When I pulled up to the gas pump today, I
imagined the person before me doing a mental sprint over their bank
balance. Eight dollars to spare. (Maybe they just filled up a gas
can for the lawnmower, but you never know.)
When I filled up, disappointment. I’d seen it coming. Only 32.6 mpg. Still better that the old days of 28. I think three things were at work here. 1.) More city driving brought the number down. (Don’t assume you’ll always get the same mpg. The mix of city/highway driving matters.) 2.) There was one day when I was in a hurry (Again, I know. You can scold me.) and I didn’t drive conservatively. 3.) I’m pretty sure my alignment is a tad off, I know my tires need to be rotated and I need an oil change. I’m hoping the oil change and tire rotation will help me out. (And that the tire rotation fixes the alignment issue so I don’t have to pay for a regular alignment.)
Oh, and the question? Yes, gas has dropped in price, but it’s still plenty expensive.
Don’t forget to check the air filter. And make sure you air up your tires. The shop may lower the air when they rotate them. I don’t recall you saying what pressure your tires are at. Check your plugs and wires while your’e at it. That can lower fuel ecconomy too. 32.6 MPG is still a pretty good improvement. Keep up the good work.
The air filter’s pretty new, but that’s a good reminder. It could probably use a shake. I’ve been running at 35 psi (Max sidewall rating), and I imagine they’ll default to the 32psi. I’ll ask them to go to 35.
Also, as a side note, I’ve decided to switch to full synthetic oil. Even if it doesn’t improve mpgs, it’ll be better for my engine in the long run.