Getting More Miles Per Gallon
 by Kyle Busch      

Most drivers are aware of the standard suggested
ways of improving vehicle fuel economy including:
avoiding sudden starts and stops, keeping tires
inflated to the recommended pressure, avoiding
the use of air conditioning, guiding down hills,
etc.

In addition to these measures, what other steps
will help you to save fuel?  When you are ready to
get a new set of tires for your car, consider getting
a larger diameter tire.  For example, if your car is
equipped with a 205 65 15" tire, consider getting a
205 70 15" tire. The first number (205) is the width
of the tire.  The second number (65) is the distance
from the rim to the tread or the tire sidewall.  The
third number (15") is the size of the rim.  The idea
is to increase the second number, the sidewall of the
tire. Each 5 point increase represents a ½" larger
tire sidewall.

A 205 75 15" tire is about 1" taller as compared to a
205 65 15" tire. The width of the tire is the same and
the rim size is the same.  Therefore, a taller sidewall
tire usually costs the same as the smaller sidewall
tire. Before making a switch to a larger tire,  ask the
tire technician if your car can accept the larger tire.
You do not want the tires to hit the wheel wells of
your car. Some cars will accept an inch larger tire
and most cars will accept a ½" larger tire.

If you install larger tires on your car, realize that
you will be traveling about 5 miles per hour faster
than your car's speedometer indicates.  Therefore, you
would need to drive about 5 miles per hour slower
to be driving the speed limit.

How does it work in the real world?  When I purchased
a larger set of  tires for my car, rather than the usual
42 miles from my home in Erie to the me office in
Meadville, PA, my speedometer read 36 miles.  Thus,
I gained about 6 miles in fuel savings on my one way
commute to work.  This represents about a 12% gain
in fuel economy.

If you drive a car with a standard transmission,
consider using gears 1st, 3rd, and 5th when you
travel on the interstate.

Additionally, some auto parts stores sell a fuel
saving device called a Tornado that is fitted in the
airflow tube after the air filter.  The Tornado swirls
the air and increases the amount of air entering
the engine. This increases the engine's power
and fuel economy.

Using less fuel will save you money, however,
additional savings are possible by making your car
run a few years longer.  Look for a future article on
this topic.

Kyle Busch is the author of the book "Drive the Best for
the Price ...," and his car has been driven over 436,000
miles. His auto web site: http://www.drivethebestbook.com
accepts all car questions.