add to it.

by Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved

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DRIVE SLOW SAVE MONEY

My focus in writing this blog is sharing ways folks can save their money by saving energy. We all know that keeping our speed down increases our miles per gallon. With the changes in the economy, slowing down will result in even more savings.

Saving money also means avoiding un-needed expenditures like speeding tickets.

States are getting desperate for sources of revenue. Some have increased the money they are taking in from traffic fines. They have increased the amount of the fines and increased enforcement.

There is currently a hoax circulating around the internet about an enforcement blitz in Michigan. The hoax is well written, the only give away is that it was supposed to end on April Fool’s Day! While it is not true in this case, you can expect many states to try increase revenue any way they can.

If you are stopped for speeding, you may be checked for driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. If your papers are not in order, you will pay an increased fine for each missing document. Many states also have also increased the fines for not using seat belts and child seats.

Most states are looking to increase the tax on motor fuels, in spite of the fact that it will further depress the economy. Their problem is that fuel tax revenue is way down. They are heading into the road repair season with empty treasuries.

Each gallon of gas you save will reduce your tax burden. At least until they change the tax laws again. By slowing down you can avoid a very costly conversation with the police.

Driving at the speed limit or slower will save you more money than ever.

by Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved

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CAN YOU SAVE MONEY BY UPGRADING YOUR TIRES?

Most folks can’t afford to buy a new car right now so they are taking better care of the one they have. The good news is you can get better mileage when you replace worn out tires with new design high mileage tires. The bad news is that they might not be worth the extra cost.

Goodyear just introduced its Assurance Fuel Max line of tires. These tires will be original equipment on the Chevy Volt.

These new design tires reduce rolling resistance by 27%. That means you need less energy to keep your car rolling down the road.

When you use less energy to keep your car rolling, you pay less at the gas pump. Folks can expect a 4% improvement in fuel economy using these tires.

That savings doesn’t justify new buying tires if you don’t need them. But, if you need new tires and expect to drive your existing car for at least another 3 years, upgrading to fuel saving tires might be worth it.

Do not be confused with terminology when you shop for new tires. “High-mileage” tires mean that they will last for more driving miles before they wear out. High-mileage does not necessarily mean that they save fuel.

The key words are “Low Rolling Resistance.” Do not expect your tire dealer to know much about them. These tires are so new that useful data is hard to find.

You will have to do your homework to be sure that you are getting what you want.

Steps I recommend for buying new tires

1.    First, decide how long you are going to keep your car.

2.    Then price the least expensive tires that will safely last that long.

3.    Then get a price for a set of low rolling resistance tires.

4.    Guess that the low rolling resistance tires will save you $50 a year in fuel. (estimated at 15,000 miles a year, 30 mpg, 4% improved mpg, gas at $2.50 a gallon)

Multiply the number of years in step one by $50 and add it to the cost for the set of cheap tires. Now how do they compare with the cost for the low rolling resistance tires?

I think the low price tires will save you a little more money for a year or two. The longer you plan to keep your car the better the low rolling resistance tires will be on your wallet.

Who really benefits from Low Rolling Resistance tires?

Folks who have fleets of vehicles that are driven a lot of miles will benefit the most. I am thinking of taxicabs and delivery services here.

The auto manufacturers like them because they boost their mpg ratings a couple of points. That gives the carmakers better numbers as a selling point and helps meet government regulations.

Low rolling resistance tires make it easier to push your car to the filling station when you run out of gas.

© Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved

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SMOOTH MOTORCYCLE RIDER SAVES GAS MONEY

I received an interesting e-mail from a newsletter reader named Devaroux, all the way from South Africa. He wanted to thank me for helping him reduce the cost of riding his motorcycle. His letter is so well written that I thought that I would share part of it in his own words. Here it is:

I am a motorcyclist and ride a thirsty bike. My Honda 900cc Fireblade is a very fast bike and she guzzles the gas quite a bit. I checked her specs out and I realized that I was getting much less miles to the tank than I should and realized that it was my riding style that was causing it and not the bike's engine capacity.

