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Tips on making the most of your gas money
As a mechanic takes a look at a customer's automobile, the prices of gasoline can be seen in this downtown Washington gas station. What can we do to help improve our car's fuel efficiency in days of spiking gas prices?
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Check your tire pressure
Host Jeremy Hobson's tire pressure was at 40 lbs, which Fleischaker said was dead on.
Drive at the right speed
It's all about fuel economy when gas prices keep ticking up. Fleischaker says that the absolute ideal conditions would be 55 mph on the highway for ten miles without touching the breaks -- but she admits that kind of ideal rarely happens in real life.
Check the grade
Fleischaker recommends 91 octane for everyone, because it is more filtered, making it burn cleaner and more efficiently. You could actually end up saving money by investing in the higher grade gas.
Clean the air filter
A blocked up air filter could mean 25 percent lower fuel efficiency for your car.
Keep your oil updated
Fleischaker emphasizes the importance of checking your oil, which helps keep the heat level in your car down, improving fuel economy.
Empty your trunk
The average car is carting around 200 extra pounds in the trunk. Cleaning it out and keeping the junk at home can keep your wallet a little happier.
Wash and wax your car
One word: aerodynamics.
Jeremy Hobson: Listen up drivers, because we're about to save you some money. The national average for a gallon of gas today is $3.81. It's even worse here in Los Angeles. So I went over to California Automotive in the valley the other day to get some gas-saving tips from the owner, Rebekah Fleischaker. She started by checking the air in my tires to make sure they were properly inflated.
Rebekah Fleischaker: So, we have this little tool and we’re going to check it, and it’s telling us that you have 40 pounds of pressure. So 40 for this tire, I think is very good.
Hobson: So I’m in good shape?
Fleischaker: You’re perfect. You’re perfect.
Hobson: What about driving? How fast should you be driving to get the best fuel economy?
Fleischaker: Well, it’s just not going to happen. What you want to do is 55 miles an hour on the freeway for 10 miles without stomping on your brakes -- that’s fantastic.
Hobson: I have to admit, I do tend to drive faster than 55 on the freeway.
Fleischaker: And most of us do.
Hobson: Now when we’re filling up our car with gas, we have a choice, we have the 87 -- the low end; the mid grade; and then the high end -- the 91. What’s the difference?
Fleischaker: My opinion is, everyone should use 91 octane but, because it’s more filtered, not because of the octane. But typically, super unleaded has more filtering and so we have less particulate matter. It burns much cleaner, cooler, much more efficiently.
Hobson: So you’re saying, even if you don’t have to use that in your car, you should buy the expensive gas to save money in the long run?
Fleischaker: It’s just more efficient, the way that it actually works when it’s inside the vehicle.
Hobson: Okay so use more expensive gas, drive 55 miles per hour, make sure your tires are properly filled up with air...
Fleischaker: That’s correct.
Hobson: What else?
Fleischaker: A really big thing that you can do -- and you really should start at -- is making sure, number one, the air filter is clean. If the air filter’s plugged up, you can get as much as 25 percent lower efficiency because it can’t bring the air in properly so your air fuel mixture will be off, you’ll be burning more fuel.
Number two, if the oil level is correct and clean, that is fantastic because heat is the major factor inside an engine as to how efficient you can be.
Another big thing is, if you have a whole bunch of stuff in your trunk, it really is a vehicle that’s moving, it’s not a closet. So if you can take out everything -- do this: go home, take out everything in your trunk and put it on a scale. I’d lay money that you’d have at least 30 to 40 pounds but the average is 200 pounds worth of extra stuff in your trunk. That’s a whole other human body that you’re carrying around that you don’t need to.
Hobson: So maybe you don’t need to keep the kids’ sleds in the car and stuff like that.
Fleischaker: No skateboards, no, unless you’re going there. If you're going there to use it, great -- then put it back in your garage.
Hobson: Now I spend probably I would say $50 every 10 days filling up my tank with gas. How much do you think I would save if I were to do all the things that you said?
Fleischaker: Well if you added up the percentages: wash the car -- 2 percent more efficiency; air pressure -- 2 percent more efficiency; the air filters -- those plug up to 25 percent; having the oil clean -- up to 15 percent -- you’re already at 40 percent.
