The cost of fuel continues to increase, and that can be stressful. However, there are steps you can take that will help to improve your trucks gas mileage. One of the easiest ways to do so is to keep it well maintained. Fresh oil has additional lubrication that allows the parts in the engine move easier. There will be less friction and you will burn less fuel. Always change your oil every 3,000 miles.
Keep a clean air filter on your truck too. You need to have the correct amount of air flow to ensure that the air and fuel mixture is burning correctly. This will make your engine more fuel efficient. Changing your standard air filter and intake with an after market high flow system will help out. If your truck runs on gasoline, check the spark plugs and make sure they are gapped correctly. This will improve your fuel efficiency.
Keep the fuel system clean too. For example replace your fuel filters when necessary. There are certain fuel additive products on the market that are a good idea to add as well. They will keep the fuel injectors clean and in good operating condition.
Lowering your tailgate can help you to improve gas mileage too. This is because it reduces the amount of overall resistance called wind drag. A great accessory for this is a tailgate net that allows you to completely remove the tailgate from the truck. Yet it will still allow the bed of the vehicle to be usable for hauling cargo.
Keeping the right amount of pressure in your tires will improve the gas mileage on your truck. The amount you need in there depends on your tires. Each tire has that information on it. Get into the habit of regularly checking the amount of pressure that is in your tires with a gauge. Running your truck on tires that have too little pressure in them adds rolling resistance.
The types of tires you have on your truck are important too. For example if you don’t have a use for a mud and snow tire then you should change them for highway tread tires. They offer less rolling resistance. Avoid leaving your truck idling when you can turn it off.
If you have a heavy duty truck where the tire pressure will vary depending on what the weight of your hauled materials is, you need to ensure that you make those changes as necessary. You want to run your tires about 5 PSI over what is recommended in order to decrease the amount of rolling resistance.
If you are on long stretches of road, set the cruise control to help you improve gas mileage. Any time you can rely on the cruise control to keep a constant speed you should do so. Speeding up and slowing down will decrease your overall gas mileage.
A combination of these various elements will help you to improve your trucks gas mileage. Implement them as much as possible and you will quickly start to see that you are spending less money on the fuel you need to get around in your truck.