Back in the day when this bad Boss 429 was roaming the streets, some of the gas saving tips held true, but not anymore.

Your EGR is an integral part of your emission control system. EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation and it does exactly as the name suggests; recirculates some of your exhaust gas back into the intake manifold, where it mixes with incoming air. This helps lower combustion temperatures and as a result, decreases oxides of nitrogen (NOX) emissions.

Many people believe that plugging the EGR or bypassing it will in some way increase their gas mileage and give them a few more precious horsepower. Can simply bypassing the EGR give you better gas mileage? Can it be that simple?

No, it can’t. In modern engines, you will actually stand a better chance of losing a few percent in the MPG department, rather than making any gains. You really gain nothing by bypassing it. Your car actually does it for you under acceleration, when an EGR block swings into action to prevent it from functioning. So if you have a modern gasoline engine, forget the notion of saving a little bit of precious unleaded by just bypassing your EGR. It doesn’t work.

What about some other easy ways to get better gas mileage you may have heard about? You can always drive slower,but how much fun is that? No, I’m talking about tricks, like the 100mpg carburetor or the magnetic fuel molecule aligner. More to the point I’m talking about things that have been long reported to save gas, but actually don’t.

The first thing on the list is a having a clean air filter. That mileage myth has some basis in fact, but it no longer holds true. In the past, back in the glorious days of Holley double pumpers or Rochester Q-jets, a dirty air filter could cut back on your power and gas mileage. Now however a dirty air filter will still cost you power, but it won’t really hurt your mileage. Why not? Because now days cars are so much smarter. They use electronic engine management systems connected to a host of sensors to meter the fuel, rather than a bunch of venturis, tubes, and holes in some brass. As the air filter gets dirtier and the airflow decreases, the electronics compensate by also decreasing the fuel flow so the air/fuel mixture is always correct. The problem is that you’ll lose plenty of power, so don’t let that filter get too dirty.

Here’s another one; leaving the tailgate down in a pickup will save gas. Actually according to recent tests it doesn’t. Remove the tailgate entirely and put a net across the opening.

Still more old timers myths that are supposed to increase your gas mileage, but in most cases, do little or actually have a detrimental effect on it include the “put it in neutral when going down hills” piece of advice. Although this actually works in older cars, it doesn’t in newer vehicles. That’s because in newer vehicles the electronic engine management systems actually shut off the fuel flow entirely when you are moving forward with the throttle plate in the closed position. That is only true when your rig is in gear. When you put it neutral the fuel cut off is not in effect, so you’re burning gas. Keep it in gear, just take your foot off the gas, and your cars ECU will stop feeding your engine for you.

These are just a few things that people just know are true about ways to get better gas mileage; except they really aren’t.

Gas Saving Tip – Clean the Lid
If you don’t need to display your new Cannondale, get it the heck off the roof of your car. The same goes with that Yakima rack or Thule car top carrier. Although the roof top carriers may look pretty streamlined, they can still cost you 4% – 7% fuel mileage at freeway speeds. Besides that, they make it impossible to get into the garage. The faster you go with an obstruction on the roof, the more gas you waste, so if you don’t need it, remove it.

Gas Saving Tip – Pack up the Truck and Move to Beverly
Well, you don’t have to go through the trouble of moving, but if you live somewhere that you don’t need to run the AC, or just plain gut it out and keep it off, you’ll save about 3% – 5% on the freeway, and up to 8% in town. You get a larger gas mileage penalty in town when you run the AC because the AC compressor uses about the same amount of energy no matter how fast you go. That means you use less energy per mile to power the compressor the faster you’re traveling.

Gas Saving Tip – Keep the Pressure On.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated. President Obama’s solution to our fuel importation situation actually does save fuel, but only about 2%, unless you’re going from driving around on tires with just about no air to properly inflated ones. Check the sticker on your driver’s door jamb for the manufacturer’s recommended tire inflation pressures. Often they are different in the front and back. Most tires are normally inflated to the 30 – 34psi range. Be aware of using the gas saving trick of over inflating your tires. The saving is minimal, a percent or two at best, and you’re compromising safety, handling, and tire life to get it.