After reading a few of your newsletter emails I have dramatically changed my riding style and become a much smoother rider. Not only am I saving a lot of fuel but I am saving on my brakes and tires as well.

I have implemented the style, "drive/ride as if you don’t have any brakes", as you said in one of your newsletter emails, and I have saved greatly on my energy costs, plus it has greatly improved my handling and understanding of the bike as well.

I also noticed that the ex MotoGP word champion Valentino Rossi rides the same way as well by not blasting on the throttle and hammering the brakes but rather keeping the motorcycle and a constant speed (well a constant high speed for him), and his throttle and brake difference is much less compared to the other riders. With that he never had a tire wear, brake or fuel problem in any of his races.

What a deal saving energy saves money on brakes and tires too.

He is right that victory usually goes to the smoothest fast driver in all motor sports. I especially like his point about saving money on fuel, brakes and tires by smooth driving. To win, you need to finish the race. Your chances of finishing the race drop by “blasting on the throttle and hammering the brakes.”

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SAVE GAS MONEY WITH CRUISE CONTROL

Folks should think of their cruise control as a gas saving tool. Some folks never use their cruise control. Other folks use them just to reduce driver fatigue. The best way to use cruse control is to set it at or near the speed limit when you are driving down the highway and leave it alone.

The problem with humans is that we get acclimated to speed and unintentionally speed up over time.

Check yourself on this. When you first make the jump from city street speed to highway speed the highway speed limit seems to be plenty fast enough. But, after you have driven along for fifteen or twenty minutes you become used to that speed and are ready for more.

The same thing happens in reverse. When we exit the expressway the city street speed limit seems way too slow until our brain gets adjusted to it.

Using the cruise control helps keep our speed under control.

Keeping your speed under control is one of the best ways to reduce the money you spend at the gas pump. Fuel use goes up faster than the speed goes up. If I drive without the cruise control on my speed on expressways starts out at 65 and creeps up toward 80 unless I hold it down.

When I first started driving the expressway speed limit in Michigan was 80 and I liked it. Of course, we drove 5 over most of the time.

Back in the 1970’s, during the oil embargo days, the speed limit was dropped to a maximum of 55 all across the country to save fuel. I remember truckers would drive alongside each other at 55 and cause huge traffic backups on the expressways as a protest against the lower speeds.

We may be headed that way again if some of our elected representatives have their way.

Using cruise control on flat roads can save gas money, but in hill country, you can do better with it off. Cruise control systems have gotten better but they still tend to over accelerate going up hill. They keep increasing the throttle until the car speeds up to the set speed. When you control the speed, you can save gas by allowing the car to slow down on the up hill run and the get the speed back when you coast down the other side of the hill. That saves gas.

If your ride does not have cruise control, borrow one.

When I drive a car that does not have cruise control I pick out another truck or car that is going the speed that I want and follow them. As long as they keep a steady speed and I don’t pass them, my speed stays in control.

Expect to change to a different leader because the one you are following may be going somewhere you don’t want to go.

You save at the gas pump when you keep your speed down.

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WARNING: WATER IS NOT A FUEL FOR CARS

I am amazed that I have to make a statement like that, but folks keep asking me about the water for gas idea that they read about on the internet.

For those of you who want to fuel your car by using FREE water, please stop and think. Your car runs on a fuel that will burn. Then remember that you throw water on a fire to put the fire out.

Using water for fuel is like using ashes to heat your house. Ashes are what you get after wood has been burned. You cannot heat you house by burning ashes.

Water is hydrogen that has already been burned

Water is what is left, after hydrogen has been burned. Like wood ashes, water cannot burn.

Yes, hydrogen is a powerful fuel that does burn explosively. But, when it combines with oxygen, as it burns or explodes, it is converted to water.

Let me say it again, water is hydrogen that has already been burned. You cannot burn it again.

So how does industry make hydrogen?

