I go to work to buy...............gasoline? (republish)

As a forward to this article, I would like to say that my sister suggested this because it would reach more people as an article.  My thanks to her for good advice!

I have been a motor-head since I was born, I think.  I started actually working on cars at 12 years old, and have since then.  I have been ASE Certified in 4 categories, and I'm always learning more from the mechanics I deal with on a day-to-day basis.  I don't have ALL the answers, but you can bet I know where to find them!

I hope this article benefits all who review it!

*****

(note that the vehicle pictured above, achieved 17.5 mpg in a day when 8-10 mpg was common.  Car was equipped with 400-V8 4-barrel carb, headers with stock dual exhaust, 4-speed, and no luxury options.  The same car with a 350-V8 and 2-barrel carb achieved 13mpg, hmmmm.)

Seems to me there is a simple way around all this bla-blah about gas prices.

Drive your best gas-mileage car, carpool whenever possible, plan your trips to go the fewest miles, round-trip and for goodness' sake, stay out of the drive-thru's!

The fact is, gas companies can only store gas for a certain amount of time before the gas goes 'stale' - just like when you try to start your lawn mower for the first time in spring, or you try to get that old jalopy of Grandpa's started out there in the barn,

If you purchase less gas, they have to reduce the price so you will slack off and start guzzling it again.......DON'T!

Wait until the prices have dropped at LEAST 75 cents before you start believing you have made your point!

Supply-and-demand runs this world, so cut the demand, and they will have no reason to say they have a 'shortage' or that they have to bomb out some innocent and not-so innocent middle easterners just to get control of oil fields.  We have plenty right here, if we just act like there is a shortage.

Do this NOW, and, maybe, just maybe, we won't have to pay so much to heat our homes this winter.

Some tips on increasing gas mileage are, foremost, keep your car serviced properly. That means have it tuned up with double-platinum spark plugs, which retain the proper spark gap as long as 100,000 miles.
Many people think they are to increase power, and they do. They increase power, simply because they are new, but they maintian the efficiency for as long as 100,000 miles, which is a savings in the long run. You not only avoid paying for new plugs every 20,000 miles (which is all a 'standard' plug can maintain a perfect spark gap, but you also remove the labor costs of having them replaced every 20k.
Changing your oil to synthetic oil is a good idea, but if you are changing over from conventional oil, expect to change it at least 3 times in 3,000 mile interval as it 'cleans out all the paraffin and dirt that remains in the engine from using conventional oil. After that period, you should be able to go 3,000 miles, and if your oil still looks like new, change ONLY the filter and top off the oil with anywhere fron 1/2 to a full quart of your chosen synthetic oil.
You can continue to do this until you see a darkening of the oil, which means the detergent in the oil has finally run it's course. That is when you do a full oil and filter change, and go back to changing the filter/topping it off routine.
if you think about it, the FILTER is what lasts only 3,000 miles. After that, it has done like a vacuum cleaner bag, and reached it's capacity for holding dirt. Synthetic oil can last as long as 20,000 miles before needing to be fully changed out.
If you do the math, the savings are obvious, and you do not have to use the highest priced filter, either. New cars come from the factory with marginal-at-best filters on them, and the replacement filters are no different, but they are good for a maximum life of about 3,000 miles. Do not believe the owners manual, this is a fact known by all good mechanics and the manufacturers of the filters. After that point, the filtering system goes into 'bypass' mode, and your dirty oil never even passes thru the filter, allowing any new debris to attack your engine.
Synthetic oil will also improve gas mileage by a small margin, simply because it reduces heat caused by friction in the moving parts of your engine. The other benefit is that because of that fact, your engine runs better, lasts longer, and with that in mind, you'll put off buying a replacement engine (or whole car) for quite a long time.

Every time you stop for gas - BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR OIL LEVEL!
If it's below 'full' you need to top it off.
If you are waiting for the "OIL" light to come on, the light means you have already done damage to your engine.
Another thing to consider is if you only drive a mile or two on your trip to work, then you will never get the car fully warmed up, and it will run in "cold" mode, which uses more gas and also reduces the life of what is called the "oxygen sensor". When this gets 'carboned up', you will get a 'check engine' light on your dash.
One way to avoid this issue is to take the car for a highway drive, once a month, 15-30 miles round-trip, which will burn the deposits off regularly and keep your performance at it's best. This also fully heats up the engine, which evaoprates any water from condensation in your oil.