Hobson: Rebekah Fleischaker, owner of California Automotive. Thanks for all the tips you’ve given us today.
Fleischaker: Thank you, thank you for having me, I appreciate it.
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omalley576 hit the nail on the head.
The majority of this story had my brow furrowed, but the octane comment had me absolutely screaming at my radio. Why do people continue to spread this kind of misinformation and how could NPR possibly be a part of this?
As a mechanical engineer that's owned 4 forced induction vehicles (3 turbos & 1 supercharger) - I accept the need to use high octane fuel. However - anyone that's either not using force induction or a high-compression engine that doesn't require it is not only wasting money, they may actually be getting *WORSE* performance! Higher octane simply means higher resistance to detonation and usually also means slower burning - so if you're not running high compression to take advantage of the higher octane - you're getting zero benefit from it and may actually be wasting that expensive fuel in your exhaust.
Avid Marketplace listener here, but very disappointed with this piece. Here's an idea: you want to do a story about saving on gas money? I have a secret. DON'T USE GAS!
I'm tired of hearing all these same old stories that rehash the same old tips about fuel economy. How about we start hearing about better alternatives to gas guzzlers in the form of electric vehicles? Case in point: let's talk about the Chevy Volt and similar automobiles. Disclaimer: yes, I am biased, I am an owner of a Volt. But for what I used to throw away in gas money each month I now make the same payments on a brand new car with great handling and spend about 20% of what I used to on fuel, even accounting for electricity usage. So for most of your listeners, if you really pay $200 a month in gas or more.. here's a tip. Trade in your antique gas car (and the money you give to OPEC) for a new car that doesn't need it.
Just an idea. But I suppose the repair shops wouldn't want you to know that because then you wouldn't have to see them for an oil change for 2 years, or bother with any of the other nonsense they tried to sell you in this piece.
My Dad was a mechanic and although I did not follow in his footsteps, he taught me enough to be careful, safe and thrifty. 91 octane gas is meant strictly for high-compression engines and in vehicles where the manufacturer requires it. Although it won't hurt most engines, the computers in today's vehicles can sense the difference in grade and quality of fuel used. If you make it a practice to use premium fuel, the car can actually get addicted to it by adjusting to its continued use. After just a short while, the engine will require the premium fuel and you will not be able to go back to regular without suffering engine knock (ping), which can damage intake and exhaust valves. Although the premium fuel burns cooler and cleaner, the gas mileage increase will not be worth the extra cost. You might gain 1 or 2 mpg, but that's about it. Also, the savings in fuel will not compensate for the added cost and/or a damaged engine.
I have been studying energy conservation in homes and communities for many years (since the Arab oil embargo of 1973) and I have learned that we need an overall change in lifestyle as a nation and throughout the world in order to make a real difference. For more details on how that can be accomplished, please read my new book, "Practical Home Planning for the Twenty-First Century," available at Amazon.com and on our website, where you can read excerpts: http://www.practicalhomeplanning.com.
Thanks to everyone for all the comments correcting this piece. I'm a physics major and educator and very interested in this topic over the years. It's a great topic and one that deserves discussion. This piece, however, had me yelling at my radio. I'm very disappointed in Marketplace. She should never have been on in the first place, since she was obviously not an expert on the subject. Omalley576 was spot-on and covered everything I would have said!!
First - One should not burn higher grade gas ever - even in cars that "require" it. It is a true waste of money.
Second - Washing the car is virtually useless. Please see Mythbusters testing of mileage and car's exterior condition.
Third - Was there anything else she sells that we should do to our cars? Anyother ways for us to WASTE our money?
Not to beat a dead horse(less carrage), but this piece was just awful. Not only was much of the information dubious, but I have no idea what "California Automotive" is, or what Fleischaker's credentials are. Is this a repair shop? You might have spoken to an automotive engineer to fact check, if only on background. Perhaps standards differ with hip, laid-back SoCal radio journalism, but my brother was a newspaper reporter, and I believe he was required to have at least two independent sources for a story.
