Gas Tips from CNN Money
I think #1 and #5 are kind of dumb. But I always park in the garage at work, which is tip #2. It’s a farther walk, but I like to protect my car from UV rays as much as possible, and not because I worry about the gas evaporating. My dad’s old Volvo ran pretty well for its 14 years, but in the end he dumped it because he let the paint go. He only fixed cars under the hood and didn’t really take care of the paint. That freaks me out. I’d like to have my car for 14 years and I think if I’m willing to replace the clutch once, I might be able to do that.
#3, I don’t understand ricing out your car with spinners and other stuff that looks cool but doesn’t do much for performance. If racing is your hobby, then fine, but otherwise, it’s kind of silly. I knew a girl in CA whose boyfriend drag raced (legally at the track). When he upgraded his stuff, he’d install it on her car for her. She actually shaved time off her quarter mile runs, but the pitfall of having a souped up vehicle was pretty funny. There she sits at a red light in a riced out Honda and a girl would pull up making goo goo eyes at her thinking it was a guy behind the wheel. My friend would look at her like she was some kind of ho, which she probably was, and laugh at her stupidity. Pretty funny.
#4, I use cruise control to discipline myself to a 60mph morning commute. I’ve always wondered about when and when I shouldn’t use it. This one is good to know.
EDIT: I forgot to add on two more things.
A. Check your oil. If you are like me, and wait longer than the recommended time between oil changes, you may have too little oil in the crankcase. Just check your oil before you start your car. Add a little bit if you need it until you’re at the minimum mark on the dipstick. Keep in mind that the guys at Car Talk tell you to change it every 5K miles or more!
B. Check your tire pressure and remember to replace your valve caps. I always shove them in my pocket and forget them. Get a dial pressure gauge
Kassy wrote:
I’ve always noticed how the cruise control ‘guns it’ on an uphill stretch, and this CNN article confirms what I thought. That it’s actually an inefficient use for that.
Posted on 17-Apr-06 at 5:12 pm | Permalink
Single Ma wrote:
Hey Mapgirl!
This article is timely because I just had a shock at the pump…just shy of $40 for my little Honda.
I don’t have the bling but I know a lot of people who do, so #3 was very interesting. I wonder if they know their bling is costing them more in gas.
I always do #4 on the highway, not to save gas, but to keep from adding more tickets to the herd. lol
great post!
Posted on 17-Apr-06 at 7:45 pm | Permalink
Rob Carlson wrote:
I always use Georgia Overdrive on the hilly stretches. There are some downward stretches in Baltimore where I can have the clutch open for a mile and and half and not dip below 60 mph.
Posted on 18-Apr-06 at 11:25 am | Permalink
mapgirl wrote:
What’s a Georgia Overdrive? (And you know how I feel about open clutches. Though I admit, I’ve been using it more often because of the price of gas.)
Posted on 18-Apr-06 at 11:35 am | Permalink