By Dave Neer

Owner of Solomon’s Garage

Q: How can I get better gas mileage?

This is one of those questions where I wish I could give you a magic answer. Unfortunately, there’s no secret button you can push that will suddenly make your car get twice the gas mileage.

And if you’ve ever watched late-night TV, you know there is always somebody willing to sell you a little gadget that plugs into your car and supposedly turns your 25-mpg vehicle into a 50-mpg vehicle. Save your money. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably belongs in the same category as the exercise machine that promises six-pack abs while you sit on the couch.

The truth is, most of the things you can do to improve fuel economy are pretty simple—and pretty boring. But they work.

Start with your right foot. Hard acceleration uses a lot of fuel. When you’re pulling away from a stop, accelerate smoothly instead of treating every green light like the starting line at Eldora. You don’t have to drive like you’re in a parade, but a little restraint goes a long way.

Look farther ahead. If you see a red light or stop sign coming up, take your foot off the gas and let the vehicle coast. Don’t wait until you’re 100 feet from the intersection and then go directly from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. Modern engines use very little—or in many situations, essentially no—fuel while coasting with your foot off the accelerator. You might as well let the car do some of the work.

Don’t haul around a bunch of stuff you don’t need. All those tools, sports equipment, boxes, and miscellaneous items living permanently in your trunk add weight. More weight means the engine has to work harder. You probably won’t notice a difference from one grocery bag, but if your trunk looks like you’re preparing for the apocalypse, it might be time to clean it out.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Check the pressure at least once a month and use the pressure listed on the sticker inside the driver’s door or B-pillar—not the maximum pressure printed on the tire itself. Proper tire pressure reduces rolling resistance and helps your tires last longer, too. Some newer vehicles even display the actual pressure on the dashboard, so checking it is easier than ever.

Buy good tires. This one surprises people. Premium tire manufacturers such as Michelin, Continental and Bridgestone invest heavily in tire compounds and tread designs that can reduce rolling resistance. Tires are the only part of your vehicle touching the road, so they can have a noticeable effect on how efficiently your vehicle moves down that road.

Use quality fuel. Look for Top Tier™ detergent gasoline. It contains a higher level of detergent additives designed to help keep fuel-system and engine components clean. Keeping things clean can help your engine operate the way it was designed to.

And speaking of clean, regular fuel-system service can help, too. Depending on the vehicle and how it is driven, we generally recommend fuel-system cleaning somewhere around every 15,000–30,000 miles. Deposits can build up over time, and keeping the fuel system clean can help maintain proper performance and efficiency.

Finally, keep up with your regular maintenance. A vehicle with a dirty air filter, worn spark plugs, under-inflated tires, or an engine that isn’t operating properly isn’t going to get the fuel economy it was designed to achieve.

The biggest thing to remember is that there are no miracles here. Most of your vehicle’s fuel economy was engineered into it before it ever left the factory. You aren’t going to turn a 25-mpg SUV into a 40-mpg SUV with a bottle of magic juice or a $19.99 electronic gadget.

But you can pick up a few miles per gallon by taking care of your vehicle and changing a few driving habits. And over the course of a year, even a small improvement can add up to some real money staying in your wallet instead of going into your gas tank.

So skip the gimmicks, keep your car maintained, keep your tires properly inflated, and—maybe most importantly—lighten up on the right pedal.

Until next time, keep the shining side up and the rubber side down!

Have a question for the mechanic? Send it our way. You might see it answered in next week’s “Ask the Mechanic!” Call Dave and Katie at (937) 887-0029 for questions or to schedule an appointment for your vehicle. Visit https://www.solomonsgarage.com/ for more information. ■