Gas Saving Tip – Remember, You’re Not Danica Patrick, So Don’t Drive Like Her
If you’re a guy, you may well wish you knew her better, but she’s already married, so cool your jets. Your driving has just about the largest impact on your fuel mileage that anything else you can do. Use the orange squeezing trick. Pretend like there is a ripe orange under the gas pedal, and you’re trying not to squash it.

So many people accelerate much too rapidly away from lights, only to have to stop again in a few hundred yards at the next red light. That constant quick acceleration, followed by hard braking just kills your fuel mileage. Every time you use the brakes, you’re turning the gas you burned to get you moving back into heat that just gets dissipated into the air by your brake rotors. If it sounds like a total waste, it is.

The way to avoid excessive brake use and maximize gas savings is when the light to anticipate. Look ahead at traffic, so that you know well in advance when you’ll need to stop. That way you can let off on the gas and coast. Most modern cars completely cut off the fuel when coasting at speed, so that you’re getting infinite MPG at that point. With luck the light will turn green before you have to completely stop, saving the gas you would have used to get going again.

Another driving related gas waster is driving too fast. This is especially true on short trips. The extra 10 miles an hour you go driving 75 over driving 65 wastes about 10% of your fuel, depending on the vehicle you’re driving. On short trips, you’ll save very little time with the extra speed, and all those short trips getting better gas mileage will add up, big time. Be that as it may, I am by no means a fan of the government legislating slower speed limits for the good of our environment, or any other reason. It should be up to us as individuals weather or not we want to trade some of our irreplaceable life time for a few extra mpg, not the Federal Government’s. If I, or any other American, want to spend an extra $5.00 or $10.00 to save an hour or two on a long trip, we should be free to do just that.

Gas Saving Tip – Don’t let Your Car Turn Into a Rolling Junk Pile
Proper maintenance is key to keeping the best gas mileage. You’ll save gas if everything is your car is working as it should. Things like dragging brake calipers, old spark plugs, worn plug wires, old oil, and clogged air filters all degrade your car’s performance and fuel economy.

Many people think that because their new car doesn’t need a tuneup for 50,000 miles, they can neglect maintenance altogether. You can, but it will cost you a lot more than a few trips to Jiffy Lube in the long run. Your gas mileage will suffer, and your ride will be your money pit before you know it. Modern cars are very reliable and well designed. They run forever when well maintained.

Forget the maintenance however, and you’ll get the shock of your life when your mechanic hands you a bill for 5 grand to put in a new engine. Some engines are even more expensive than that. So, it’s not only the extra gas money you’re costing yourself, it could be much more than the cost of fuel.

Gas Saving Tip –  Haul Gas, Not Everything Else
Take an hour and clean out your trunk. If you can do it in 15 minutes, so much the better. The fact is that hauling an extra 100lbs of crap in your trunk costs you money at the pump and when it comes time to get your brakes done, which you’ll have to do more frequently the more weight you haul around. If you rig isn’t one that requires a full set of Snap-Ons to keep running, get those tools out of the trunk. They’re heavy. Same with the sand bags, old Christmas presents, bottles of antifreeze, tire chains, and golf clubs. You can save 1% – 2% by lightening the load.

Gas Saving Tip –  Check Your Feet
Really, make sure you’re not “riding the brakes”. Many people keep their foot resting on the brake pedal even when they have no intention of stopping. You can tell those folks by the way their brake lights glow merrily as they travel down the road. That brake drag obviously wastes gas, so please don’t do it. Besides, people can see your incompetence, because your brake lights are on all the time.

Gas Saving Tip –  It’s Summer Now, So Act Like It
Get those snow tires off your car. If you live in snow country, you may put dedicated snow tires on for the winter months. They have higher rolling resistance than normal tires, so they cost you fuel. Modern radial snow/ice tires are much better in this regard than the snow tires of yore, but they are less efficient to turn.

Gas Saving Tip –  No Holes
Keep your sun roof closed on the freeway. The extra drag created by that gaping maw up top makes you guzzle about 2% – 4% more fuel than you need to, so keep it shut over about 30mph.

Following all the tips that apply, most importantly the ones relating to driving style, can save you up to 40% on your gas bill every month.

If the Waxman “Cap and Trade” bill passes, count on your gas bill going up even more.

There are a few reasons that diesel fuel is considerably more expensive than gasoline in the U.S., although as kids we remember it being cheaper, and it’s easier to refine. If you run a fleet of vehicles that burn diesel, I wish I had some good news for you, but unfortunately you can expect the situation to remain the same for some time. Here are 5 key reasons why diesel costs you more per gallon than gasoline, even though many people expect the opposite should be true.