(if I had known I would have lived this long, I would have taken better care of myself)

Keeping your tires properly inflated is another way of increasing gas mileage. For instance, take an inner tube and fill it with air, then roll it down the driveway...easy isn't it?  Now let half the air out of it until it looks barely round and try rolling it again. Not only does it take more effort, but it doesn't want to go straight, either!
This is what the professionals call 'rolling resistance'.
Rolling resistance is higher when your tires are under-inflated, and requires more effort to push the vehicle down the road. It also causes more heat to be built up in the tires, shortening their life.
A good reference point regarding the pressure in your tires is to look at how the tread is wearing.
If they are UNDER-inflated, the tread will be more worn on the outer edges of the tread, add air to the recommended pressure which is printed on the side of the tire in smaller letters close to the edge of the rim.
If they are OVER-inflated, they will wear out the middle portion of the tread faster.

Under-inflated tires also reduce your vehicles' handling, making it less responsive to sudden changes in direction and reducing your ability to control the vehicle in emergency situations.
The manufacturer has tire pressures in your owners' manual.  They are NOT meant to give you maximum performangce and tire life, but are to compensate for the vehicle's ride comfort, which means they are compensating (at your expense) for shortcomings in the vehicle's suspension....cross out those references in your book!
As it is, tires are expensive, so by taking better care of your tires, you not only maximize your gas mileage, but you get to run one set of tires for a much longer time.

All air filters are NOT the same!
A suggested air filter on the market for years has been the "K&N Air FIlter" which you can find at www.knfilters.com.
It is sold in nearly all auto parts stores.
It has the benefit of being a 'million-mile' air filter, meaning you do NOT replace it, you clean it and re-use it.
This filter has been used in racing for many years, especially at dirt track races, simply because of the ability to clean and reuse it, which saves money.
The other benefit is that it flows MORE air, even when it's dirty, than a NEW paper filter can flow!
More air flow means you get more power and mileage, simply because your engine does not have to work as hard to draw air into the engine!

These are but a few of the PRIMARY things to do for improved performance and gas mileage.

Other items are wheel alignments, driving the speed limit (a STAR requirement, WHICH WILL ALSO REDUCE YOUR COSTS OF PAYING HIGHER INSURANCE RATES AND COURT COSTS), making sure your brakes are properly adjusted, removing all unnecessary items from your car to reduce weight (think of climbing stairs with, and without, a bag of sand in your arms), accelerating gently and planning your stops way ahead of time.

Keep your gas tank filed ABOVE 1/2 a tank to avoid getting dirt and water into your fuel system. This item will also prolong the life of your fuel pump, which runs approximately $300.00 - PLUS labor - to replace.
Replace the fuel filter every 20,000 miles to avoid causing the pump to work harder, again reducing it's life expectancy.

There are many more detailed things to gain little bits more , but these are the critical items to be aware of.

Think of it...you can extend the life of your car very likely past the last loan payment! Keep the car longer and you will force prices down on new cars, so when you really do NEED a replacement vehicle, you will find it less expensive, and hopefully you will purchase one that gets the best mileage you can get in a vehicle that suits your needs.
My opinion....minvans get better gas mileage than SUV's, and 4-wheel drive is LITERALLY useless unless you are driving thru 2-plus feet of snow, or you are climbing unpaved mountain roads. Front wheel drive WILL take you everywhere the average person needs to go, and will get 2-3 times the gas mileage of a 4X4.
Another thing to consider is that there are A LOT more parts to wear out on a 4X4, whether you put them to use or not! The initial purchase price alone, is money wasted compared to any other type of drivetrain.

Yet another point is that if you take a look around you, you will realize that you are SURROUNDED by products of *plastic* which used to be produced in metals and glass, which are much more environment-friendly and recyclable completely.

Unlike *plastic* and *styrofoam* which are by-products of petroleum.  burn a piece of plastic in your burn-barrel and notice you can not breate the smoke...it is toxic!  Now re-tink the idea of cooking food or pouring your *hot* coffee into a plastic container.  How about that bottled water everyone is so crazy about?

My point here is that oil companies are not at a disadvantage in any way whatsoever.  THey are making more products out of their petroleum than you ever gave thought to, so what reason do they have (except greed) for raising prices at will every single change of the season?

Conserve on gas, buy fewer products in plastic whenever possible.  Starve *them*!!

If you're rich and only concerned about what your neighbors think of you...go waste your money! You're still the same person, no matter what you buy, but EVERYONE will know you're dumb with money...ha, ha!

I have so much more to say related to this issue, but......
...so much for today's lecture...