You love your truck, but you don’t love how much it costs to fill up the tank these days. There’s no way around it: gas prices are rising and cruising around town in that 4-wheel drive can be a real pain in your wallet. Don’t worry, though: it’s not time to pull out the “for sale” sign. With just a few simple changes, you can get better gas mileage in your truck, starting today.
In this blog, we’ll share a few of our top tips for making your truck more fuel efficient. Let’s dive in.
5 Tips for a More Fuel Efficient Truck
Whether you’re driving a truck for work or pleasure, these tips can help make each trip a little more affordable:
1. Hit Cruise Control
One of the leading causes of poor gas mileage in trucks is inconsistent speed. While some stop-and-go is unavoidable in a town setting, you can save some cash by using cruise control out on the highway. Put simply, your truck will use less gas to maintain speed than it will to speed up and slow down all the time.
2. Lose the Weight
Whenever you can, get as much weight out of your truck bed as possible. Hauling or towing weight burns more gas than driving around with a lighter load. With that in mind, get rid of tool boxes, gear, and other junk. Even removing a few hundred pounds from your truck bed can make a big difference in your gas mileage.
3. Use Low-Viscosity Oil
Did you know that the efficiency of your oil pump actually has a major impact on your gas mileage? If you’re using a thick oil, you could be inadvertently increasing the load on your oil pump, and decreasing your MPG as a result. Instead, use a lighter-weight oil, especially in the winter.
Be sure to talk to an auto repair expert before you change up your oil. Sometimes (such as when you’re hauling heavy loads), heavier oil is required for the health of your engine. An auto repair tech will help you understand how light you can go without putting your truck’s wellbeing at risk.
4. Don’t Skip Your Service Appointments
Speaking of auto repair, when was the last time you had your truck in for a service? Routine maintenance is critical to keep your fuel efficiency up to snuff. The better maintained your truck and its various components are, the more efficiently it will run. Simple things like wheel alignment, tire pressure, and the state of your transmission will all impact your fuel efficiency.
5. Second-Guess Modifications
By definition, after-market modifications change the way your truck functions. Before you soup yours up with that cold air intake or turbo, look at the cost benefits of the modification itself. While some modifications can improve gas mileage, others won’t make an impact or, worse, can even decrease your MPG.
DeBroux Automotive: Your Pensacola Auto Repair Expert
Trucks serve many great purposes, but they’re not the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road. Fortunately, you can make a few small changes to increase your truck’s daily MPGs. Here at DeBroux Automotive, our team provides the auto repair services you need to keep your truck running as efficiently as possible.
Ready to learn more or book your first service? Contact us today.