At the very least, why didn't Jeremy Hobson ask a simple question: Suppose premium makes your car more efficient: how much more efficient? Around here, premium is about 8% more expensive than regular. How would Fleischaker have responded if asked "will my miles per gallon improve by at least 8%, too?"
After listening to this story I was convinced that I needed to switch to premium fuel to assuage my guilt at not being Green enough. A quick internet search failed to confirm the "expert's" assertion that premium fuel improoves efficiency.
How could you have broadcast this story without some fact checking?
How many listeners trusted this advice because they have trusted your reporting over the years?
Maybe we have been wrong to trust you.
The interviewee is clearly not an engineer or scientist and knows and understands little about internal combustion engines, petroleum, and automobile design.
Your tire pressure should match your manufacturer's specification. Tire pressure dictates contact area on the road surface which affects traction for braking, turning, and accelerating in both wet and dry conditions. Over or under inflating will not only cause you to unevenly AND prematurely wear out your tires, but it is dangerous. Follow your vehicle manufacturer's specification, often located in both the manual and in the driver door jamb.
Higher octane fuels are a waste of money, unless you have a high compression engine that will suffer from pre-ignition with the use of lower octane fuel. Higher octane fuels are absolutely NOT filtered more. She is completely ignorant in this regard. However, "top tier" fuels are better filtered and have better additives. Research "top tier fuels."
Washing and waxing will help, but maybe only a few thousandths of a percent, and only while your car is still clean. Even if it gave the two percent she claims, it wouldn't be worth the time cost, let alone the money required to clean it often enough to see the benefit.
Speed is a factor, but one should always drive at a speed that complies with law and with the flow of traffic. Going 55 in even a 55 mph zone, where the flow is more like 65, is dangerous.
Your air filter will not affect fuel mixture since mixture is fixed by design and the amount of air coming in will dictate the amount of fuel added. A clean filter just means a more responsive engine as it will be capable of taking in more air when you ask it to. Filters should be changed only as necessary when clogged or if it has holes that would allow hazardous debris in the engine.
Oil does matter, but here again one should be following the vehicle manufacturer's specification with type, grade, viscosity, amount, and, sometimes, even the exact brand. Heat is not the problem, but the friction that causes it is. And oil helps with this, but its purpose is to keep the engine from wearing itself out, not overheating. That's what the cooling system is for. And one should be maintaining that as well.
About the only thing she had right is removing unnecessary weight. And everyone should know that.
I'm an electrical engineer with many years of experience in power conversion, most notably fuel to mechanical. I also do all my own vehicle work and routinely study the full gamut of automotive topics.
OH MY GOD!!!! Where are your fact-checkers?????? Fire them!
This is, by far, the most inaccurate story I have ever heard on Marketplace. Did you even _consider_ talking to somebody with actual qualifications to talk about fuel efficiency? A retail store owner? Really? The advice to use premium gas is ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Not only will you NOT get better gas mileage using 91-octane gas in a car that is not designed to use it - you will actually get LOWER gas mileage! But don't believe me, try these resources:
The Minnesota Dept of Transportation:
http://mn.gov/commerce/weights-and-measures/images/OctaneFacts.pdf
The FTC:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/autos/aut12.shtm
It took me all of 2 minutes on Google to find those resources. The list goes on and on.
Please, please, please go on the radio and correct this mistake! Thousands of people will be wasting money, not saving it, by following your advice - to the tune of $0.20/gal. Oil level won't affect the gas mileage either, but proper engine maintenance will save money in the long run. 2% gas mileage improvement for washing the car? I would LOVE to see some peer-reviewed researching backing up that little nugget...I'll bet my paycheck it doesn't exist.
This story makes me question the quality (and ethics) of this show.
Chris M,
Raleigh, NC
Modern engines regulate airflow for ideal combution: air filter has no effect unless severely plugged. Premium gas is NOT "much more efficient and clean-burning". Your "expert" grasped at silly things and ignored the substantial. 55 mph is very important but she doesn't do it because gas is still so cheap that it does not matter to her or most of us. The key is drive less - walk, car-pool, reduce commute (move or change jobs), public transport, bike...
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