Reason Number 1 for Diesel being More Expensive than Gasoline -
The US government mandated ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) to replace conventional diesel fuel  in 2007. This transition began in 2006. The new variety of diesel fuel  contains 97% less sulfur than conventional diesel—sulfur is reduced from 500 parts per million (ppm) to 15 ppm. While a boon to air quality in the Untied States, this stuff is more expensive to manufacture. It does have the advantage of allowing the clean burning diesel technology that’s available in Europe to come over here. Without the ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, diesel power plants could no longer meet U.S. emissions regulations.

Reason Number 2 for Diesel being More Expensive than Gasoline -
U.S. oil refineries are normally optimized to produce about 20% diesel fuel, while those producing fuel for the European market are optimized to turn out more than twice that proportion. This means that as the demand for diesel fuel grows, thanks the recent tremendous improvement in diesel engines that has led it’s adoption for SUVs and many more pickups, U.S. refineries can’t keep pace with the growing demand.

Reason Number 3 for Diesel being More Expensive than Gasoline -
Your federal government in action – the Federal excise tax on diesel fuel is 6 cents higher per gallon (24.4 cents per gallon) than the tax on gasoline. Viola! An instant 6 cent per gallon price disadvantage for diesel. I’m sure the nation’s truckers, farmers, and ranchers appreciate that.

Reason Number 4 for Diesel being More Expensive than Gasoline -
Growing demand for diesel fuel, especially in the growing economies of Asia, such as India and China. Economies are built with diesel burning machines, from road graders and trucks, to railroad locomotives and heavy lifting cranes. As economies in former 3rd world countries emerge from the psuedo-dark ages from whence they’ve come, their appetite for diesel will only continue to increase, even if they slow down once in a while to curb pollution for athletic events.

Reason Number 5 for Diesel Being More Expensive Than Gasoline -
An increased quantity demanded of anything tends to exert upward pressure on prices, and another factor causing more and more gallons of diesel fuel to be demanded is the European drivers wholesale change to diesel powered vehicles (NOTE: This is another effect of increased fuel taxes in Europe, a partial side effect of the Kyoto Treaty, that aims to reduce carbon emissions, which a change to higher fuel economy diesels will help accomplish. Ironically, although much cleaner than in the past, diesels actually emit more air pollution, especially particulate matter, than the latest gasoline engines, which are incredibly clean burning. Be careful what you wish for….. ). According to the 2007 EU Economic report, the percentage of diesel powered cars registered in 2007 is more than 400% higher than it was in 1990. In addition, there are more total cars registered in Europe, so the demand for diesel at European filling stations has skyrocketed.

As you’ve doubtlessly noticed, most of the reasons for the increase are actually behind the real reason; increased demand for diesel fuel. If the demand is increased, the quantity demanded will also increase at every price point. This is a boon for refiners, as their percentage profit on diesel is usually greater than for equivalent quantities of gasoline. For U.S. diesel consumers this is especially troubling, because usually this situation would lead to increased production, eventually causing prices to fall. As mentioned above however, there’s an imbalance between US and overseas production. In the U.S. however more refineries use a gasoline production oriented catalytic cracking process, where European refineries tend to rely more on a process known as hydorcracking and produce a greater percentage of diesel fuel. It is extremely expensive to retask a refinery to significantly change it’s output to favor more of one fuel versus the other, so the refiners are kind of stuck.

That’s why the price of diesel is more expensive than gas, and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Until next time……

There are a few reasons for the increased of most diesel engines when compared to gas engines. One reason for the lower fuel consumption is that diesel fuel has a higher energy density than does gasoline. For example, standard diesel fuel has an energy density of approximately 139K BTU per gallon. On the other hand, gasoline has fractionally less energy, about 125,000 BTU per gallon. As a way of comparison, much touted ethanol is far below either of these two, at about 85K BTU / gallon. That means that a gallon of diesel there has a greater ability to provide propulsive energy, if the efficiency of combustion is equal.