The bond that holds a pair of hydrogen atoms and oxygen together is very strong. Using some technology and a lot of energy, we can separate the hydrogen and oxygen so they can each be used.

The problem is that it takes a tremendous amount of energy to break the bond that holds them together. The separation of oxygen gas and hydrogen gas from water can only done using massive amounts of energy. The energy that is used most often is electricity.

Yes, you can do it in your car

Splitting apart hydrogen and oxygen can be done on a very small scale under the hood of your car but you must get electrical energy form somewhere to do it.

Folks do it. They even sell kits and instructions for it on the internet. It is a nice high school science experiment but not a way to save money.

What you need to understand is where the energy comes from to split the hydrogen/oxygen bond. Each one of the hydrogen generator cells in a “water for gas kit” has a pair of wires connected to it.

So it must be electrical energy right. So where does the electrical energy come from? You car does not have a long extension cord so it must come from the battery.

What charges the battery? Your car has an alternator that makes electricity to charge the battery.

A “fan belt” powers the alternator. The fan belt is powered by the car’s engine. The fuel that you put in the fuel tank powers the car’s engine. Extra gasoline (petrol), which you paid for, is used to make the extra electricity need to separate the hydrogen and oxygen.

The water for gas kits make explosive hydrogen (and oxygen) by, very inefficiently, using energy from the fuel that you paid for.

There is energy lost every time a conversion from one kind of energy to another takes place. Nothing happens with 100% efficiency.

Count the conversions: Fuel burns to make mechanical motion to make electricity to split the water molecular bonds to release hydrogen.

Save your money.

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HOW HYPERMILING AND HYBRIDS SAVE MONEY

Hypermiling is the new buzzword for folks who use some unusual driving techniques to maximize their miles per gallon. It has reached almost cult status among some groups of people.

It is not new but the high cost of fuel has made hypermiling more popular. High mileage scores have become bragging points in some circles.

The methods used range from the mild and safe to the wild and dangerous. Some methods that I recommend include coasting up to traffic lights. Driving the speed limit or slower, and shutting off the engine while standing still.

Some folks are very competitive about this and set up a planned route that they and their friends drive on to see who can get the best mileage score. The best driver with a Hybrid car usually wins.

Some special instruments are needed including a gauge that gives you real time miles per gallon and one that totals your miles and fuel use for a trip. See my post on the ScanGauge II for more on this. SAVE MONEY USING A SCANGAUGE

I do NOT recommend some Hypermiling methods.

They include running stop signs and taking curves at high speed to avoid braking. Tail gating to “draft” other vehicles works to cut aerodynamic drag. It is OK in NASCAR racing, but not safe on the highway.

Here are some safe driving methods that the hypermiler's use:

Anticipating upcoming red lights and coasting up to them rather than racing up and applying brakes. The less you need to apply the brakes, the less fuel you waste.

Allowing a large space between yourself and the next vehicle ahead, to minimize braking in "stop-and-go traffic." As traffic slows, you need to apply the brakes less if you give yourself plenty of room ahead to coast. Note what many 18-wheelers and other heavy trucks do in stop and go traffic: they leave a large space in from of them and slowly decrease speed, trying not to come to a complete stop. They do this to save fuel and wear on the moving parts of the vehicle. Fuel consumption is greatest when you accelerate. Also, it takes more fuel to start moving from a complete stop than it does to increase speed when you are already in motion.

Avoiding going above the posted speed limit. Fuel consumption is goes up faster than your speed due to wind resistance and friction.

Accelerating very slowly from a complete stop. Tests have shown that doing that can increase your gas mileage by 25-35%.

Maintaining a constant highway speed by using the cruise control. Using cruise control on flat roads can improve your fuel economy by 5-15%.

Hybrids Save Twice

Some folks are trading in their gas hogs for more fuel-efficient cars including Hybrids. One advantage to Hybrids that I just learned about is that some Hybrid drivers get a hefty discount on their car insurance.

I called four insurance agents to check on this. In some states, a few insurance companies do offer discounts for Hybrid drivers.

