Better Gas Mileage Tips

TIRES - Use (light – lighter tires have less rotating mass) highway low rolling resistance tires. Be careful using different types of tires (such as A/Ts) and different sizes. When you change the size (overall diameter) you are also changing the final gear ratio. The ideal diameter is matched to your final gear ratio. VERY important to use the highest air pressure that doesn’t negatively affect the ride (within the OEM recommendations). Check and maintain that pressure at all the time. Altitude and temp will affect pressure (1lb for every 10 degrees diff & .5lb for every 1000 ft). Also you will lose 1lb every month from leakage. Always check pressure when tires are cold (after overnight) before you take to the road. Pressure indicators (cheap valve cap indicators) will also help to see if there are any problems during a trip at a glance.

Note; if you are having problems with varying pressure and/or tire failures caused by temp, nitrogen is more stable and will be less affected by temp and natural leakage.


LUBRCANTS – Use as much full synthetics as you can. Use it for the engine, trans, diffs, transfer case and even greases.

Note; Use lower weight oils for less resistance (lower pour rate). Example – If the OEM recommends 5w-30 use 0w-30, 5w-20 use 0w-30, 80w-90 gear oil use 75w-90. You will still have the same protection from thermal breakdown but you will have a lower pour rate. Also up to 80% of engine wear is from cold start ups. This does not just mean cold weather, it means the time it takes the oil to reach the vital areas of your engine when you first start your engine after all the oil has drained down into your sump (overnight). Try to use FULL synthetic (group IV) oil such as Amsoil.

ENGINE TUNE & FUEL - Keep all filters and sensors clean and maintain the engine’s state of tune at peak efficiency. You can also use better components such as platinum or iridium spark plugs. Keeping the fuel system clean is VERY important. Every 20/30K miles you can use a fuel system cleaner such as Techron Concentrate Plus or Amsoil P.i. Performance Improver Concentrate. One of the keys to keeping the engine components clean is using better fuels. I only use “Top Tier” fuel. See attached link.

http://www.toptiergas.com/

Check your brakes. Lift the wheel/tire off the ground and spin the tire to see how freely it spins. Sometimes the pistons in the calipers are not retracting properly and will cause the pads to drag on the rotors.

Avoid letting the vehicle idle (to heat-up). The best way to warm the engine is to start it and go! Just keep the rpm low until you reach operating temp.

Koz