Seven Fuel Efficiency Hacks  

To get around Orange County roads and the freeways of Southern California, you depend on your vehicle, which relies on expensive fuel to run. To go farther on a tank of gas, maximize your miles per gallon by taking advantage of these seven fuel efficiency hacks.

1. Keep Up with Scheduled Maintenance

Maintenance schedules help ensure that vehicles remain in top condition by revealing when to replace worn-out parts and refresh necessary consumables. Keeping up with these tasks prevents your car from losing running efficiency due to components that don’t work properly. If you take your auto for servicing to a dealer at the Beach Boulevard of Cars in Huntington Beach where, you can be confident that it will be taken care of by a factory-certified tech specializing in your make and model.

2. Eliminate Excess Weight

Heavy items such as tools, sporting gear, or office equipment in your trunk or on your roof rack force your engine to work harder, which decreases fuel efficiency. Remove this gear if you don’t need it to lighten the load and get better mileage.

3. Maintain Correct Tire Pressure

Because temperatures in Southern California can fluctuate in coastal areas, inland cities, and mountain resorts, tire pressure can decrease easily if you travel often among these locations. Underinflated tires increase road resistance, engine load, and fuel consumption. Check your tire pressure, but especially before long trips.

4. Be Careful with Air Conditioning

The weather in our area can get very hot, especially in the summer, but turning on your air-conditioner significantly affects your engine and fuel use. At low speeds, consider opening your windows instead of using the A/C. However, keep your windows closed at freeway speeds and use the air-conditioner to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

5. Plan Routes to Combined Errands and Avoid Traffic

You’ll use up more gas going on several errands because of the frequent starts and stops and when you sit in our frequent traffic jams for extended periods. Use your favorite navigation app, such as Google Maps or your infotainment directional feature, to plan an efficient route that hits all of your errand locations while avoiding congestion. Driving outside of rush hour can help.

6. Drive at the Right Speed

Driving as fast as possible may get you to your destination faster, but only if you don’t have to deal with our frequently congested roads. It’s also more dangerous and burns more fuel. If you want to achieve the greatest fuel economy, drive at a speed of between 45 and 60 miles per hour.

7. Buy a More Fuel-Efficient Vehicle

The most expensive but the most valuable fuel hack is to buy a fuel-efficient vehicle, such as a hybrid that rewards you with greater MPG or an electric one that frees you from visiting gas stations forever. Any dealer at the Beach Boulevard of Cars can help you discover a car with greater fuel economy than you’re getting now. So, go ahead and visit one today.