Hybrids can save at the gas pump and on the insurance bill.

When it comes to auto insurance, the driver is the risk not the car. Yes, some cars that are less expensive to repair get discounts, but what really matters is the driver. Some insurance companies consider Hybrid owners to be safer drivers than average folks on the road so they get a discount.

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CLOSE YOUR CAR WINDOWS TO SAVE GAS

One of my Newsletter subscribers asked me about the best way to save gasoline using the comfort control system on her car.

Keeping the windows closed does help the car be more aerodynamic. That reduces the wind drag and saves gas, BUT only at highway speeds.

If you are driving around at 40 MPH or slower roll the windows down if you want, it will not cost a measurable amount of gas. On nice days, driving to and from work, I roll mine down and open the moon roof. At anything faster than 40, you start paying a fuel penalty that exceeds the energy used by the comfort control system. The top speed limit for my short commute is 35 MPH.

Regarding how to set your comfort control, remember all the energy that your car uses comes from the fuel in the tank.

At home, the farther the thermostat is set below the outdoor temperature, the harder your home air conditioner has to work. It is like that for the air conditioner in your car too.

In hot weather when it is 90 outdoors, setting the car comfort control at 70 will use more energy than setting it at 74. Using more energy means paying for more fuel.

Yes, shutting the comfort control system off will save gas, but it will increase your stress level too. Not a good thing while doing something as dangerous as driving.

It is a different story when it is cold outdoors. If it is 40 outside and your car comfort control is set to keep you at 72, it uses heat from the engine that would otherwise be thrown away. You don’t burn extra fuel for the energy to heat your car.

There is an exception to every rule. Some cars with air-cooled engines have a fuel burner for heat like the old VW Beetles. Also, Hybrid vehicles generally use an electric pump in addition to an electric fan to move waste heat into the passenger compartment.

If you switch the heater fan to high speed, you use fuel to make the extra electricity to make the fan run faster.

Bottom line:

If it is hot outside keep the windows and moon roof closed and use the air conditioning as little as possible to keep comfortable. Do not use the Max Cool setting. Keep the fan at slow speed. The slower you run the fan the less gas you use. The higher you set the temperature the less fuel the air conditioner will use.

If it is cold outside, set the temperature anywhere you want it. Keep the fan at slow speed.

If it is nice outside slow down below 40 MPH, open the windows, shut the comfort control off. Smile as you enjoy the day.

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Gas Money Saving Lessons from a Professional Driver

A couple of years ago I fell on the basement stairs and broke my right ankle. I had to wear a special strap on boot cast for six weeks while it healed. Within a matter of days, I had to stand up on crutches to give my daughter away at her wedding.

My doctor vehemently ordered me not to drive. The bulky boot cast would have been in the way. I could get around at work all right with crutches but no driving. The cast made my driving more dangerous than usual.

My brother in law agreed to be my driver for the six weeks in exchange for weekends off, some money and the adventure. He was a professional driver having driven taxicabs and heavy trucks during his career.

I know that I am a much safer driver thanks to observing Lloyd as he chauffeured me around.

As example, he almost never made a left turn. He quickly learned the roads around where I was working and planned his route to avoid left turns. He picked routes through parts of town I had never seen before, that had the fewest stops and no left turns.

He drove plenty fast on the highway, always going with the flow but keeping well back from the vehicle in front. That gave him time to coast when traffic slowed rather than using the brakes.

He drove much slower in traffic. By leaving as much room ahead, as possible, he could keep his foot off the brake. He made getting green traffic lights a game, slowly coasting up to red ones giving them time to turn green.

Lloyd would stop a car length before the white line at red lights to leave plenty of room for any big rigs to turn left in front of him. He was a very smooth driver.

When Lloyd drove my car, the miles per gallon went up about 25%.

Cancer took him soon after our time together. I am thankful that I got those lessons in good driving from a real pro. Better driving is not only safer it saves fuel dollars too.

To save fuel, keep your foot off the brake by using a light foot on the accelerator and leaving room to coast.

