Gas-Saving Tips for Travelers

by Ryan Vagabundo

1) Start With Your Tires

The place to start with improving fuel efficiency is down below the gas tank, at the tires. To put it as simply as possible, underinflated tires make you burn more fuel (the engine works harder due to increased resistance). For a lot of people with a common lower level of underinflation, that's a 1% to 3% increase in gas used. If you let them get as low as halfway full, that cost shoots up to 10% or more and the effect is actually worse the slower you go (which is usually the zone where you're being most efficient, under 50 MPH.)

Air is often still free (or at least free with purchase) at US service stations, so there's no reason not to keep up with this. If you suffer from frequent tire deflation it might be economical to get one of those little compressors that either charge via USB or plug into the cigarette lighter/12V port and can be had for around $15. 

2) Pumper With a Slow Hand

If the gas pump gives you a choice of fill speed, take the slowest one. The faster you fill, the more likely you're wasting some of your fill via vapor loss. 

3) Don't Overfill

Be sure to stop filling as soon as the pump clicks for the first time. Overfilling can damage the vehicle's emissions filter, and if you get an inexplicable engine warning light after you fill up this is likely the reason why. 

4) Higher Octane Doesn't Help

People often don't even know the recommended octane level for their vehicle (most of the time it's 87, but it can vary). If you don't know it, look it up, as using a higher-octane gas is just a waste of money. It doesn't confer any advantage for the extra spend as it's not actually higher quality, the difference in ratings only has to do with time to combust.

5) Look for Top Tier Detergents

Most of the gasoline  brands source their gas from the same place. If there's any difference, it's in the detergent additives they include. Generally these are a good thing as they keep your engine clean, thereby improving fuel efficiency. In the US, the best brands are the ones that voluntarily participate in the Top Tier Detergent Gasoline Program. Fortunately, this is most of the big national chains, but you might want to check on your fill-ups first. 

6) Fill During Cool Times

You can see some savings on your fill if you do it during the coolest times of the day possible (usually early morning just before/after sunup for the absolute coldest). That's because gas expands when it is warm, so you're actually getting a little less per fill-up than when it's cool.

7) Don't Follow The Tanker Truck

If you see the tanker truck refilling the station supply when you pull in, consider either waiting until later or going somewhere else. Sediment that lingers on the bottom of tanks gets disturbed during the fill process and can reduce the efficiency of the gas you get if you pump shortly after.

8) Look for the Cheapest Place Available That Does Lots of Business

Obviously, you're keeping an eye out for the lowest possible prices. But it's also wise to cross this with the busiest possible places, something usually counterintuitive as people want to avoid waits. But the advantage of the busy places is that they constantly have fresh fuel because they have so much turnover. Why fresh fuel? Primarily, it can get water in it via condensation and small seal leaks as it sits at stations for long periods. Just look out for tanker refills in progress as per the tip above.

9) Weight Check

Follow the nice Japanese lady's advice and remove the clutter - about every 100 lb. of stuff reduces fuel efficiency by about 1%. Stuff adds up, so look for things better off in a storage unit or somewhere else. Because of drag, unnecessary roof racks can have a multiplying effect and drop it by 20-25%. 

10) Parts Check

Aside from the tires and keeping the engine clean, the key parts to keep on top of maintenance and replacement are the air filters and oxygen sensor.

Optimizing via these tips, it's not unheard of to regularly save 15-20% on your gas bill.