The Basics
With gas going for more than four bucks a gallon, lots of people are ditching their SUVs in favor of hybrids. That’s great, but you don’t have to shell out that kind of cash to get better fuel economy. A few simple tricks can boost your fuel efficiency by 10 to 40 percent. No single technique will max your mileage, but add ‘em up and you’ll squeeze 5, 10, even 15 more miles out of every gallon.
Hypermiling 101:
- Go easy on the accelerator and follow the speed limit. It’s a no brainer, but how many people actually drive 55 mph? Fuel economy drops like a stone above 60 mph, so slow down. You’ll bump your fuel economy by 7 to 23 percent.
- Take all the junk out of your trunk. Why are you hauling those tire chains in July? When’s the last time you used those golf clubs? That big brush guard with the million-candlepower lights may look cool, but it’s killing your fuel economy. Every 100 pounds of stuff you’re needlessly hauling around drops your fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent. Ditch it and it’ll rise accordingly. While you’re at it, lose the roof rack and gain another 5 percent. Keep the spare though. You’ll need that.
- Get a tune-up and use the lightest viscosity oil your engine will live with. A well-tuned engine is an efficient engine, and lighter weight oil reduces drag. Can’t remember the last time you had a tune-up? Getting one could raise your fuel economy as much as 10 percent.
- Keep your tires properly inflated. The softer the tire, the greater the rolling resistance - and the more gas you burn. Being 10 pounds under pressure can cut fuel efficiency by 4 percent. Pump those babies up!
- Don’t idle. How many miles per gallon do you get sitting in the drive through? Zero, that’s how many. If you’re going to be stationary for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine
Advanced
Advanced hypermiling: OK, you’ve mastered the basics. Now you’re ready for the big time.
- Buy a fuel economy gauge. Nothing will turn you into a hypermiler faster than seeing, in real time, exactly how much fuel you’re sucking down. If your car was built after 1995, fuel economy computers like ScanGauge are plug-and-play. Older cars may require a vacuum gauge, but they’re pretty easy to install.
- Coast. Hyper-milers suggest turning off the engine and coasting downhill. Be warned, though - automakers and some consumer groups say you could lose the power brakes and steering, making the car hard to turn and stop.
- Inflate tires to the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall. The pressure recommended by the automaker is a compromise between fuel efficiency, handling and comfort. If you want maximum efficiency, go for the maximum pressure. The ride quality will suffer, but you’ll get better mileage. Here, too, critics have a warning - over-inflating your tires could lead to premature wear and poor handling.
- Lay off the brakes. In traffic, maintain a slow creep instead of accelerating and braking. Ignore the horns and middle-finger salutes.
- Draft. This one’s controversial because it’s dangerous. But we trust you: Inch up behind, say, an 18-wheeler, and kill the engine as you enter its slipstream (you’ll feel it). You’re drafting now, getting pulled along by the truck’s gas instead of your own.
100+ Tips on how to save gas (after the jump)
AMIMON Inc., an emerging leader in semiconductor technology for wireless high-definition (HD) video, has partnered with leading LCD TV manufacturer Sharp Corporation to offer a wireless HDTV link for the Sharp X-Series ultra-thin LCD TVs. AMIMON’s WHDI™ technology, capable of delivering uncompressed HD video streams wirelessly, will simplify the installation of Sharp’s ultra-thin LCD TVs by eliminating the need for an audio/video cable between the TV panel and the separate tuner unit.
AMIMON’s WHDI technology uses a unique video-modem approach to deliver wireless uncompressed HDTV. With a range of over 100 feet (30 meters), through multiple walls and with latency of less than one millisecond, WHDI technology offers universal wireless whole-home HD connectivity with quality equivalent to that achieved with HDMI™.
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Sharp’s new X-series models, which come in 37-, 42- and 46-inch screen sizes and are only 3.44 cm thick (at their thinnest part), go on sale in Japan in April. This series adopts a discrete component configuration that separates the display section from the tuner section, and these two sections can be connected with a cable or by using an optional wireless video transmitter unit that employs AMIMON’s WHDI technology.
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