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Can You Save by Driving Farther for Lower Priced Gas?

A friend asked me if it was worth it to drive to a lower priced gas station even thought it was 3 miles out of his way.

Here is the data we need for this story problem:

• $3.599 price at nearby gas station

• $3.549 price at distant gas station

• 26 miles per gallon mileage

• 15 gallon maximum fill up

• 6 miles extra driving (3 miles to & 3 miles from low price station)

After crunching the numbers, I came up with 75 cents saved on the lower priced fill up but 82 cents spent in the extra driving.

That results in a net loss of 7 cents, plus the extra time it takes.

Not a good deal

If the price difference is bigger, the extra distance is shorter, or the number of gallons for a fill up is more you would get a slight savings.

I recommend

Buy gas at a gas station that is:

1. Along your normal driving route
2. That has a competitive price
3. On a day the price is at its lowest
4. Is located on the right side of the road

Here are the details

If there are gas stations along your normal commuting or shopping route buy your motor fuel from one of them to avoid extra driving.

Pick a gas station that has competitive prices. Avoid gas stations that always have a high price unless they provide you with maintenance or repair service. The gas stations that have consistently lower prices tend to sell larger volumes of gas so they don’t have wet or dirty fuel.

Learn the ups and downs of the weekly price cycle in your area and always fill up on the low price day of the week. Fill up even if don't need to. This is assuming that you have to be out driving for other reasons besides buying fuel.

Buy fuel when it is an easy right turn into the station and another easy right turn out of the station. This is to minimize the time, with the engine idling, while waiting to make a left turn. For those of you who drive British style switch sides for this description.

What do you do to keep your cost of motor fuel low?

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WHAT SHOULD MY TIRE PRESSURE BE?

We all have heard that you can get better gas mileage by keeping the tires on your ride at the recommended air pressure.

But, if you are like me, tire pressure checking just doesn’t get done very often during winter weather. Now that spring is providing us with some nicer days, it is time to keep the pressure up.

Try remembering to check your tires every time the price of gas jumps up. Well, maybe not that often. How about once a month on the day the mortgage or rent payment is due.

The problem is compressed air tries to leak out all the time. Most tires hold their air in pretty well, but many do leak some. Over time, the pressure will get lower than it should be.

Driving on tire that has low pressure is like driving up and out of a pothole continuously. That uses more gas than needed and wears out your tires quickly. Both waste your money.

Low tire pressure makes your car or truck more expensive to drive. You need to fix air leaks in your tires to save money at the gas pump.

You say OK, but what should the pressure be?

That is easy just talk to you car, or actually read your car.

Here I’ll show you how. See this is a photo of the driver’s door on my car.

This is a photo of the outer edge of the door. Notice: the sticker on the edge of the door.

Here is a close up of the sticker on the driver’s door.

It says recommended cold tire pressure 30psi. That means that the folks who built the car recommend that the pressure in the tires should be 30 psi.

There is a note that the pressure may be 4 psi higher when the tire is hot. Tires do get hot due the flexing as the weight changes onto a different part of the tire are the car rolls along.

Next time you open your drivers door take a look.

You could look it up in your owners manual but by the time you find the book and the right page you could have read the door sticker been done with it.

I have a tire pressure gauge in the glove box of both our cars so I can always find one. I’ll admit that I usually eye ball check the tires and use the gauge only when one looks low. The problem is that by the time I can see it the pressure has been too low too long.

My wife’s car is newer and sounds an alarm when the tire pressure is low. But again, by the time the alarm is triggered it has been too low too long.

Save money by using the gauge once a month or more often. If you are taking a driving vacation, check the tires before you start out, so you will get the best mileage for the whole trip.

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Don’t let your Car Run without Rolling Down The Road

With the price of crude oil $100, or so, a barrel, the price of motor fuel is being pushed up to new highs. I hope spring arrives soon because I can’t afford to warm up my car in the morning anymore.

