How can I make my car more fuel efficient?

The list below shows you easy and effective ways to improve you fuel efficiency and so reduce your car fuel bill:

Use your gears wisely.
Driving in the highest gear possible without labouring the engine is a fuel-efficient way of driving. A vehicle travelling at 37mph in third gear uses 25 percent more fuel than at the same speed in fifth gear

Drive smoothly
Think ahead! By applying light throttle and avoiding heavy braking, you can reduce both fuel consumption and wear and tear. Try to predict traffic at junctions and when in queuing to avoid accelerating and then braking. Research suggests driving techniques can influence car fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.

Switch off your engine
There are two schools of thought on this one. Switching your engine off for short periods of time can actually increase fuel consumption, as it requires more fuel to get the engine started. Also your catalytic converter will no longer be running at full temperature and so your car will be less efficient, increasing the amount of pollution you cause. However if you are stopped for more than a few minutes then your car will simply burn less fuel with the engine stopped.

Drive off promptly to prevent wasting fuel
Don't leave your engine running when you first start up. Drive off straight away if you can, but drive gently until the engine has reached its normal operating temperature. This doesn't increase fuel efficiency as such, but it does mean your engine is switched on for less time.

Lighten your load
Think carefully about what you need on a journey. if you do not need something, do not pack it. Remove roof racks if not needed. The lighter the load, the lower the fuel consumption, and emissions, and the higher the fuel efficiency.

Tires effect fuel efficiency
It is estimated that about 50% of tires on the road are under inflated. Aside from increasing the rate of wear, this wastes fuel and decreased your fuel efficiency. Check your tire pressures every fortnight. Worn tires will also decrease fuel efficiency (and your safety!), so check the tread regularly. If you are replacing tires then consider some of the newer ‘Eco’ tires that are designed specifically to increase fuel efficiency.

Car Windows
Driving with your windows open drastically reduces your fuel efficiency, far more so than putting the air conditioning on when motorway driving. So in those hot summers(?) preferably keep the windows shut, and the air conditioning on if you want to keep cool. Of course the air conditioning decreases fuel efficiency too, so try not to over use it.

Leave the car at home!
Probably the best way to decrease the amount of petrol you burn, is to leave the car and home, and take a bike, bus, or train, or to walk. A quarter of all car journeys in Britain are less than two miles long, and walking or cycling are cheap and clean alternatives, and healthy too!
Invest in a new fuel efficient car
New cars come in all shapes and sizes, but it is possible to pick a new car that can greatly reduce your fuel bill, and your fuel emissions.

Size matters. Choose an economical car – small cars use far more fuel efficient and produce lower emissions than large cars.
Drive the most fuel-efficient car that meets your needs. Compare models and classes. Even similarly sized cars can vary in fuel efficiency by up to 45%. Fuel efficiency is shown as MPG.

Consider diesel engines (with a particulate trap), and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) fuelled cars – all have lower CO2 emissions than standard petrol cars.

Consider 'hybrid' vehicles – they combine a conventional engine with an electric motor and battery. These offer reduced fuel consumption and CO2 with potentially lower emissions of all pollutants.

Diesel Engines
If you’re going to buy a diesel, ensure it is a new 'common rail' type, as these are approximately 10% more efficient than older diesels. Also replace (or clean if applicable) air cleaner elements as often as is required by your vehicles servicing schedule.


Regluar Maintenance maintains fuel efficiency

Air Filter:
One of the most common reasons for a drop in fuel efficiency is a dirty intake filter. This will decrease the amount of air entering the cylinders of the engine resulting in incomplete combustion. Check the filter regularly to ensure that it is clean.

Spark Plugs
Ensure your spark plugs are in good condition. Renew the plugs and wires at intervals specified by the owners manual. This will keep all cylinders firing properly resulting in higher efficiency.

Lube Oil:
Change the lube oil at intervals specified by the owners manual. Use the recommended oil only especially in newer cars. Use of an engine flush before changing the oil will help to get rid of a lot of the dirt that collects in the engine that a normal oil change will not remove. On older engines it is advisable to use an oil treatment agent. This basically thickens the oil which creates a better seal between the piston and the liner, preventing blow past and consequent loss of combustion pressure, resulting in higher fuel efficiency.

