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The
condition of your car and your
driving habits are the two most
important things
that
affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Car
Condition
Always maintain your car according
to the maintenance schedule. This
will
keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte-
nance is the
Owner Maintenance
Checks
(see page
155
). For
example, an underinflated tire
causes more
"rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out
faster, so check the tire pressure
at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your car's underside adds weight and
rolling resistance. Frequent cleaning
helps your fuel mileage and reduces
the chance of corrosion.
Driving Habits
You can improve fuel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel.
Always drive
in
the highest gear that
allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your car uses extra fuel.
Use the
cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase fuel economy.
A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine.
It
is not necessary to
"warm-up" a cold engine by letting it
idle for a long time. You can drive
away
in
about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside.
The
engine
will
warm up faster, and you
get
better fuel economy.
To
cut down on
the number of
"cold starts," try to
Fuel Economy
combine several short trips into one.
The
air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel.
Turn
off the
A/C
to
cut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
Before
Driving
121
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