There is another primary reason that diesel engines tend to get better fuel economy than a gasoline power plant. This reason is due to the fuel delivery system of diesel engines; direct injection. Direct injection is more conducive to ensuring all the fuel atomized and is burned. Obviously more complete combustion leads to greater efficiency and lower fuel consumption. The same reasons have led to direct fuel injection systems being adopted for gasoline engines from various auto makers, including Cadillac, Saturn, Audi, and Pontiac. Expect to see wider adoption of this technology on gasoline engines in the near future as a way to decrease emissions and save fuel.

Differences in Power Delivery Between Gasoline and Diesel Engines

A diesel engine tends to develop power lower in the RPM range than an a comparable gas engine. In addition, the diesel will usually develop more maximum torque but less horsepower than a gasoline engine. This means that depending upon the use, the actual fuel economy figures from both gas and diesel engines can be very different indeed. Diesels are typically excel at lower, more constant speed operation while pulling heaver vehicles, while gasoline engines are better suited to lighter vehicles, variable speeds and rapid acceleration.

That partially explains the widespread use of diesel power plants in trucks. They will deliver much higher fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine when towing heavy loads, and more easily climb steep hills when doing so. There are also durability advantages to diesel engines, especially in heavy duty applications. The operational differences between diesel and gas engines also helps explain the really high highway fuel economy figures returned by passenger cars with small, turbo diesel engines, such as the TDI powered VW Jetta (41 EPA Hwy MPG).

That’s why a diesel engine get better fuel economy than a gas engine.

Until next time………

The Splitfire spark plugs are still being made and sold by Old World Industries, Inc., Northbrook, IL. They rose to prominence because of their unique center electrode, which did its forked, snake-tongue impression. The thinking was that electrode design would lead to more complete combustion. When you visit their site today however, you’ll notice that their current line of plugs looks suspiciously like almost any other quality spark plug on the market.

Why is their site devoid of the original Splitfire plug from whence they derived their name? Why, indeed! It appears that in 1997 Splitfire’s advertising was making fuel economy and gas saving claims that went something like this:

A -“Of all users (regardless of vehicle type, age, condition, and use) responding:

70% reported a gas mileage increase of from 1 to 6 more miles per gallon.””

And

Consumer Endorser: “Yeah, I went from probably 300 miles on a full tank to almost 400.”

Consumer Endorser: “I probably was getting, I would say about 20 miles more per tankful, and that’s a lot for me!”

Consumer Endorser: “And when you’re driving a four-wheel drive vehicle, you need all the extra gas mileage you can get.”

The problem is that they couldn’t actually back up any of these claims to the Federal Trade Commission’s satisfaction. In 1997 they were hauled into federal proceedings by the FTC to substantiate their claims of increased fuel economy provided by their (at the time) $6 spark plug. Now not only was that about 5 times what a traditional plug cost at the time, some consumers had suspicions about the efficacy of the product. This resulted in complaints to the FTC, and well, you know what happened next.

From the FTC case report –

“In truth and in fact, respondent did not possess and rely upon a reasonable basis that substantiated the representations set forth in Paragraph 5, at the time the representations were made. Therefore, the representation set forth in Paragraph 6 was, and is, false or misleading.

Through the means described in Paragraph 4, respondent has represented, expressly or by implication, that competent and reliable studies or surveys show that 70% of SplitFire users achieve a gas mileage increase of from 1 to 6 more miles per gallon.

In truth and in fact, competent and reliable studies or surveys do not show that 70% of SplitFire users achieve a gas mileage increase of from 1 to 6 more miles per gallon. Therefore, the representation set forth in Paragraph 8 was, and is, false or misleading.

The acts and practices of respondent as alleged in this complaint constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act.”

And I suspect that was the beginning of the end for the forked tongued devil. It just goes to show that while certain things have been shown to definitely increase your fuel mileage and save you a few dollars here and there, others can’t quite measure up, so do your research carefully, as there are many other devices out there with dubious records of saving gas. *Take note that bad, old, or fouled spark plugs can certainly cost you gas mileage, as can other worn out and/or dirty parts such as O2 sensors and air or fuel filters.

Actually, “the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some “gas-saving” products may damage a car’s engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions.” So much for magnets! As for anecdotal reports, you can’t trust any test that wasn’t done in a double blind fashion, under controlled conditions. There are actual performance parts that increase the engine’s efficiency and deliver better gas mileage, but usually the “gadget” type of product isn’t among them.

Until next time…………

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