Better gas mileage for your truck means more efficiency and less expense. Here’s how to get better gas mileage in a truck with 7 simple hacks.
Did you know the average American consumer spends about $3,000 per year for gas?
It’s no wonder that people look for ways to save on gas to lower that expense.
Better gas mileage for your truck means more efficiency and less expense.
Here’s how to get better gas mileage in a truck with 7 simple hacks.
How to Get Better Gas Mileage in a Truck with 7 Simple Hacks
With gas prices going up truck owners are always looking at how to get better gas mileage in a truck. Keep your truck tuned and running regularly and you’ll use less gas. The list below will help you hack your way to better gas mileage.
Having proper tire pressure for your truck will have an effect on gas mileage. Consult your owner’s manual of the tire manual to learn more about your specific tires and their pressure.
Tires are underinflated can increase rolling resistance. Tires that are inflated to the maximum psi that’s listed on the sidewall of the tire can increase tire wear and be dangerous.
- Best time to check tire pressure is when the tires are cold because when the tires are hot they increase the inflation reading
- Before going on a long trip check the tire pressure
- Before hauling heavy loads or towing check the tire pressure
- In extremely hot conditions make sure the tires aren’t reaching the maximum safe inflation level
There are enhancers that you cost between $20-$30 per bottle that you can pour in when you do your oil change. They claim to give an additional 3 to 5 mpg. You’ll have to experiment to see which brand works for your truck.
Don’t ever mix lubricant enhancers. Make sure you wait for the next oil change to pour a new bottle in. Also be careful to not exceed your engine’s crankcase oil capacity.
An overfilled crankcase can cause foaming and inadequate oil pickup. This will defeat your purpose of saving on gas mileage.
Clean the fuel injectors to make sure they’re getting the right amount of fuel through them without any clogs. You might need a professional fuel system cleaning if your fuel injectors are clogged. If they’re not very clogged you can clean them yourself with different products out in the market such as Lucas Fuel System Cleaner.
Clean injectors spray a fine mist of fuel. This makes it easier to ignite and increases gas mileage.
You can get better gas mileage with more air flow. Keep your air filter clean and exchange when needed to improve gas mileage. Your trucks engine needs a flow of fresh air coming into the system.
If the air filter gets clogged it keeps the air from going into the engine. This causes the engine to have to work harder to compensate for less air flow. In turn, this lowers the gas mileage.
If it’s an option for you to use synthetic oil and gear lube for a noticeable boost in gas mileage. Synthetic lubricants and oils reduce the amount of drag that’s inside your engine and rear axle. Another plus of using synthetic oil is that you can go longer between oil changes.
Synthetic lubricants and oils have better lubrication and temperature breakdown resistance compared to conventional oils. If you’re able to afford the expense of using synthetic it can be a gas mileage saver. Once you switch to synthetic it’s recommended to not go back to regular oil and lubricants.
If you’re not able to financially switch from regular to synthetic then switch depending on the season. During winter months switch to a lower thickness oil can increase efficiency. For example, switching from a thick 20W50 to a thin 5W30 will make a noticeable difference.
If it’s freezing outside go even lower to something like 0W40 to expedite oil flow. Please make sure to consult your truck’s manual when making these decisions. It’s important to also see what the manufacturer recommends.
Watch when you accelerate and decelerate. Watching how much you step on the gas pedal or breaks will save gas mileage because you’re not taking off or breaking. When you don’t excessively break you get better gas mileage and longer lasting breaks.
The faster you make your truck go the more fuel it takes. When you slow down you won’t fight as much wind resistance. When you’re on the highway don’t speed and keep a steady speed to save on gas mileage.
As you’re approaching stop lights let the truck slow down naturally. After red lights and stop signs gradually speed up instead of slamming on the gas pedal. When the light turns green don’t burn rubber.
A tuner will have options to give your truck more horsepower and increase gas mileage. All tuners have different options and work in their own unique way. Some decrease idle speed and some prevent downshifting by adjusting torque converter.
Find a tuner that is simple to use and understand. Some can be very complicated to use and can lead to not using it correctly leading to further complications.
Now Get out There and Drive
There is so much information on how to get better gas mileage in a truck the tips here will help you get on your way to saving money at the gas pump. If you really want a truck and won’t be towing something invest in a truck with two-wheel drive, a five-speed transmission and the smallest motor you can get away with.
If you’re towing often then diesel is a better choice which doesn’t come with the option of a mid-size or light-duty yet. If you’re looking for quality products that offer performance, reliability and improved gas mileage for your truck contact us to learn more.