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Gas Saving Tips

Here are a few fuel economy tips we may all want to implement:
* A little extra maintenance certainly keeps the repairman away. Unless you like the rugged good looks of your repairman. Then, by all means, keep doing what you’re doing. But, if you keep your engine properly tuned-up, it is one of the most important gas saving tips.
* Tuning up a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent. Something more serious, such as a faulty oxygen sensor can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
* Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent. The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver’s side door-jam or in the glove box. It will also be in your owner’s manual.
* Use the recommended grade of motor oil, too. You can improve your gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil.
* Also keep your vehicle properly aligned. If your vehicle’s wheels are not perfectly aligned, they cause additional friction with the road. This increases fuel consumption. Aligning your vehicle will also increase your tires’ tread life. Replacing tires is yet another expense you certainly don’t need. Just ask your repairman/boyfriend how he feels about alignment. But first, lock the door so he can’t run away.

The most important way to save gas while driving is to drive the speed limit. I know it’s hard to do, especially when the flow-of-traffic is traveling much factor that the actual posted speed limit. If you’re driving the speed limit and everyone else is going 10mph faster, people act as if you’re driving like a little old lady. Speeding or rapid acceleration wastes gas:
* It can lower your gas mileage by whopping 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.
* Driving the speed limit will also save you in speeding tickets.
* Use cruise control whenever you can to help maintain a constant speed, which will use considerably less gas.
* If you have a car with an overdrive gear, that will also help save on fuel consumption.
* And remove any extra weight you may be carrying. But not the repairman/boyfriend…you may need him.

But all joking aside, the best way to save gas is to stay out of the left-lane (aka: the “Passing Lane”) on the freeway. Why? Because if you’re clogging up the passing lane and the flow-of-traffic is traveling faster then you, then you are impeding the masses and they will spend more gas trying to accelerate around you. Now you’re waisting other peoples gas as well… I mean, its not like everyone is going to slow down because you’re out there driving the speed limit! So be smart, stay as far to the right as possible… and know you’re doing your part to save gas.

Until next week…

Daun T.
Writer / Comedienne / Artist / Exgas-o-holic

Gas Saving Tips for Comedy Defensive Driving

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or aka: Windows Down or Windows Up
I had a gig in Corpus Christi and decided to drive there from Dallas. It seemed cheaper than flying and we were trying to economize. Besides, on the map, it was only about three inches, which is apparently equivalent to seven hours (who knew?). That’s seven long hours of nothing to see. Between Dallas and Corpus Christi, it’s just flat and ugly (like my sister Karla). And, I didn’t even get out of Dallas County before I got pulled over by a State Trooper. He was in an unmarked car with the lights in the grille, so I didn’t even realize it was a cop until he “lit me up.” Which sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Trust me, being lit up is not fun. I escaped with a warning and my heart beating out of my chest and we made it to Corpus Christ in time for the most awesome show and fun evening ever. So far, everything was going pretty well. But, the next morning, before we even got out of town, my air conditioning quit working in my car. We had to drive seven hours with the windows down on an 85 mph toll road. The irony here is, driving to save in expenses cost us dearly in the end.

So, windows down v.s. windows up. Apparently, there is a decrease in fuel efficiency of over 20% when driving at speeds of more than 55 mph with the windows rolled down. We weren’t using the air conditioner, so we were not burning more energy. But, if we had a working air conditioner, cooling the air through the compressor (which was shot) would only have decreased the fuel efficiency by about 10%, rather than 20%+.

I have a heavy S.U.V., not an aerodynamic vehicle. So, having the windows open at 85mph surely created even more of a decrease in fuel efficiency than a more aerodynamic car. The ideal situation for fuel efficiency would have been to leave the a/c off and the windows up. But we would have roasted alive. It wasn’t a pretty sight, two females complaining and sweating for 7 hours. Arguing whether windows down v.s. windows up is even an option when the thermometer is reading a whopping 114 degrees in my car.

I lost 10 lbs on that trip. Not from sweating, but from all of the complaining. My travel companion did so much complaining that she didn’t have a voice when we got home. And she wasn’t very happy about it, but her boyfriend couldn’t have been more thrilled. I believe his exact words were “Yay! No voice. You’re the perfect woman.” I only went a few days without a/c before I got it fixed. Having the windows down at speeds of 25-35 mph did noticeably save in fuel economy. Or, maybe it was my weight loss that contributed to the difference.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist / Sweaty Betty

Windows Down v.s. Windows Up – Comedy Defensive Driving

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· Check your tire pressure often (great time to check for nails and/or an ex-girlfriend’s nail file jammed in the grooves).

· Avoid idling (fact: bank robbers may be single-handedly causing a fuel crisis)

· Keep your engine tuned regularly (keep it purring like a kitten…kittens eat less than a full grown cat)

· Check for extra junk in the trunk (d.i.v.o.r.c.e.)

· Be certain to use your manufacturer’s recommended grade of oil

· Keep it close to the speed limit on the highway. It will also save you from a ticket from Johnny Law.

· Try to coast to a stop. This will surely piss other people off  (check…and check).

· Avoid slowly crawling up to a speed. 15 seconds to accellerate to 50 mph uses less fuel than taking 30 seconds to reach the same speed (this will also save you from a stray bullet from the guy in the dually).

· Close the car windows and run the A/C. Conserving on A/C does not really help. Especially at high speeds. Be comfortable on your journey…you cheapo!

Some refer to these driving techniques as hypermiling. Most of these techniques improve your car’s fuel efficiency by reducing the demands placed on the engine.So, it’s possible to improve fuel economy by 37% just by changing the way your drive. But, there are also some hypermiling methods that are controversial and could pose an element of danger…such as riding in a tractor trailer’s draft.Not cool, dude.

So, use your noodle.Also… Check out my April 19 blog if you’re really serious about conserving on fuel.

Until next week… Cool it on the fuel.

Daun Thompson

(Daun is a comedienne, writer and artist residing in Dallas)

The post FUEL, DO NOT FAIL ME NOW! HOW TO SAVE ON GAS THIS SUMMER appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.