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Back to Articles Featuring Amsoil
You Can Save on Gas,
Here's How
By Richard Truett
Printed in the Orlando Sentinel
Tranposrtation Section, Page F1 - Thursday, March 16, 2000
I'm driving a new GMC Yukon that has eight hungry cylinders under the hood. A giant, lumbering cement truck pulls out ahead of me on Edgewater Drive. Its diesel engine belches thick, black smoke into the air as it struggles to move the truck up to cruising speed.
There's no one in the left lane. My first instinct is to hammer the Yukon's accelerator. With 285 horsepower on tap from the 5.3-liter V-8, there's more than enough thrust available to hustle the big Yukon around the cement truck.
But in these days of paying $1.59 for a gallon of self-service regular fuel, I'm going to force myself to step a little lighter on the gas pedal. I'll just have to deal with the traffic situation. For me, practicing restraint is not an easy thing to do. Like many other drivers, I am a bit impatient sometimes. But I have to feed this beast for now, and judicious use of the accelerator is necessary to cut the fuel bill.
I'm lucky, though. The big silver Yukon doesn't belong to me and feeding it isn't going to be a regular event for me. I'm just testing the Yukon for a review. Next week, I'll be driving something a bit more economical.
Lots of other Americans won't be, however. Their gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utilities are their only alternatives. The popularity of trucks and sport-utilities exploded in the 1990s, and now these big, thirsty vehicles account for about half of the new car market. Dealing with high fuel costs is a problem millions of Americans with big trucks and SUVs are now facing for the first time. Filling up a big beast like an Excursion could cost the better part of a $50 bill.
But there are things that owners of behemoths can do to save on fuel costs.
If you want to stretch the distance between fill-ups, just use a little common sense behind the wheel and keep your vehicle in good running order, say Larry Perry and Roger Clark.
Many Central Floridians are familiar with Perry, host of the popular Magic Mechanic radio show. Each Saturday at 6 a.m., Perry answers technical questions about cars and trucks on 580 AM (WDBO). Perry owns The Magic Mechanic, an independent garage in Winter Park. He drives a big Dodge four-wheel-drive pickup truck.
Clark is the Engineering Group Manager for Energy and Mass Integration for General Motors. Clark's department is responsible for optimizing fuel economy in GM's huge fleet of trucks and sport-utilities.
Perry, naturally, looks at the situation from a technical point of view.
If you own a big truck or SUV, the first thing you should do to maximize fuel economy is make sure the vehicle is in good mechanical shape, he said.
You can start with a major tuneup that includes a change of spark plugs, air and fuel filters and a check of the engine's timing.
But Perry says there's something else on modern fuel-injected engines that often goes bad and drags down fuel economy without the driver ever knowing. It's the thermostat - a round, spring-loaded metal device in the cooling system that keeps the temperature of the engine within a preset range. That's important because the vehicle's computer is programmed to regulate the mixture of fuel and air based on the temperature of the motor.
When the thermostat fails, it can stick open, Perry explained. That allows the engine to run at a lower temperature, which means the engine will waste gas.
"If a vehicle has a thermostat that is stuck open, or if the thermostat is working incorrectly, it will have an extreme effect on the amount of fuel the motor is using. The motor will run too rich," Perry explained. Most drivers never know when the thermostat is broken because the engine doesn't seem to run worse, he said.
Perry recommends two other fuel-saving strategies: First, make sure the tires have the proper amount of pressure. And second, use 100 percent pure synthetic lubricants, such as Mobil 1 or Amsoil, in the engine, transmission and axle - which he does in his own vehicles. Figure to spend about $50 for an oil and filter change using synthetic oil, about $175 for a transmission flush and change to synthetic fluid, and $50 to drain and refill an axle with synthetic oil.
The proper tire pressure and synthetic lubricants reduce friction, Perry says. "Anything you can do to reduce friction will increase fuel economy."
Clark, the GM fuel economy expert, says the way you drive a big truck or SUV can have a big effect on its appetite for fuel.
He said heavy vehicles, such as a GMC Yukon XL or a Chevy Silverado, are most efficient when driven between speeds of 40 mph and 45 mph.
"Slow down," said Clark. "For every 10 mph that you slow down, you save 2 mpg in an SUV."
That's because most sport-utilities don't slice through the air as efficiently as other vehicles. ``You have greater frontal area and lots of drag. Highway speeds are very important for fuel mileage," Clark said.
Clark also mentioned tire pressure, but he said that drivers should use the inflation pressure printed on a sticker that is placed on the vehicle - usually on a door jamb - and not the numbers on the side of the tire.
He said the manufacturer's recommendation takes precedence over the tire manufacturer because the automaker's engineers have tested the tires and determined the best amount of air pressure based on ride, handling and fuel economy.
Also make sure you use the proper grade of fuel, Clark said. Most recent GM models have been designed to run on 87 octane fuel, so you are wasting your money by using 89 or 93 octane gas, he said. If there is an improvement in fuel mileage with higher octane fuel, it won't be enough to offset the cost, which can be up to 50 cents higher per gallon. The owners manual, or a sticker inside the gas filler, will tell you what octane fuel is recommended.
Changing the way you drive - as I've found out - is the toughest thing to learn but the easiest way to save gas.
Clark said drivers of big trucks and sport-utilities should especially avoid jack-rabbit starts. Because a truck or SUV weighs so much more than a car, it takes a lot of gasoline to get one moving quickly.
The way you use the brakes also is important.
"Look farther ahead and try to brake with anticipation," Clark suggested. "If you see there's a stop light, slow down much earlier. Allow the vehicle to coast. You'll give yourself more time, and you will save a lot of fuel that way."
Other tips from GM's Clark:
Watch your weight. Don't carry around cargo that you don't need. If your truck or SUV is loaded with lawn chairs, coolers, sports equipment and other stuff that you aren't going to use on a particular trip, take it out. The less weight, the better the fuel economy.
Use the right gears. If your truck or SUV has optional four-wheel drive, don't use it. Stay out of four-wheel-drive high and four-wheel-drive low; using two-wheel drive will save fuel.
If you are in the market for a truck or SUV, select a vehicle that is engineered for the amount of weight and cargo you intend to haul. If you can opt for a V-6 engine and a manual transmission, you'll save fuel over a V-8 and an automatic. A lower rear-axle ratio also helps save fuel. And consider a diesel engine, which generally runs more efficiently when pulling heavy loads. Diesel fuel is generally a bit more expensive than gasoline, but it's the more efficient fuel for heavy vehicles.
Avoid letting an engine idle for long periods of time - say, three or more minutes.
The latest news on the fuel front is not encouraging. Prices are expected to increase in the next few months. If the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries - OPEC - follows through and increases production, prices could ease somewhat. Experts expect the price of a barrel of oil eventually to fall from its level of about $30 to somewhere between $20 and $25.
But with summer coming and millions of Americans hitting the road for their vacations, demand for gasoline will likely go up and take prices with it.
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