We have a one-car garage that shelters my wife’s car from frosty windows. That means my old car is the one to sit out in the cold.

In the morning, I used to go out and start the car then have breakfast. Old Blue would be defrosted and ready to drive when I was fueled and had my coffee.

I figured out that it is less expensive to use an electric space heater to warm up the car and defrost the windows. So, I set one up on the passenger seat with the cord hanging out the window. In the morning, I plug in an extension cord from the heater to an outlet on the porch.

It would be better if I set it up with a timer, but I am afraid the cord might trip the girl who delivers our morning paper. She is reliable and I don’t want to cause a problem for an enterprising young business person. Don’t worry her Dad is driving on the route with her. She just runs the papers to the customer’s door.

The point I am trying to make is that with the high price of fuel we cannot afford to let the car engine run without putting miles on it. When the car is not moving, the engine should be off to save money at the fuel pump.

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WHO WANTS TO DRIVE 50 FREE MILES A YEAR?

A week ago I posted a contest to give away my copy of the book 356 WAYS TO SAVE GAS. Patrick made the best comment and won the book

This is what Patrick said:

Not only do I strive to save gas, but I also strive to get more for my money. I'm shocked that people are so quick to put the nozzle back in the pump after filling, when there's usually a few drips left. If you're really thrifty, whenever you fill up, put all three nozzles from the pump in your tank for a few seconds...you'll usually get a little extra gas for no cost!

Yesterday, when I filled my tank I tried Patrick’s idea. After the pump shut off, I picked up the loop of hose that was hanging down to drain my gas, which was trapped in the hose, into my tank.

I then picked up the nozzle from the Mid-grade, 89 octane, pump and lifted the hose. I got a small amount of abandoned fuel to run into my tank.

I did the same with the Premium, 92 octane, nozzle and hose and got another little bit of free abandoned fuel into my tank.

I think that I got a little less than a half pint of free fuel. That is enough that I will be able to drive at least one mile using that free gas. If I did that for one visit to the gas station each week, it adds up to more than 50 free miles a year.

Thank you Patrick

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BARGAIN HUNTING FOR LOW GAS PRICES

When we lived in Michigan, there was a weekly price cycle at the gas pumps. The price would start its upward move on Thursday and peak for the weekend. Monday would kick off a drop and the price would bottom out Wednesday. Filling up midweek resulted in the lowest average cost of fuel.

Now that we are living in north central Ohio, the cycle is different. The lowest weekly price is on Sunday or Monday.

Keep an eye on the gas price cycle in your hometown. Filling up, whether you need it or not, on the day that the price bottoms out will save you money.

Keeping your tank full of low price gas, will let you coast through high prices when Holidays roll around. The price will also be high when there are festivals or other major events in your town.

If you reduce the average price you pay per gallon your annual savings will pile up. Best of all your cost per mile driven will go down.

Use the available web sites to help you find out which gas stations near you consistently have low prices. The one I use is msn local gas prices. Just enter your zip code and it gives you a list of the local gas stations. They are in order with the lowest prices on top. Plus there is a locater map so you can figure a route to do your errands and hit the best gas bargain right along the way.

Doing your price checking on line does not use up expensive gasoline.

Plan your commute or shopping trip so you can pass by the low price gas station. Buy your gas when you reach your target gas station on your right hand side, for easy in and out access.

Driving miles out of your way to save three cents a gallon will cost you money for the extra miles, time and wear on your vehicle.

Buying gas in the cool of the morning really does not help. Gasoline stored underground in double walled tanks changes temperature very very slowly. The best time to buy is when the price is low and you are driving by the station anyway.

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365 WAYS TO SAVE GAS

It has been a long time since I wrote a book report. I graduated from High School in 1965 and I do not think I have done a book report since then. This book is worth sharing so here goes.

The title of the book, 365 WAYS TO SAVE GAS by Ronald M. Weiers, PH.D., is direct and to the point. So is the book.

The book does provide the ammunition for folks to “fight back at the pump!” Each page presents one short, easy to read fuel saving idea.

