Whether you ride or race, and unless your ride spot is in your back yard, chances are you’re not happy with the cost of transportation today. Yesterday gas prices reached an all-time high. So here are a few timely tips that will help you battle that gruesome pump this summer.
When was the last time you checked your tire pressure? Making sure you have the correct tire pressure will save you about 3% per mile. Another often overlooked and very important detail in a long lasting and more efficient engine is simply ditching that dirty air filter for a clean one. You can save as much as 10% in fuel mileage by doing this. This may sound basic, but many people often overlook a check engine light. Don’t just cover it up with electrical tape. One of the main reasons for the check engine light is to make you aware of a possible emission problem. The part that often fails is the oxygen sensor, which can reduce your fuel mileage by a whopping 40%!
Tune ups go a long way, check with your owners manual to find out when to change plugs, wires, oil, etc. Try to do the work yourself to save even more money. It takes more work but its way better then paying $65 an hour for a mechanic.
Along with your tune up add in a bottle of fuel injector cleaner. The fuel we use now is junk for what we pay for. Using an injector cleaner keeps carbon out and keeps everything running smoother. Some people also say using higher octane helps with mileage. If your vehicle recommends 87, run it. You can test with higher fuels. Some engines run better and some don’t. You can try it to see if it helps. But with everything, don’t expect to notice a difference in a day. Upgrading oils and fuels takes time to see an improvement.
Do fuel additives really work? Yes, for the most part. If you have a dirty engine, or just have some miles on it, you will see benefits. All additives are made for a specific reason, such as dirty injectors, water removal, carbon build-up and so on. You should run an additive to its recommendations. We used an Amsoil product called P.I. it works on increasing performance and power from dirty fuel and intake systems. The Amsoil P.I. fluid has shown increases in performance and fuel economy between 2.3% to 5.7%. Diesels engines benefit the most from fuel additives, where you’ll typically see cetane increased from 10-15%. You’ll be able to raise your fuel mileage an average of 2%. Diesel additives are great to use since they clean and lubricate the injectors and pumps, which are very expensive to replace. So you’re better off spending a little on the additive it will save you a lot in the long run.
Changing your oil every 5-8k miles will save 2-3% on gas mileage. But we highly suggest you upgrade to synthetic oil. You’ll save more on fuel and your engine will last much longer. Synthetics are way better, last longer, and don’t break down like conventional oils do. We switched to Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants many miles ago and highly recommend the switch. We noticed a 2-3 mile per gallon increase! That’s a nice increase by just changing our oil. The truck even runs quieter and performs better. Sorry for the blatant plug but we’ve logged a lot of miles and we are big fans of Amsoil products. Not only do they prolong the life of your engine and save you money on fuel, they are 100% American made, so the foreign oil companies don’t get a cut. The Amsoil products we have been using last up to 25k miles of normal use and 15k of severe use that turbo and supercharged vehicles put oil through. For the most part, with diesels and most other applications you can pretty much double your factory change intervals with out voiding any kind of warranty.
Synthetic oils, especially genuine synthetic oils, are simply that much better. However you need to be careful, some synthetic oils use a mineral oil base stock that’s highly refined so they just call it a “synthetic”, but it’s not really synthetic oil. There are only three major brands in America that make a true full synthetic blend. We use Amsoil for several reasons. The main reason is the products work better than others we’ve tried. The fact that they support the sport of ATV racing also helped our decision. Lastly we can get it easily from local dealers or even easier online. If you order it online like we do the prices and delivery time for shipping are reasonable since Amsoil has 11 distribution centers throughout the country. So just plan your orders like you do with everything else you buy online. You’ll save time and even more gas money by not running to the parts store.
If you need a vendor, you might consider keeping it in the ATV family and purchase from the same place we get ours from, All 4 ATV and Cycle out of the great ATV state of Pennsylvania.
Don’t drive it like you stole it! Obey the speed limit not just for your safety, although you just might save someone’s life by slowing down to a manageable speed. Driving like Grandpa will save you 5%-33% on your mileage tab. That means try not to race to the next red light. Try not to race into and out of turns that’s what your quad is for. That alone can save you up to 23%! And on most vehicles, every mile over 65mph is like paying an extra $.20 per gallon! That might slow you down. Keep the racing on the track. Lastly use your cruise control to keep a steady speed.
Keeping the useless stuff at home is another good tip. Every 100 pounds of junk costs you 2% on your fuel cost. Do you really need to haul all those extra tires and old quad parts? And when you have the guys over to work on your quads and everyone is hungry send one person to get the grub. Don’t all pile in unless they put a few bucks on the dashboard. And when the gofer gets to the burger joint go in for the order. Idling in the drive through line cost you per minute. If everyone did this type of thing we can slowly but surely lower the demand for oil and save the environment help save the environment too.
