Table of Contents
Advertisement
IMPORTANT FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT GASOLINE MILEAGE AND HOW TO IMPROVE IT
How you drive, where you drive, and when
you drive all have an effect on how many miles
you can get from a gallon of gasoline. The care-
ful attention you give your vehicle as far as
maintenance and repairs are concerned will also
contribute importantly to fuel economy.
FUEL SELECTION
Use an unleaded gasoline of at least 91 Re-
search Octane-Symbol Number 2. Additional
details on Fuel Requirements are given in the
SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE section .
"JACKRABBIT" STARTS
Gasoline can be conserved (and engine and
tire life prolonged) by avoiding unnecessarily
rapid acceleration away from lights and stop
signs.
STOP-AND START DRIVING
Frequent stops and starts during a trip really
cut down on your miles per gallon . Plan even
your short trips to take advantage of through
streets to avoid traffic lights . Pace your driving
like the professional drivers to avoid unneces-
sary stops .
EXCESSIVE IDLING
An idling engine uses gasoline, too. If you're
faced with more than a few minutes wait and
you're not in traffic, it may be better to "turn off"
and start again later.
SUDDEN STOPS
Sudden stops themselves don't waste gasoline,
but energy is wasted as heat in braking. Energy
in the form of gasoline is also needed to acceler-
ate back to driving speed.
LUBRICANTS
A properly lubricated vehicle means less
friction between moving parts. Consult this
manual and the maintenance schedule for the
proper lubricants to use and the lubrication
intervals .
AIR CLEANER
Your vehicle receives its power from a mix-
ture of gasoline and air . The air is taken into
the system through the air cleaner so it's impor-
tant to replace the air cleaner at required inter-
vals. A dirty air cleaner reduces engine efficiency .
PROPERLY TUNED ENGINE
Overall tuning (a check on timing, distributor
points, spark plugs, emission control devices,
etc.) can improve your vehicle's gas mileage .
You just can't expect an "out-of-tune" engine
to give you good gas mileage and cleaner air.
EXCESS WEIGHT
Fuel economy is related to the work the en-
gine must do. The heavier the load, the more
power it takes. Keep excess weight to a mini-
mum by removing any personal effects or lug-
gage from the vehicle when they are not needed .
TIRE INFLATION
Underinflation not only causes needless wear
of the tires, but can also waste gasoline. It's a
good idea to check tire pressures regularly .
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
"Toe in" or "toe out" has the effect of drag-
ging your front tires sideways and causes prema-
ture tire wear. It takes power to carry this extra
load and that takes gas from your tanks .
Advertisement
Table of Contents
