How To Lower The Pain At The Pump

[Donger]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/perso...ips/index.html

Thought I'd share this one:

(CNN) -- It's costing us more and more money to fill up the gas tank. And while that's unlikely to change anytime soon, there are some tricks to getting the most value per gas dollar.

With gas hitting record highs, people are doing anything they can to ease the pain at the pump.

"People are scared. It's hitting them right in the wallet," says Jason Toews, co-founder of gasbuddy.com, an online gasoline information site. "A number of people tell me their gas bill is more than their car payment. That's a foreign concept to a lot of folks."

Gasoline hit a record $3.28 a gallon last Sunday. Drivers in California pay more than $3.63 a gallon on average, and motorists in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii on average all pay more than $3.40 a gallon.

But there are some things you can do to get the most out of the gas in your car's tank.

Find the cheapest gas stations in your area

"In most cities you can save between ten to fifteen cents a gallon by just knowing where to look," says Toews.

The difference between the most expensive gas station and the cheapest gas station is thirty to forty cents on average, according to Toews. Check out our hours for gallons calculator. »

Here are some general rules of thumb:

The richest areas of town often charge more for gas.

Gas stations near major highways often charge more for gas because land is generally more valuable in these locations, increasing overhead. Those higher costs are passed onto consumers. So before a road trip, fill up at your local station.

If you must fill up near the highway, try stations near state border lines which tend to price their gasoline aggresively, according to GasPriceWatch.com, a gasoline information Web site.

The type of gas station makes a difference

Service stations with auto repair shops or car washes often have more expensive gas, said Toews. They don't need to be as competitive since they profit more from the other services and rely on them to bring in gas business as well.

You may also find good deals at gas stations affiliated with wholesale clubs. These retailers often sell cheaper gas as a way to get people in the door to buy their other products.

But bear in mind you may have to pay for a membership. Even if you don't want to join a wholesale club, you may want to check out other gas stations in the area. Sometimes the low gas prices these wholesale clubs offer force other stations in the area to be more competitive.

What time you get to the pump

Wednesday morning is the best time to buy gasoline according to GasPriceWatch.com. That's because prices usually move up for the weekend, after which they settle, hitting the low point by Wednesday.

And it makes sense to buy your gas in the morning when it's the coolest time of day. This is when gasoline is most dense. Gas pumps charge by the volume of gasoline, not the density, so in colder temperatures you'll get more for your dollar.

Driving style

Changing from an aggressive hard accelerating, hard braking, driving style to a more relaxed style incorporating gentle acceleration and cruise control on the highway, can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 35 percent, according to an Edmunds.com study.

A scan gauge can help determine the fuel efficiency of your car, according to Phillip Reed of Edmunds.com.

The device plugs into your steering column and helps you keep track of your fuel efficiency at any one moment. A scan gauge isn't cheap. It may cost you $150 or more. Check your local auto parts store or go online to find out more about these devices.

"If you knew that flooring it cost you 50 cents, would you do that? Is it worth it?" asks Reed. "If you knew that one acceleration could cost you 25 cents -- that could change your behavior."

Air cents

Think about your own car's aerodynamics. Even an empty roof rack creates drag. Loaded with luggage, skis or a cooler, a roof rack can reduce fuel economy by 21 percent, says Reed.

There's been a lot of debate about whether keeping the windows open or turning on the air conditioning saves more fuel.

According to Reed, air conditioning is more efficient at highway speeds, while windows are generally better around town at local speeds.

Use the right gas

Regular octane works just fine for most cars. However, when your car's manufacturer indicates premium gas is required, using a lower grade could damage your car, adversely affecting fuel efficiency.

But when premium gas is only recommended, not required, go for the cheaper, lower octane gas, says Reed.

Higher octane gas has only a marginal effect on performance, usually in the area of acceleration, according to Reed.

[Bugeater]

Service stations with auto repair shops or car washes often have more expensive gas

That ain't no shit, there's a car wash down the street from me with gas pumps and they're always 10-15 cents higher than everywhere else. It sucks because it's would be a convenient place for me to go otherwise.

The "driving style" part is one that many can't seem to comprehend. The other day I was driving in the left lane of a major street and a guy in a full size Ford pickup was tailgating me, and eventually blew around me in the right lane, then got back in front of me only to jump into a left turn lane right away, where I passed him while he waited to make his left turn...wtf?

[Bugeater]

BTW, I received an email the other day that contained the following information:

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.

Any truth to these items Donger?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by GoBo

BTW, I received an email the other day that contained the following information:

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.

Any truth to these items Donger?

Minimal benefit, at best. However, it's more fuel efficient to drive around with an almost empty tank anyway.

[MIAdragon]

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by MIAdragon

Not going to get very far on that without any pedals.

[Donger]

That 35% number is amazing. I'd imagine it's pretty enthusiastic, but regardless, imagine if everyone in our country started driving that way...

[Deberg_1990]

Alot of that stuff is just common sense stuff that most people already know, but just are not willing to change.

I still see people everywhere driving the gus guzzling SUV's, but thats in Texas. Might be different in other parts of the country.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by GoBo

Not going to get very far on that without any pedals.

Its one of those "No effort" down hill kind of bikes.

(nice catch btw)

[Brock]

A scan gauge can help determine the fuel efficiency of your car, according to Phillip Reed of Edmunds.com.

The device plugs into your steering column and helps you keep track of your fuel efficiency at any one moment. A scan gauge isn't cheap. It may cost you $150 or more. Check your local auto parts store or go online to find out more about these devices.

They still sell one of these in JC Whitney. It's called a vacuum gauge. It costs 25 dollars.

[Delano]

Yes.

[bowener]

Originally Posted by MIAdragon

Apply this gadget to the above shown object.

$400 is steep for me right now (poor college student), but 240 mpg is nice, especially since I live about 2 miles from campus and every other day I am forced to drive my car to the hearnes parking lot so I can make it to work after class on time.

edit: for those familiar with the layout of columbia; I live south of the stadiums and for me to ride to school I would have to ride up the providence road hill (with heavy traffic).

[Fish]

Originally Posted by GoBo

BTW, I received an email the other day that contained the following information:

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.

Any truth to these items Donger?

A friend of mine responded to that question on another forum with this...

I love the post, hell I traded in Big Papa for The Kia to save $ on gas - mission accomplished! However I hope everyone realizes that the temperature difference in a 5000 gallon (give or take, i don't know how much they actually hold) UNDERGROUND tank over 12 hours is pretty much ZERO. The temp of the hose between the pump and your gas tank would have more of and effect for about 12 seconds. I have a 100 gallon above ground tank I manage at work and when the cap gets put on wrong (tank not vented) there is a nice surge of air that comes out in the afternoon, but at best I guesstimate it at less than 1/2 pint. Moral of story: Fill-rate is neglagible. But fill up in the evening while the sun is down. The ozone level will thank you.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Donger

That 35% number is amazing. I'd imagine it's pretty enthusiastic, but regardless, imagine if everyone in our country started driving that way...

What gets me is it seems the people (like the guy I described earlier) driving the most aggressively are usually driving the most inefficient vehicles as well. They're probably also the ones who complain the loudest about the price of gas.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by KC Fish

A friend of mine responded to that question on another forum with this...

I wondered about that when I first heard the temperature theory as underground temps don't vary much.