Each fuel saving hint is packed into a short paragraph or two that makes it easy to get value from in short bites. It is a great book to keep in your car to refer to when you are stuck waiting.

By reading the book while I was waiting for my wife to complete her search of a fabric store, I leaned how to be a more fuel-efficient driver. She was hunting for just the right color for her current quilting project so I had plenty of time.

I learned enough in the first few pages to know that I needed to read all 365 ways to save gas. I am sure that I have already saved much more than the price of the book. It is an excellent investment in both time and money.

I highly recommend it for all drivers.

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PUMP UP THE PRESSURE TO SAVE GAS

Driving on soft tires is like continuously driving up and out of a pothole.

So what’s the right pressure for my ride?

I know three ways find the right pressure without getting professional advice.

The hard way I get down on my hands and knees with a flashlight, take my bi-focal glasses off, close my left eye and squint hard with my right eye. I look at the fine print around the tire next to the wheel. Somewhere on your tire, you will see something like MAX PRESSURE 32 PSI. Yours may not be a 32.

Second hardest way Dig the OWNERS MANUAL out of the glove compartment. Find a comfortable chair in the shade. Order a cold drink and read the book. About the time the drink is empty you will find what the vehicle manufacturer says about tire pressure.

The easy way Open the driver’s door of the vehicle and look at the edge of the door that disappears when the door is closed. No not where the hinges are, look on the door where the latch is. There will be an easy to read label that tells what the recommended tire pressure is for that particular vehicle. Bingo.

Spend the price of a couple of gallons of gas on a good, easy to read, pressure gauge. Get a good small air compressor that you can use at home. These tools will pay for themselves in better gas mileage. You can be the local hero by pumping up footballs, basketballs, pool toys and water balloons.

All tires need to be kept at the right pressure for safety, long tire life and best fuel efficiency.

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DREAM CARS FOR AN ENERGY ENGINEER

Recently folks have asked me what my dream car would be. After pausing 7 seconds to think, I tell them I need two dream cars.

First, I want an all-electric small car for commuting to work and for errands around town.

Second, I want a big comfortable six-passenger car, fueled by 100% butanol made from waste material. This one is for road trips to visit the grandchildren.

An all-electric car would recharge from the wall outlet in my garage. The batteries would last long enough to get me to work and back. It would have to be at least a two-passenger model. Cargo space for a weeks worth of groceries would be the last requirement.

Yes, it would be coal powered by electricity generated at the nearest power plant. The efficient energy conversion from lumps of coal to miles driven would result in the lowest cost per mile. The cost per mile would be far lower than any liquid or gas fueled vehicle of similar size and weight. I believe that it would have the lowest total emissions per mile.

Hydrogen is far too expensive and explosive. The emissions that are produced in isolating hydrogen are a problem, unless wind, wave, solar or geothermal power is used. Wind, wave, solar or geothermal power would also work just fine for recharging an all-electric car, with out the expense and safety risks of hydrogen. Hydrogen is by far the highest cost per mile fuel of all.

Gasoline, natural gas and ethanol all cost too much per mile.

The second car would be a big comfortable six passenger automobile. My wife and I could drive for 300 miles and not be tired from the trip.

I could pack the whole family into one car for a memory building adventure with the grandchildren. The whole package would be fueled by 100% bio-butanol made from the waste from cheese making. Butanol made from waste would have a cost per mile that is lower than gasoline. Butanol is a liquid fuel from renewable sources that is a direct substitute for gasoline. The car could be an antique Packard, Rolls Royce, Cadillac or a Buick Roadmaster. All would run just fine with out modification.

Both of these dream cars are just around the corner or in a garage near you now.

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IS HIGH OCTANE WORTH THE COST?

Folks have been asking me about octane ratings. They want to know if high octane gasoline will give them better mileage.

There seem to be some confusion about what the octane rating is and what is does for us.

The basic fact is that the design of the engine is the only thing that determines what octane rating gasoline you need to use. The higher the compression ratio your engine has the higher the octane it needs. It is a hardware thing.

