HyperMiling Techniques

Your tires are of great importance when it comes to squeezing the last mile possible out of a gallon. However, because of the absence of a national labeling system, we are left in the dark with no way of knowing which tire will deliver the most fuel efficiency for your specific vehicle. Until labeling arrives, here are some gas saving TireTips from the Department of Motor Vehicles. These tips alone, if employed, will help you save 10% or more.

1. According to several independent studies, properly inflated tires will improve your mileage by 3.3%. Therefore you’ll want to check your cars manual to find the manufacturer’s recommended psi. Make it a Saturday routine to check the pressure.
2. The guys at Chrysler, Ford, Honda etc. know that new cars will be tested and rated by consumer-level magazines, right down to the performance of the tire. That’s why they tend to be careful when it comes to choosing the right, most efficient tires. What does that tell us? That it is usually a smart decision to consider purchasing the same brand and model that came as original equipment on your car, when you have to replace the tires.
3. Stay away from flashy wheels. Oversize wheels and rims not only weigh more, wider tires have more surface area touching the road, thus creating more friction. You don’t want that with today’s gas prices.
4. Believe it or not, but worn tires are actually more efficient than brand new ones. Therefore you don’t want to replace tires until you have to. How to know when that time has come? Use the penny test. Turn a penny so that Lincoln’s head is upside down. Stick the penny in the groove of the tire treads. If you can see the top of his head, it’s time to replace the tires. Don’t cheat! Safety first!
5. Don’t fill tires with nitrogen instead of air. There’s still no definitive data showing that filling tires with nitrogen improves either mileage or tire wear.
6. Alignment or balance parts problems will reduce your fuel efficiency pretty strong. Check your tires for uneven tread wear. If one edge of your tire is more worn than the other, and has a “feathered” appearance, you have an alignment problem. If the tire appears to be “cupped,” you may have damaged parts or you may not be keeping your tires properly balanced.
7. Don’t buy rain tires if you live in a dry climate. Water-shedding or off-road tread patterns often burn more fuel. If you live in a snowy climate, do buy snow tires and drive slow, both of which will increase efficiency when snowflakes fall.

As you can see, your tires are important when it comes to saving gas. However, it is just a start. With today’s gas prices, it is great to save 10%, but why stop there if you can save 25-40% by employing a few more of the tricks we show you in “HyperMiling Techniques”. Click here to read more.