Exhausts alter fuel efficiency
Most cars have special sizes for the exhaust. When cars are reasonably old the silences has to be changed. The garage people always try to fit a size that they have in the garage it self. Which might not be the exact size recommended for the car. The wrong size a bigger or smaller silencer size effects on the MPG of the car and the HP of the car. It may be cheaper to put another size than your recommended size for your car but on the long run it will cost you in many ways, especially on fuel consumption. Always put the recommended size of the exhaust that is indicated in your car manual because the car company knows how to optimize the performance of your car.


Reference Links:

http://www.whatprice.co.uk/tips/fuel-efficiency.html

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/ab_auto_fuel_system/article/0,2021,DIY_13679_2276262,00.html

one of the easiest ways of getting better gas mileage is by simply turning off your airconditioning

don't drive your car hard, i learnt my lesson in my hyundai excel, when i first filled it up it got me 600ks out of a tank. then i thrashed my car and it only got like 400ks out of a full tank of petrol and i had to fill it up 2 times a week. My advice is not to thrash your car too often or it will leave a big hole in your pocket everytime you fill up.

Drive it less often.

Use more efficient fuel.

keep the vehicle in proper Alighnment, tire and suspension problems can reduce fuel economy dramatically.

Easy on the gas pedal & no racing!

Push it to the store every-other trip?! With time, that should double it!
;-)

Put more air in the tyres.
Drive on the motorway when you can and try to stay in overdrive.

i like to shift into nuetral when coasting, engine will just idle instead of winding while going throught the gears.

Run your Car on Water....does it work??

Make sure your tire pressure is correct. A clean air filter is also a big help for efficient fuel usage, Keep you highway speed no higher then 55 mph and you will see an increase in your milage.

I heard that you can use hydrogen cells, that separate the oxigen and hydrogen from water and increase fuel efficiency.

Have a look at this wiki for many tested suggestions on changes you can make to your car to make it more efficient
http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Car_MPG_Efficiency_Modifications_Main
or have a look here for changes to driving style for efficiency
http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Hypermiling_Techniques

use this one to pull your car.

Use this one to pull your car.

You can use this kit. Just have to set it up right. I have met people who made their own and getting great mileage. A 5.0 Mustang that made 14 MPG now makes 26 MPG.... water4fuel.com

easy way is to trade it in for a newer car that is already more fuel effecent.

There are other ways to save fuel. i drive a japenese sports car that when it was stock got about 23 mpg now it has a 29 mpg rating on the highway and a 26 mpg city. it is still stock except it doesn't have air conditioning which in some cars can save up to about 50 lbs, no power windows, no power locks, no power steering, the only electric on it are the radio lights and the engine when started up, and other have to run on electricity in the car. to save weight you can also buy lighter rims for your tires, race rims can be good but some actually can be damaged on road surfaces due to pot holes and the likes. another way is new seats that are lighter, and also how much you carry with you. Tires if only a couple psi off will only affect fuel efficiency with my car by a very small percent, also manuel transmission cars save gas buy a good bunch. But ya, if you really want to save fuel heres a list of stuff you can do
1. dont drive angry, cool down, try to laugh at stupid people
2. shift at a relatively low RPM, and like the answer earlier dont over load your engine, unless you like to replace engines and transmissions.
3. have regular tune-ups, and oil changes.
4. No air conditioning i know it feels good but you really dont need it, keep water with you.
5. dont drive aggressively, dont tail gate, ya i know the guys that go 35 in a 55 get annoying just give em room, and pass them if you can but dont over accelerate.
6. Limit how much you have going on in the car, no cell phones, no music or music not really loud.
7. dont try to show off your smooth ride, if you want to save fuel, dont be stupid and do something you can get a ticket for, because then your giving away free gas to that cop that pulled you over.
8. dont upsize your tires unless you know that it can increase your mpg.
9. push in the clutch or stick the car in neutral when going down a hill, ride the brake.
10. and lastly just drive smart, safe, the less you brake the less you waste.

put performance exhaust on it it sometimes give 2-5 mor MPG

Only travel down hill

hire a driver and push it everywhere

See a very comprehensive list of changes you can make to your car to make it more efficient. Almost 70 modifications most have been indepently tested
http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Car_MPG_Efficiency_Modifications_Main