If you are trying to run your vehicle with gasoline that has too low of an octane rating, you will loose power and your engine will make banging, knocking noises. Those noises mean the air fuel mix is igniting on its own, not when the spark plug sparks. The engine runs poorly and maybe damaged if this is allowed to continue.

The instruction book that came with your vehicle will tell you what octane rating fuel you need. If you lost the book ask your car dealer.

Higher octane fuel is not better, it is just different. High octane gasoline does cost more because there are extra steps needed to make it.

You can use higher than needed octane gas but it will cost more to buy and your miles per gallon will likely be reduced. If you do not need it, buying higher octane gasoline is throwing your money away.

If you car engine is made to use regular 87 octane and it is knocking the problem is likely due to the spark timing being out of adjustment. Get your engine tuned up and your cost per mile will go down.

Using higher octane gasoline than you cars needs WILL NOT boost your mileage.

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BETTER MILEAGE BY BETTER DRIVING

Have you seen the price of automobile fuel? When I started driving, I could buy three gallons of gasoline and some candy with one dollar.

Folks are asking me what they can do to minimize the cost of driving.

I tell them it is all in their hands and feet.

The greatest impact that they can have is to change the way they drive.

Fuel efficiency is more about the driver than it is about the car.

Accelerating hard, weaving erratically, or grinding to a halt all waste fuel.

WE THROW FUEL AWAY WHEN WE: • Accelerate fast • Turn on the air conditioning • Leave heavy stuff in the trunk • Drive with the moon roof open • Roll down the windows • Speed • Idle • Brake

Your brakes change the momentum that you paid fuel dollars for into wasted heat. Try stopping without braking. At least use your brakes as little as possible.

Learn to coast as much as possible. When you see that the traffic light ahead is red, take your foot off the gas and coast toward the light. If you can avoid coming to a full stop you save fuel.

Accelerate slowly and obey the speed limit. Try driving as if you don't have brakes.

Jackrabbit starts may be fun but they are a major fuel waster. If you drive an automatic, accelerate moderately so the transmission can shift up into the higher gears as soon as possible. Stick-shifters should shift early to keep the revs down, with out lugging the engine. Your goal should be to get into overdrive as soon as possible.

Keep an eye well down the road for potential slowdowns. If you accelerate to full speed then have to brake right away, you are throwing fuel away.

The best way to learn to drive economically is to have a fuel consumption display, which shows mpg in real time. I test-drove a Cadillac that had one and learned that I was not as efficient a driver as I thought I was.

Instead of a fuel consumption display, some folks call them game gauges. They use them just like the score on video games. Keep trying to beat your best score in miles per gallon.

MORE GAS SAVING TIPS

Drive with the truckers. Have you ever notice how, in traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down. Trucks tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace. A constant speed keeps shifting gears to a minimum, important to those who have those ten-speed transmissions, but it also aids economy. It takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving. Rolling with the big rigs saves fuel.

The defroster/heater fan and AC use energy that subtracts from your mileage. Use them as little as possible.

For the best fuel economy drive with all four windows closed. This is especially important at highway speeds.

Try parking at the highest spot in a parking lot. That way, you rely on gravity to get you rolling rather than the accelerator peddle.

At the mall, pick a parking spot that you can drive in and drive out with out changing directions. You may need to walk a little farther. If you drive through one spot and park in the facing spot, you will be headed out. When you park this way, you are ready to leave without backing and changing directions.

Don’t use cruise control when driving in hilly roads. Most cruise controls accelerate excessively going up hill. You can do a better job yourself.

Do use cruise control on flat level roads. Your cruise control will maintain an even speed and reduce acceleration/deceleration. Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip. With a little planning, you can avoid retracing your route and reduce the distance you travel. Good trip planning ensures that you drive when the engine is warmed-up and efficient. You will not only save fuel, but also reduce wear and tear on your car. The secret to your fuel economy is in how you use the foot peddles.

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