GasSavers.Net

We’ve talked a little bit about how important it is to keep track of your mileage… it creates awareness, a healthy competitive spirit, and enables you to quantitatively measure your success.  If you’re a tech junkie, there’s an even better solution… get an onboard mpg computer.  Sounds fancy, huh?  Many newer cars come with these as standard equipment; it’s just some sort of display that gives you your instantaneous and/or trip mpg number.

It’s been said that a week with an mpg computer is like a year of full-tank calculations; you can tell instantly what works, and what doesn’t.  You actually get to see the (proverbial) needle drop when you step on the gas.  You get that awesome feeling when you’re coasting down a hill and you see the 150+mpg mark for a few seconds.

“But Slog, my car doesn’t have one of those!” you cry.  Yeah, it probably doesn’t.  But you can get one!  If your car is 1996 or newer, you can get a little gadget that plugs right in and gives you numbers.  Why 1996?  Well, there were some standards that went into place in that year, and all vehicles ‘96 and newer have an OBDII port (onboard diagnostics ver. 2)  Pre-’96 vehicles may use some other standard, and may or may not work.

One popular product on the market is called the ScanGuage II (http://www.scangauge.com/.)  This plugs right into your OBDII port, which is located somewhere on the driver’s side of the cabin on 1996 and later vehicles (usually under the dash near the steering wheel.)  Take a look at your owner’s manual for the exact location. 

For more info on determining whether a tool such as the ScanGuage is compatible with your car, take a look here: http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/obd2explained.shtml

If you (like me) have an older car, you have a bit more work ahead of you.  Currently, there isn’t a simple plug and play solution for OBDI vehicles.  HOWEVER… there is a very dedicated community of eco-minded tech-savvy electronics/mechanics whizzes working out a DIY approach.

FYI - I’m not endorsing or selling the ScanGuage, and my car is too old to use one.  There are other options out there… be resourceful.

If you’re a new GasSaver, this one is for you.  You’ve come here looking for help.  Your wallet is shrinking from filling up your Geo Metro (you’re not still driving that SUV are you?! Well, let’s save that for another day…) and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.  Don’t worry.  There are things you can do right now that will save gas.  Some of it is common sense, some might require a change in attitude, but you’ll get results right away.  Seriously.

First, we need to seriously evaluate our driving habits.  I know, I know… the answer is always “slow down.”  Well, yeah.  It is.  Driving fast uses more gas, and it does it quickly.  Aerodynamic drag increases at the square of your vehicle’s speed.  That means if you go twice as fast, you’re getting four times as much drag.  That uses more gas!  Things really start go get ugly after about 60mph, so try using that as your speed limit (makes for a more peaceful drive, too.)

So we might already be doing things that are bad for our mpg.  We might even have some good habits hidden in there.  But without some kind of data collection, we won’t be able to learn.  You can start by creating a gaslog.  It’s easy, free, and actually useful.  There are many available online (I use the one at www.gassavers.org/garage, it even makes a handy graph like the one above!), and in spite of it being the 21st Century and all, pen and paper still works.  Trust me!

A gas log is simple: Reset your trip odometer every time you fill up (be sure to write it down first.)  Divide the total miles driven on that trip by the amount of gas you just put in the car.  The result is approximately your average mpg for the tank… it’s just that simple.  Now, there are certain variables that can change from fill-up to fill-up (did I top it off this time?  was I parked on a slope when I gassed up?)  But over several tanks, the total miles per gallon will become deadly accurate.

It takes a minute or two every time you fill up, but it makes a huge difference.  You get competitive with yourself.  You made it 357 miles on your last tank, can you make it 400 on the next?  Make some notes next to each entry.  What were your driving conditions like?  Was it a road trip with 90% highway?  Did you get stuck in a 5 hour traffic jam?

I highly recommend using an online gaslog.  It’s neat, easy, and often you’re able to compare your numbers to those of other drivers!  Is someone driving the same year and model you are, but getting 10 more mpg?  Ask them how!  Share ideas.  There is a wealth of information and a plethora of supportive communities online.

Tips from fueleconomy.org

More about aerodynamic drag (good to know for more further mpg improvement!)

Hello GasSavers!  Sorry I’ve been away so long; life has a funny way of getting crazy all at once.  As you can see here, I recently got married (yes, thank you, thank you.)  During the ceremony, some of my devious relatives made some rather unaerodynamic modifications to my car.  While you could hypothesize that the helium balloons would decrease the effective weight of the vehicle, thereby reducing the rolling resistance of the tires… it just don’t work.  Plus they bang like the dickens on the passenger window.